Course List

Course Number	Course Name	C - L - H	Hrs
370-102-DW	Introduction to World Religions	2 - 1 - 3	45
Description for Course: This course introduces students to the major elements of religion. It maps religious diversity by surveying the places and spaces that at least two major religious traditions regard as sacred. It investigates prominent aspects of both personal spirituality and the relationship between religion and society by analyzing selected ritual practices, symbolic representations (in art and decoration), texts, beliefs and social structures. This course will also introduce students to some major theorists of religion and some methods for analyzing selected religious phenomena.
370-121-DW	Sacred Writings	3 - 0 - 3	45
Description for Course: Tanakh, the Bible and the Qur'an are the central documents and inspirations of the religious and ethical traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, respectively. This course introduces students to these sacred writings and aims to provide the foundation for an understanding of the many aspects of their importance. Students will become acquainted with these texts, their history, translation and scholarship, examining many of their historical, philosophical and moral themes and tracing some of their major influences in literature and culture.
370-1N1-DW	Introduction to Religious Studies	2 - 1 - 3	45
Description for Course: This course introduces students to the major elements of religion. It maps religious diversity by surveying the places and spaces that at least two major religious traditions of the world regard as sacred. It investigates prominent aspects of both personal spirituality and the relationship between religion and society by analyzing selected ritual practices, symbolic representations (in art and decoration), texts, beliefs, and social structures. This course will also introduce students to some major theorists of religion and some methods for analyzing selected religious phenomena.
370-215-DW	Religion and Popular Culture	2 - 1 - 3	45
Description for Course: Because popular culture both reflects and affects the society in which it is situated, it contains many references to the religions practiced within that society. These references can be explicit or implicit, conscious or unconscious. In this course we will focus on a number of particular cultural objects containing these references, examining the religious components inherent in the objects and analyzing the way in which their meanings have or have not changed with the transition from religious to secular context. This can help us analyze some of the transformations occurring within our society even as we live through those changes. In addition to examining some of these objects together as a class, students will choose an individual object to analyze and will present their findings in writing as well as sharing these with the rest of the class in an oral presentation.
370-917-DW	Cults and Culture	2 - 1 - 3	45
Description for Course: The course explores the origins, beliefs, rituals and social organizations of some of the new religious movements that contribute to the religious landscape of North America. Sociological, historical and psychological approaches will be employed in the study. Among other subjects, the course will discuss theories of conversion, the “brainwashing”/deprogramming controversy, charismatic authority and the ritual processes within these sects. The contentious status of Scientology, the Wiccan and the Raelian traditions will be analyzed, as will their relationships to their host societies. This course represents a scientific and academic study of New Religious Movements and as such maintains a safe and structured environment for students.
370-BXS-03	Contemporary Social Concerns	3 - 0 - 3	45
Description for Course: Using one of the approaches of the social sciences, students in this course will analyze a contemporary social problem from an ethical religious standpoint. Among the moral perspectives to be studied are the deontological, utilitarian and existential perspectives.
370-BXS-03	Contemporary Social Concerns: Sex, Gender and Religion	3 - 0 - 3	45
Description for Course: This course explores the relationships between religion, sexuality, and gender. We will examine attitudes towards sexuality within different religions, and see how these attitudes form the basis for gender roles that, once entrenched, are very difficult to change.
370-BXS-03	Eastern Paths to Enlightenment - Buddha, Yoga and the Dao	3 - 0 - 3	45
Description for Course: In this course we will analyze the paths to enlightenment, or self-transformation, of some of the following Asian religions: Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Daoism and Confucianism. After an initial survey of the beliefs and rituals of the religions chosen, the focus will be on: (1) religious, or mystical, experiences; and (2) the stages of personal transformation into a sage, saint, or enlightened being.
370-BXS-03	Religious Cults and Sects	3 - 0 - 3	45
Description for Course: This course explores the origins, beliefs, rituals, and social organization of some of the new religious movements that contribute to the religious landscape in North America. The disciplinary approaches employed to examine this controversial topic will include sociological, historical and psychological approaches to the study of new religious movements. Amongst the topics to be covered are theories of conversion, the “brainwashing”/deprogramming controversy, charismatic authority and the ritual process within these movements. The controversial status of the Scientology, the Wiccan and the Raelian movements will be analysed, as well their relationships with their host societies.
370-BXS-03	Religious Terrorism and Violence	3 - 0 - 3	45
Description for Course: What is the relationship between religion and violence? Can religions be violent or are they always peaceful? The following course examines the ways in which people define terms like “religion,” “violence,” “terrorism,” etc. It seeks to understand the important ethical issues and social implications associated with religious violence on a global scale. From Jewish circumcisions and bodily mutilation to the World Trade Center bombings and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the course explores the various forms that “religious violence” has taken and debates the ethical issues of these events/practices in the contemporary world.
370-BXS-03	Spirituality and Religious Expression	3 - 0 - 3	45
Description for Course: This course introduces students to the major elements of religion. It maps religious diversity by surveying the places and spaces that at least two major religious traditions regard as sacred. It investigates prominent aspects of both personal spirituality and the relationship between religion and society by analyzing selected ritual practices, symbolic representations (in art and decoration), texts, beliefs and social structures. This course will also introduce students to some major theorists of religion and some methods for analyzing selected religious phenomena.
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