Course Descriptions

Main concepts, beliefs and practices in Asian religious societies are the subjects of this course. The course includes an overview of and consistent integration with academic approaches to the study of religion. The course covers beliefs and practices of religions in South Asia namely Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and Buddhism. The second half of the course examines religions and cultures in East Asia. These include Daoism and Confucianism in China and Korea, Shinto in Japan, and Buddhism in East Asia. The course concludes with an investigation of religion in contemporary world, specifically Asian religions in the United States and Canada.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Note: Students with credit for RLST 110.6 may not take RLST 111 for credit.

This class is a critical survey of the history, sources and chief characteristics of major world religions, such as Judaism and Christianity, and includes brief introductions to Islam and New Religious Movements. The history, agency and practice of these religions are considered in the wider multicultural context. We will be attentive to the investigation into the phenomenon called religion, and to the relationships between religion, culture and society.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Note: Students with credit for RLST 110.6 may not take RLST 112 for credit.

Islam is one of the most important members of the family of world religions with 1.25 billion adherents. Accordingly, this course serves as an introduction to Islam focusing on various and complex identities that have shaped human understandings of the religion of Islam throughout history. The course focuses on the origins and development of Islam, fundamental beliefs and practices, and its influence in defining Muslim cultures.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Note: Students with credit for RLST 110.6 may not take RLST 113 for credit.

This course traces the origins of diverse religious and faith groups in Canada by examining the many ways in which members of these groups developed their collective imaginaries, maintain their inherited beliefs and practices, and reformulate their religious traditions in a distinctly Canadian context. Focusing on history, origin, beliefs, and practices of the world religions and Indigenous traditions that make up the religious landscape of Canada, the course does not espouse a specific understanding of “religion,” or a single theological paradigm. Rather, it engages a variety of academic perspectives to explore intersections of religion and identity in our Canadian context.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): 3 credit units RLST or 18 credit units at the university level

This course explores the interplay between a number of religious traditions and ecology by taking a cross-disciplinary approach to the evaluation of issues of complicity, responsibility, guilt, reconciliation and restoration in human-Earth relations.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): 3 credit units RLST or 18 credit units at the university level.

A study of the historical, social, doctrinal, and ritual aspects of Hinduism.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): 3 credit units RLST or 18 credit units at the university level.

Surveys the history, philosophy, texts, practices and systems of Yoga in traditional cultural settings and modern context.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): 3 credit units RLST or 18 credit units at the university level.

This course offers 1) a basic introduction to cinematic depictions of the dynamics between political ideologies and certain religious movements that have engaged with such ideologies to inspire social and doctrinal reform; 2) a basic introduction to critical lenses from film theory that can be used to analyse the politics of representation at work in these filmic depictions of religio-political conflicts. The selected films also serve to illustrate religion's thoroughgoing enmeshment in broader political and cultural agendas within the public sphere: e.g., Religion and Imperialism, Religion and Economics, Religion and Globalisation, Religion and Post-Colonialism, Religion and Sexual Politics.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): 3 credit units RLST or 18 credit units at the university level.

An examination of Buddhist religious history with emphasis on its socio-cultural dimensions. Topics include early Buddhism and its Indian evolution; culture contact and the spread of Buddhism to southeast Asia, China, Japan and Tibet; Buddhism and change in modern Asia and the west.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): 3 credit units RLST or 18 credit units at the university level.

An introduction to Buddhist philosophy and the development of its major schools of religious thought: Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana. Buddhist views of the interdependence of morality, knowledge and liberation will be studied in their historical and contemporary contexts.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): 3 credit units RLST or 18 credit units at the university level.

Explores the influence of the Bible on the culture of the west, ancient and modern, with a particular focus on the role of biblical themes, symbols and characters in art, literature, music and popular culture.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): 3 credit units RLST or 18 credit units at the university level.

Study of women in major western religious traditions: influence of conceptual systems and language; women's embodiment and religion, feminine spirituality, women's contributions to western faiths, and feminine aspects of divinity.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): 3 credit units RLST or WGST or 18 credit units at the university level.
Note: Students with credit for RLST 325 may not take this course for credit.

A systematic examination of the beliefs, practices and doctrinal debates in Christianity, with emphasis on diverging theories of revelation, incarnation, redemption and ritual efficacy that shift over time in response to surrounding political and socio-cultural forces.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): 3 credit units RLST or 18 credit units at the university level.

The findings of modern biblical and historical research will be applied to the figure of Jesus as presented in the New Testament, and to the development of doctrine in Christianity.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): 3 credit units RLST or 18 credit units at the university level.

This course offers: 1) a preliminary survey of the destructive and constructive interplay between world religions and forces of globalization; 2) an introduction to ancient and contemporary elements/proponents of social justice within five religious traditions; 3) an elaboration of tentative, interreligious ethical criteria that might guide the evaluation of religio-political developments in our global context.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): 3 credit units RLST or 18 credit units at the university level.

An introduction to basic Jewish ideas, beliefs, and practices from the biblical times to the present.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): 3 credit units RLST or 18 credit units at the university level.

This class is an introduction to Jewish understandings of justice and prophecy by looking at the concepts of God, Torah, and Israel in Jewish Scripture and in the thinking of major Jewish philosophers.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): 3 credit units RLST or 18 credit units at the university level.

This course explores the interplay between religion and sport. These two endeavours represent the ultimate concern for a number of people around the world. We will analyze their similarities and differences in relation to how sport and religion serve as a total identity for some people. We will also map some of the influence and expression of religious traditions in sport. Case studies will include reviewing arguments for considering the Montreal Canadiens and the Saskatchewan Roughriders as religions in their own right.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): 3 credit units RLST or 18 credit units at the university level.

Explores the significance and changing role of the Confucian tradition by an introduction to ancient roots in China, historical elaboration and expansion, and relevance for personal and social vision today.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): 3 credit units RLST or 18 credit units at the university level.

Study of the religious world views inherent in the religious world views inherent in the religions and culture of China and of popular religious concepts and practices including mythology, divination, magic, and communal worship.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): 3 credit units RLST or 18 credit units at the university level.

This course provides a historical and thematic overview of the principal religious traditions of Japan. We will initially focus upon the practices, rituals, world-views, institutions, and teachings related to Buddhism and the worship of the indigenous gods (kami) in early and medieval Japan. Next, we will explore how the people of Japan, from early modern to contemporary times, share a common awareness of religion that provides worldly benefits. This course will therefore place a particular emphasis on the understanding of religion as it has been, and continues to be practiced in everyday life for individuals, families, communities, and the state. This means we must consider religion and culture not as abstract, monolithic and ahistorical phenomena, but as expressions of the social realm. Class readings will center on primary materials in English translation and selected secondary scholarship so that each student will consider for themselves the sectarian categories of Buddhism, Confucianism, Shintoism, New Religions, and so forth.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Permission of the Department.
Prerequisite(s): 3 credit units RLST or 18 credit units at the university level.

This course explores the ideas, beliefs and practices associated with life after death as they are expressed in various religious traditions. The course begins with a survey of afterlife beliefs in ancient cultures (especially Egypt and Mesopotamia), and moves on to afterlife concepts in Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Chinese Religions. The course will also introduce afterlife beliefs in Spiritualism, and contemporary scholarship on Near Death Experiences.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): 3 credit units RLST or 18 credit units at university level.

This course aims to provide a deeper understanding to the fundamental concepts, schools of thought, and mystical tradition within the Islamic religion. It will examine the formation of Islam in Late Antiquity, the analyses of the Qur’an and the Hadith, the development of theology and legal schools, and the modern reforms. The course concludes with contemporary Islamic political movements and Muslim debates on pluralism, liberalism, and feminism.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): 3 credit units 100-Level RLST or 18 credit units at the university level.

The objective of the course is to acquaint student with issues that Muslim peoples face under the impact of colonization, technicalization and modernization, taking into consideration the global context of such a readjustment. This course will study Muslim societies in modern times to review their success and failure in restructuring their political, social and religious cultures in order to become integrated in the international order that is founded upon secularism and modernism. The course will evaluate the political goals of Muslim governments and whether these goals are harmonious with the developments of democratic institutions to further basic human rights. The course will attempt to answer the basic questions: What is happening to the Muslim community in the Modern age and how do Muslim intellectuals respond to the challenges posed by modernization and Westernization?

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): 3 credit units 100-Level RLST or 18 credit units at the university level.

This course will examine the representations of Islam and Muslims as they appear or are portrayed in the Hollywood film industry. From the early twentieth century up until the present era of the global War on Terrorism, Hollywood has manufactured images of Islam that have been closely intertwined with the dynamics of political and economic interests and ideological motives to dominate Other. Through lectures, discussion, and the screening of selected movies – from the classic Lawrence of Arabia (1962) to post 9/11 films such as The Kingdom (2007) – we will closely analyze what has changed in the representations of Islam, what persists, and why. This course is not an entirely movie-based review and analysis. However, in order to present the images of Hollywood’s Islam in the lectures and discussion, the screening of selected movies is inevitable. This course will be divided into three themes: classical Oriental depictions of Islam (which portrayed Muslims as exotic, sensual, and irrational); national security concerns, from the post-1979 Iranian revolution to the Gulf War, and; the global War on Terrorism after 9/11.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours and 3 Practicum/Lab hours
Prerequisite(s): 3 credit units RLST 100-level or 18 credits at university level

A basic introduction to the Old Testament, focussing on the historical, literary and theological characteristics of the various writings. Scholarly methods by which they are studied, and their relationship to the history of Israel will also be examined.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): 3 credit units 100-Level RLST or 18 credit units at the university level.
Note: Students with credit for RLST 250 may not take this course for credit.

A basic introduction to the New Testament, focussing on the historical, literary and theological characteristics of the various writings. Scholarly methods by which they are studied, and their relationship to Christianity will also be examined.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): 3 credit units 100-Level RLST or 18 credit units at the university level.
Note: Students with credit for RLST 252 may not take this course for credit.

This course examines the extent to which the popular culture of India and of the Indian diaspora has been shaped by the films produced by the Bollywood film industry in Mumbai, India. Bollywood films are the most common form of entertainment for the masses in India as well as diasporic Indians in many parts of the world. Films of different genres and times will be seen, understood and critiqued for their significance. The genres include: religious; historical; 7 social; action, crime and suspense films; art ci nema; and diasporic films. Bollywood cinema will be examined as a form of entertainment, as a creator of national integration, as a moulder of popular culture, and as a form of ideological communication.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours and 2 Practicum/Lab hours
Prerequisite(s): 3 credit units 100-Level RLST or 18 credit units at the university level.

This course will examine ways in which modern Philippine religion and culture have been shaped. Drawing on an interdisciplinary selection of sources, case studies, and scholarly literature, we will explore the following topics: historical religious and cultural influences; postcolonial state-making, religion and politics; religious and cultural values; Filipino religiosity in everyday life; the sensual and the supernatural; and conflict and peace.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): 3 credit units of 100-level RLST or 18 credit units at the university level.

An introduction to theories and approaches in the academic study of religion. Origins and development of social scientific, historical, phenomenological and comparative approaches will be examined.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): 3 credit units 100-Level RLST or 18 credit units at the university level.

Examines how various world religions have understood the significance of death and dying.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): 3 credit units 100-Level RLST or 18 credit units at the university level.

An examination of the theoretical and methodological issues involved in a systematic study of mysticism in world religions. Topics include the nature, theories, and typologies of mysticism, and techniques of mystical experience.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): 3 credit units 100-Level RLST or 18 credit units at the university level.

An examination of the ideal of non-violence according to the scriptures of the world religions, with examples of historical and contemporary application in Asia and the west.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): 3 credit units 100-Level RLST or 18 credit units at the university level.

A systematic exploration of the contribution of religion to ethnic identification and ethnic community organization.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): 3 credit units 100-Level RLST or 18 credit units at the university level.
Note: Students with credit for RLST 381 cannot take this course for credit.

Offered occasionally by visiting faculty and in other special situations to cover, in depth, topics that are not thoroughly covered in regularly offered courses.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours

Offered occasionally by visiting faculty and in other special situations to cover, in depth, topics that are not thoroughly covered in regularly offered courses.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours

This course provides a critical, interdisciplinary analysis of issues in Catholicism. It seeks to understand Catholicism as a global phenomenon within the context of cultural and religious pluralism. It is organized around four key themes: (1) the ethical, social, and political implications of Catholic intellectual traditions; (2) a social scientific approach to the study of Catholic cultures, for example, anthropological, sociological or political; (3) a humanities approach to Catholic cultures, for example, literary, historical, or philosophical; and (4) current issues and developments in Catholicism.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): 6 credit units in RLST; or CTST 200.3; or 24 credit units at the university level.

An overview of feminist theological perspectives, both as critiques of traditional culture and theology and as constructions of new visions and ways of religious life.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): 6 credit units in RLST or WGST or 24 credit units at the university level.

Intensive reading and discussion of major texts (in translation) and religious practices of Daoism in China. Compares Daoism to other forms of religion in China: Confucianism, Buddhism, and Popular Religion.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): 6 credit units in RLST or 24 credit units at the university level.

This class will examine the construction of morality in religious texts by using the outsider/insider (or neighbor/stranger) question. We will investigate this question further by asking how do the people and things we consider to be like us or not like us help us to determine how to behave, and/or what to believe.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Permission of the Department.
Prerequisite(s): 6 credit units RLST or 24 credit units at the university level.
Note: Students who completed RLST 398.3: Monsters and Mischief-makers may not take this course for credit.

An examination of the uses of the Bible in film, including epic films, contemporary retellings of biblical stories, and the use of biblical themes and motifs in cinema. Uncovers the many ways in which biblical-theological themes shape and are shaped by contemporary culture.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): 6 credit units RLST or 24 credit units at the university level.

Investigates the historical and transcultural approach to the relationship between religion and science. Contemporary approaches to issues at the intersection of religion and science are also analyzed with emphasis on the influence of physics, evolutionary biology, ecology, non-Western science and cosmology.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): 6 credit units RLST or 24 credit units at the university level.

This course on religion, music, and pop culture will investigate the intimate connections between human musicality and sexuality, and assess their impact on definitions of divinity and the sacred. Theoretical issues include the ideology of sacred/profane dichotomies, musical/sexual taboos, and the politics of gender, race and class as expressed in ritual and liturgy.

Weekly hours: 3 Lecture hours
Prerequisite(s): 6 credit units RLST or WGST or 24 credit units at the university level.
Note: Students with credit for RLST Special Topics: Sex, God and Rock n Roll: Re-Vamping the Sacred may not take RLST 382 for credit.

A reading course in primary writings in eastern religious traditions such as the Bhagavad Gita, Brahmasutrabhasya, Tao Te Ching, or the Analects of Confucius.

Weekly hours: 3 Seminar/Discussion hours
Prerequisite(s): 6 credit units RLST or 24 credit units at the university level.

Offered occasionally by visiting faculty and in other special situations to cover, in depth, topics that are not thoroughly covered in regularly offered courses.

Weekly hours: 3 Seminar/Discussion hours

Offered occasionally by visiting faculty and in other special situations to cover, in depth, topics that are not thoroughly covered in regularly offered courses.

Weekly hours: 3 Seminar/Discussion hours

A critical examination of religious ideas, beliefs, and practices in varied cultural contexts.

Weekly hours: 3 Seminar/Discussion hours
Prerequisite(s): 3 credit units 300-level RLST or 18 credit units RLST or permission of the department.
Note: Students may take this course more than once for credit, provided the topic covered in each offering differs substantially. Students must consult the Department to ensure that the topics covered are different.

An advanced seminar in contemporary religious thought focusing on an important theme such as the nature of religious belief, the problem of suffering and evil, or religious pluralism.

Weekly hours: 3 Seminar/Discussion hours
Prerequisite(s): 3 credit units 300-level RLST or 18 credit units RLST or permission of the department.
Note: Students may take this course more than once for credit, provided the topic covered in each offering differs substantially. Students must consult the Department to ensure that the topics covered are different.

Offered occasionally by visiting faculty and in other special situations to cover, in depth, topics that are not thoroughly covered in regularly offered courses.

Weekly hours: 3 Seminar/Discussion hours

Offered occasionally by visiting faculty and in other special situations to cover, in depth, topics that are not thoroughly covered in regularly offered courses.

Weekly hours: 3 Seminar/Discussion hours

A seminar focusing on select issues relevant to the history of western religious traditions, such as the origins and development of sectarian groups, the study of key figures and movements in the history of western religions, or the historical context of developments in western religions.

Weekly hours: 3 Seminar/Discussion hours
Restriction(s): Restricted to Graduate Students.

A seminar focusing on select issues relevant to contemporary western religions, such as the relationship between religion and culture, religion and leadership, and religion and social trends.

Weekly hours: 3 Seminar/Discussion hours
Restriction(s): Restricted to Graduate Students.

This seminar will investigate a body of Eastern religious and philosophical thought with reflection on the relationship between hermeneutics, culture, and religiosity. The seminar will focus on hermeneutical questions, questions of cultural studies, and/or ontological issues.

Weekly hours: 3 Seminar/Discussion hours
Restriction(s): Restricted to Graduate Students.

Offered occasionally in special situations. Students interested in these courses should contact the department for more information.

Offered occasionally in special situations. Students interested in these courses should contact the department for more information.

The graduate seminar involves paper presentations and discussions of issues in research methodology arising from current research by graduate students, department and cognate faculty, and visiting scholars. Graduate students must register in and attend the seminar on a continuous basis for the residency period, and will receive credit when they have successfully presented a seminar.

Restriction(s): Open only to graduate level students in Religion and Culture.
Note: This course is a mandatory component of a graduate degree in Religion and Culture.

Students writing a Master's thesis must register for this course.