Religious Studies Department

This course develops four competencies of a successful global citizen: what you need to know to interact with a client/customer/patient/neighbour who is of a different religion; what you need to know when travelling; what you need to know to do graduate studies; and what followers of this religion need to know. We study Indigenous religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, and alternative religions. Credit will be granted for only one of RELS 103, RELS 110, RELS 111, or RELS 112. Offered every year.

This course is designed to provide the foundations for promoting ethical competence among health care professionals as informed by diverse religious and cultural traditions. Students will be introduced to the ethical principles and values underlying debates brough about by advancements in medical technologies. Special emphasis will be placed on the whole person care demonstrated by exemplary health care providers in health care settings. Three credits. Offered every year.

The topic for 2023-2024 is Introductory Greek I. The aim of this course is to familiarize students with the basic structural features of classical Greek. In addition to grammar and vocabulary, the class will read simple texts from classical Greek philosophy and literature as well as from the New Testament. Three credits.

Arabic is written and understood as an official language in more than 35 countries, including at least 400 million people living in majority Arabic-speaking countries. This course introduces students to formal written Arabic and the spoken dialects of Syria and Egypt. Students will become proficient at reading, writing, and understanding basic Arabic and will be able to carry on simple conversation. In addition to language, the course includes expressions of culture, both religious and non-religious. Credit will be granted for only one of RELS 209 or RELS 291(2018-2019) or RELS 298(2017-2018). Cross-listed as MLAN 209. Three credits. Offered 2023-2024.

This course examines the impact of the Bible on film, and introduces major biblical themes in films with, and films without, explicit religious content. Students will learn how biblical knowledge can enrich our understanding of modern culture and important human issues, such as creation, redemption, election, messiah-ship, charisma, and tradition. Three credits. Offered 2023-2024.

An introduction to the sociological study of religion. Topics include social factors that influence religion at individual and communal levels; religion as agent of social cohesion and social conflict; religion and power structures; the impact of pluralism and globalization on religion today. Cross-listed as SOCI 227. Three credits.

This course is an introduction to the use of supernatural imagery and themes in current tales of superheroes. How are supernatural beings and forces incorporated into the stories? How do superheroes function as divine beings? In which ways are the messages presented by DC and Marvel derived from those of world religions? In which ways do they serve as substitutes for religion? Credit will be granted for only one of RELS 216 and RELS 298 (2020-2022). Three credits. Offered 2023-2024.

This course examines the religious practices and beliefs of the ancient Celtic peoples that we can glean from archaeology, reports of Greek and Roman commentators, place-name evidence, and the mythology in medieval Irish and Welsh narrative tradition. Other topics include syncretism, the adaptation of pagan festivals into Christian holidays, the persistence of elements of paganism into the Christian era, witchcraft in Scotland and Ireland in the context of the European phenomenon and neo-paganism today. Cross-listed as CELT 220. Three credits.

Perhaps the greatest challenge of our time is the ecological crisis. This threat has provoked widespread reflection upon humanity’s relationship to its environment. Such reflection however is not new. This relationship was already being explored millennia ago, in humanity’s most ancient religious texts. This course investigates the historical interaction of religion and ecology, and considers how religion might yet constitute either a hindrance or an aid in navigating the present ecological crisis. Credit will be granted for only one of RELS 221 or RELS 356. Three credits. Offered 2023-2024

Much contemporary fantasy draws upon ancient and medieval myths about beasts and monsters of various sorts. In this course, we will consider the religious origins of the fantastic, and how it continues to resonate in our contemporary world. Credit will be granted for only one of RELS 222, RELS 292(2018-19) or RELS 298(2017-18). Three credits. Offered 2023-2024.

A study of cults in the context of 20th-century North American society, beginning with defining cults in relation to sects and churches. Topics include neo-paganism; Hare Krishna; the theosophical tradition; the Unification Church; tragic endings to cults such as the Branch Davidians and Heaven’s Gate; why people join cults; and the religio-cultural significance of cults today. Three credits. Offered 2023-2024.

This course introduces the paths to enlightenment identified by members of the Hindu and Buddhist traditions of India and Tibet. We will introduce the philosophy, mythology and ritual traditions of both Hinduism and Buddhism. Three credits. Offered 2023-2024.

This course covers narrative and artistic depictions of Greco-Roman Gods, demi-gods, and heroes, both in Hellenistic and early Roman periods, and in their contemporary reception in fiction and film. We will also cover how myths and grand narratives function in the service of and in tension with power, politics, gender, ritual, and culture. Cross-listed with CLAS 241.Three credits. Offered in 2023-2024.

Students will gain a critical understanding of film as an artifact of culture and a powerful medium of religious and cultural expression in Muslim contexts. Students encounter themes such as religion and politics, marriage and family, youth, society, sexuality, ritual and devotion, Islamic law, community, and ethics, and engage critically in their cinematic representations. The course is based primarily on foreign films with English subtitles and provides a foundation for further study of Islamic traditions. Three credits. Offered 2023-2024

In this course, students explore the four earliest records of Jesus’ life, the canonical gospels. They learn how academics approach the quest for the historical Jesus, and use methods of literary and historical analysis to interpret recurring themes of the gospels, such as the kingdom of God, parables about socio-economic inequity, attitudes towards the Roman empire, and the ubiquitous presence of angels and demons. Three credits. Offered 2023-2024.

This course focuses on a popular genre of texts called “apocalypse,” produced in the early development of Judaism and Christianity. Apocalypses deal with the end of the world. We explore the development of the worldview called apocalypticism and the ancient literature associated with it, from both inside and outside the Bible. Students compare what they’ve learned about ancient apocalypses to contemporary apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic ideas, from zombies to climate change. Three credits.

The topic of 2023-2024 is The History and Philosophy of Yoga. This class focuses on yoga, a pan-Indic and now global phenomenon. Using yoga as a case study, we will explore theoretical and methodological issues in the study of religion and themes such as the relationship between philosophy and religion, the functions of doctrine, and the nature of scripture. Students will also be introduced to key moments in the history of yoga’s philosophical development on the Indian subcontinent. Three credits.

The topic for 2023-2024 is Death and Dying: Cross Cultural Perspectives. This course offers a comparative examination of social and ritual practices, religious beliefs, and emotional responses surrounding death in various cultural contexts. Students will explore diverse perspectives on death, addressing questions such as the meaning of death, the concept of a good death, rituals and practices related to death, and the afterlife. Through critical analysis and self-reflection, students will gain a deeper understanding of death’s significance in different cultures and traditions. Three credits.

This course presents “authentic power” as understood in Hindu and Buddhist traditions. Here, “authentic power” is that which creates, supports, maintains and sustains life. It is understood as an expression of inter-dependent masculine and feminine “principles” both within and outside the individual self. That which seeks to manipulate, control, dominate, oppress or defend territory is here understood to be based in fear: it is an expression of cowardice and, as such, merits our compassion. Cross-listed as WMGS 397. Three credits. Offered 2023-2024.

This course investigates women’s participation in early Christian groups from the time of Jesus to the 5th century. Ancient Jewish, Christian, and Roman Women’s experiences will be explored through texts, inscriptions, and material artefacts like mosaics. Students will learn to analyze New Testament and other ancient writings through an intersectional feminist lens and examine such issues as gendered violence, women’s leadership, and early Christian constructions of masculinity. Cross-listed as WMGS 325. Three credits. Offered 2023-2024.

This course presents the Buddhist ideal of the Way of the Bodhisattva, one who vows to continue to re-incarnate, lifetime after lifetime, in order to serve all beings until such time as all beings are freed from suffering. It examines early Buddhist teachings that anticipate the development of this ideal, including the Theravada Buddhist focus on the strength of discipline of the mind and body, before detailing the Mahayana Buddhist development of this ideal and its expansion in the narrative and practice of Vajrayana or Tibetan Buddhist tradition. It will include study of Buddhist philosophy regarding the gradual states of realisation of enlightenment. Three credits. Offered 2023-2024.

Contrary to an old belief, in our time religion is increasingly associated with violence rather than peace. This course explains why this is the case and whether there is an inherently violent element in religion that has passed unnoticed until now. The investigation takes us through Greek, Roman, Jewish, Christian and Islamic religions to find the religious underpinnings to concepts of sacrifice, scapegoating, lynching, and global violence. Credit will be granted for only one of RELS 333 or RELS 335. Three credits. Not offered 2023-2024.

An examination of the impact of religion on politics and politics on religion. Students will consider the relationship between religion and politics in the Middle East, Northern Ireland, India and Pakistan, Eastern Europe and North America. Case studies will demonstrate interactions between the state and Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Judaism, as well as the influence of religion on citizenship, education, the party system, and social issues. Credit will be granted for only one of RELS 336, RELS 295, or PSCI 295. Cross-listed as PSCI 336. Three credits.

This course will focus on the spirituality of the formative years in the development of Christian thought, beginning with the legalization of Christianity in 313 CE and ending with the Reformation. Students will see how some of the most searching and intelligent men and women in both the Western and Eastern churches have wrestled with the question of how it is possible to know God. Three credits. Offered 2023-2024

This course examines issues and debates in modern and contemporary Islamic discourse from a broad spectrum of perspectives. The course introduces students to a plurality of voices, both Sunni and Shi‘ite, on many controversial issues facing Muslims today, including, but not limited to the nature of the Qur’an, methods of interpretation, Muhammad, the role of women, Islam and the West, violence, terrorism, and human rights. The course uses secondary sources and primary sources in translation. Three credits. Not offered 2023-2024.

Students gain an understanding of the diversity of Islam and Muslims in Canada. The course examines how Muslims negotiate their religious identities in Canadian civic society. Students engage critically with different theoretical models shaping conceptions of identity and consider their relevance to public policy debates. The course uses Muslim and non-Muslim authors representing diverse points of view that have an impact on questions of immigration, multiculturalism, and religious pluralism. Cross-listed as SOCI 374. Offered in online format. Three credits. Offered 2023-2024.

The topic for 2023-2024 The History and Politics of Modern Iran. Investigate the significant impact of religion on politics and society in Iran after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Understand the dynamics between state and religion, the transformation of religious discourse, and the nuanced complexities of religious politics. This course focuses on the role of religion in shaping politics and society in post-revolutionary Iran, with special emphasis on the Twelver Shi’i religious establishment, the theory of wilayat-i faqih, Islam and democracy, religion and violence, war and martyrdom. Credit will be granted for only one of RELS 297 and PSCI 372. Three credits

The topic for 2023-2024 is Health Care Ethics: A Multicultural Approach. This course will examine standard types of ethical analysis through religious perspectives. While many of the concepts and methods of health care ethics have religious roots, most ethicists have adopted a neutral, universalizing language (a purportedly “common morality”). Especially in the last three decades, however, there have been challenges to the predominance of this “neutral,” secular perspective. The course will draw upon various religious traditions of health and morality, especially indigenous perspectives, both to deepen conceptualizations of these terms and to challenge the dominant paradigms of ethical theory. Credit will be granted for only one of RELS 399 or RELS 300. Three credits.

Human sexuality is explored from two main perspectives: first, the teachings and practices of various religious traditions; and second, contemporary developments in sexual and reproductive health and rights. Among the issues to be considered are sexuality and gender roles, contraception and abortion, marriage and family. Cross-listed as WMGS 411. Prerequisite: any 100-level RELS or WMGS course. Three credits. Not offered 2023-2024.

This course surveys the Dead Sea Scrolls found in the Judean desert. The most important archaeological discovery of the 20th century, these scrolls have generated much controversy. We will examine the major texts from Qumran to assess their impact on our understanding of the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, and the period of Judaism in which Christianity arose. We will place the scrolls in their various contexts: archaeological, historical, literary, religious, and social. Credit will be granted for only one of RELS 404 or RELS 318. Three credits. Offered 2023-2024.

Ancient Indian thought assumes that there is a fundamental wholeness to our lives and to our world which only appears at times to be fragmented. The myth, ritual and philosophy of ancient India are, in many respects, a contemplation on this basic wholeness and its composite elements. Exploration of ancient Indian thought with its ideas of humans and demons, ancestors and gods, and our place in the natural world in light of this reflection on “the parts and the whole” will be discussed. Prerequisite: any 100-level RELS course. Three credits.