A study of representative poetry of several faith traditions, such as the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic faiths. Students explore the poetry of sacred texts and more recent verse of personal spiritual struggle with attention to the way poetry expresses yet also examines the nature of belief. The course includes a discussion of various doctrinal and historical conflicts and the ways that poetry, as well as the shared artistic principles among writers in these distinct traditions, can offer a means of interfaith understanding. In addition, it teaches the art of close reading and analytical writing.