RELC 1220

This class was probably the easiest I've taken at UVA. Your grade is based on 12 assignments; there are no papers and no exams or quizzes. Lectures help you complete the assignments, but slides are also posted online. Spittler is a good lecturer and very kind-- she's interesting to listen to, and the content is actually pretty interesting sometimes. I went to maybe half the lectures and am getting an A for sure. The grading is done by TAs, so it depends on who you get, but their grading should be very easy as well. If you need a gen ed req or an integration elective for CS, or even just a GPA booster, definitely take this class. #tCFF23

This was by far one of the easiest class I've ever taken. All lectures were recorded and your whole grade consisted of one small writing assignment each week. Readings aren't really that necessary to do either as long as you listen to the lectures. You should still take the assignments seriously though because the TAs won't just give you 100% for completion. But there's no tests or curveballs.

This is an incredibly easy class. That being said, if you are someone who is interested in the Christian religion in a personal way, or you already are a Christian, don't take this class. Professor Spittler is nice, but really only tells a one-sided story of the Bible, making it seem kind of ridiculous. She basically advocates that the Bible is racist, sexist, and wacky. She comfortably mixes canonical and non-canonical texts, so parts about Jesus killing people (not in the Bible but in The Gospel of Thomas) are mixed in with actual Biblical text. So, PLEASE if you're curious about the faith don't take this class. If you're interested in the Bible only as another ancient myth, then it's very enjoyable. Writing assignments are easy but the criteria for grading is unclear.

DR. SPITTLER IS AN AMAZING LECTURER! She's so relatable and her lectures are entertaining. I'm never bored. The class isn't too difficult if you put in some effort. TAs are super kind and approachable: shout out to Elizabeth :). Take this class.

Incredibly easy A class, Prof Spittler is a great lecturer and the course content is very interesting. The readings are quite dense (as you are literally reading the New Testament), but you honestly can just skim through what's directly relevant to the homeworks and as long as you are decent at writing, you are pretty much guaranteed an A as long as your TA is lenient with grading (they usually are). Lectures are recorded and slides are posted online, attending in person is extra credit, but if you are the type who does better with recordings, doesn't want to walk to class, or prefer to watch them sped up or rewind, the option is very appreciated. She does have a policy of not using laptops in class to record notes, but that's mostly just because writing things down physically helps with memorization (and you'll do fine honestly if you put effort into the class). If you need to get a GenEd requirement out of the way or are even looking for an easy class to boost your GPA or fill out credits, this is perfect, low commitment, and there's basically no pressure in the class aside from getting your homeworks done on time.

Honestly, this was the easiest course I've ever taken at UVA. 12 weekly assignments with in-class extra credit assignments were the entire grade. This also counts for some College gen ed requirements, so if you want an easy gen ed class, TAKE THIS CLASS (only offered in the fall I think). The content was also interesting and quite easy to understand, even if you aren't religious or aren't Christian.

Professor Spittler is a wonderful lecturer! I would recommend taking this course (though it is quite popular and possibly difficult to enroll in) to better understand scholarship surrounding some New Testament and other Early Christian texts.
Weekly assignments are usually short writing assignments in a journal that are easy to complete. Before class, it is expected that you read the texts, however this is seldom difficult since each text can be finished in about 30 minutes to an hour.
It is important to note that this course is not a Bible study. Professor Spittler is approaching these texts through the lens of scholarship, so a secular perspective is assumed.
Fall 2025 had the semester structured first around gospels (canonical and non-canonical), then Pauline and Pseudo-Pauline epistles, a look at the Acts of the Apostles genre, and finishing with Revelation.
All in all fairly easy and enjoyable! Plus it fulfills a discipline requirement for the college!

This course is extremely weird, but very easy. As a Christian myself, I found most of what Spittler had to say far off and unreligious. There are technically readings due for every class, however I never needed to read them. I stopped showing up to lecture about halfway through the semester after I realized how insane her views on early Christianity were. The only grades in the class are weekly handwritten journals. There are no exams or essays. Therefore, your course grade is determined entirely by your TA. My friends had harsh TAs and had to meet with Spittler during office hours to raise their journal grades. I had a decent TA and received an A in the course. The baseline grade for each journal is a 9/10 if you meet all the requirements. This is pretty dumb since it makes it almost impossible to get an A+ and means writing a great journal does not equal a great grade. Overall, I would not recommend this course but it is a very easy blowoff class.

This class was interesting to say the least.. I'm not religious but I took this class because I did have a genuine interest in learning about Christianity. This class gave me a reason to read the Bible for our weekly assignments and I did enjoy many of the readings. Professor Spiltler's lectures definitely were not important for the weekly assignments and after the first week the class of 300 had less than 50 students attending the lectures. Grades are all dependent on your T.A so if you have a lenient one, you'll be fine. The class is definitely one of the easiest classes at UVA so I'd say if you have a genuine interest in learning about Christianity, take this class. I didn't really notice Prof Spittler having any extreme views on the Bible like some of the other reviews say but again, I'm not religious so maybe I didn't fully get that.
93 is the cutoff for an A.

This class was very interesting! Dr. Spittler is a great lecturer who understands the material very well. The lectures are optional but definitely recommended as she only posts the slides, but without context, they are pointless. The entire grade for the class was based on 12 assignments total (one for each week), with two dropped assignments. The assignments were one page written responses to questions regarding the lecture that week. Very easy A, but still very enjoyable.