101 courses in Waterloo’s course catalog for 2021–22 (Fall 2021, Winter 2022, Spring 2022), from UW Open Data. ucalendar asks programs not to read that year’s calendar, so this stands in for it. Original: ucalendar.uwaterloo.ca/2122/COURSE/course-RS.html
An introduction to religious traditions of Asia, including Hinduism, Buddhism, and East Asian traditions. Further topics may include Sikhism, Jainism, and Shinto. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 1 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 008280On ucalendarRS 100 today
This course is designed for students beginning the study of ancient Greek. It covers the foundational grammar of Attic and Hellenistic Greek and is the first step in preparing students to read original ancient Greek texts for the study of Classical Studies and Religious Studies.
Antireq: GRK/RS 133
LEC · Course ID 006164On ucalendarRS 101 today
This course is a continuation of GRK 101/RS 101. The majority of the rules of ancient Greek grammar will be covered by the end of the course. Students will begin to read more complex ancient Greek texts relevant to the study of Classical Studies and Religious Studies.
LEC · Course ID 006165On ucalendarRS 102 today
Encounter with Judaism, Christianity, and Islam: the characteristics and interaction of the three major religious traditions originating in the Middle East that have shaped the image of the Western World. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 1 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 008281On ucalendarRS 110 today
What are the three topics that should not be talked about in polite company? Sex, politics, and religion. Breaking the taboo, this course examines religious practices and conflicts around sexuality and sexual behaviour in the United States and Canada, and how they have manifested in political contests and public policy. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 1 requirement for Religious Studies majors].
LEC · Course ID 015016On ucalendarRS 115R today
How do the religions of the world define evil? How do they suggest it can be overcome? Classical and modern writers from Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, and Hinduism will be considered. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 1 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 010215On ucalendarRS 121 today
An examination of the roles played by monsters, magic, and supernatural creatures in Japanese popular culture, with attention to their treatment in Buddhism, Shinto, Daoism, and folk practices. Topics include modern-day creations such as Godzilla and Pokemon and traditional beings such as deities, ghosts, angry spirits, goblins, and shapeshifters. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 1 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 015272On ucalendarRS 123 today
An introduction to Christian ethical theory and practice and their implications for personal and social living. Case studies will investigate sexual morality, business and medical ethics, environmental issues, violence and non-violence, and family life. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 2 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 008283On ucalendarRS 150 today
An introduction to the significance of Catholic beliefs, values, and practices for our time. Topics include spirituality, ethics, the meaning of the sacraments, prayer, sin and salvation, questions of authority, tradition, change, and the role of women. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 2 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 008286On ucalendarRS 151 today
An examination of the role that religion and myth play in popular culture including television, cinema, music, fashion, and sport. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 011863On ucalendarRS 170 today
A study of the significance of love and friendship in classical and contemporary religious writers. We will consider questions such as, "Why are friendship and love important for human living?" and "Is friendship with God a possibility?" [Note: This course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 008288On ucalendarRS 180 today
An examination of the leading religious and philosophical ideas that have shaped the cultures and histories of East Asia: China, Korea, and Japan. Folk, Shamanic, Confucian, Daoist, Shinto, and Buddhist traditions are examined. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 1 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 004872On ucalendarRS 201 today
LEC · Course ID 015841On ucalendarRS 201W today
A study of the development of religious thought in India from the Vedic Period to the present. The course will combine a historical survey with a study of representative texts from the religious, philosophical, social, and political thought of the Hindus. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 1 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 008304On ucalendarRS 203 today
An introduction to the unifying beliefs and philosophical presuppositions of the Buddhist world-view, and an overview of the diverse forms of Buddhism in South and South-East Asia, Tibet, China, and Japan. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 1 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 008305On ucalendarRS 204 today
An examination of religious phenomena in the history of Japan, including their impact on art, literature, philosophy, and politics. Buddhism, Shinto, Confucianism, folk beliefs, new religious movements, and other traditions are explored. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 1 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Prereq: Level at least 2A
LEC · Course ID 012997On ucalendarRS 206 today
What is mindfulness? This course examines the origins and contemporary use of mindfulness and other forms of meditation. Topics include major methods and teachers of meditation, its use in Buddhist and non-Buddhist contexts, and applications in education, medicine, work, and more.
LEC · Course ID 016170On ucalendarRS 207 today
This course examines the religions of India, including Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism. It also addresses Islam, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, and Christianity, which came to India through conquest, travel, or spiritual encounters. It will focus on their cultural context, significance, connections, and conflict among them, both in history and India today.
LEC · Course ID 016171On ucalendarRS 208 today
This course examines the central elements that make up contemporary Jewish identity/identities, traditional and otherwise, with particular focus on the North American Jewish experience and the nature of Jewish modernity. It explores historical, literary, religious, and social issues that have contributed to the formation of these identities.
LEC · Course ID 014871On ucalendarRS 209 today
An introduction to the religious tradition of the Jews in terms of beliefs, practices, ideals, and institutions from the beginning to the present time. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 1 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 008308On ucalendarRS 210 today
The catastrophe and devastation of the Holocaust and the radical nature of its evil demanded responses within contemporary Jewish thought, identity, and experience. This course will explore philosophical, theological (Jewish law, rabbinic), literary (novels, poetry, memoirs, plays), and artistic (museums, memorials) attempts to deal with the issues the Holocaust raises. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 1 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 011635On ucalendarRS 211 today
This course will trace the development of biblical exegesis in the Jewish tradition. Interpretive methods and approaches to problems in the text such as redundancy, contradiction, and gaps will be surveyed, commencing with the Bible itself, through the classical period of the Talmud and concentrating on major medieval commentators. (The biblical episode of the Binding of Isaac will be used as a paradigm to illustrate various approaches to the text.) [Note: Knowledge of Hebrew is not required. This course fulfils an Area 1 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Antireq: JS 125
LEC · Course ID 010110On ucalendarRS 212 today
An introduction to the Islamic faith and practice, with a review of the development, achievements, and impact of the Muslim community from Muhammad the Prophet to the present day. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 1 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 008307On ucalendarRS 216 today
Students will be introduced to the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) by way of selected readings which deal with a particular aspect of the human predicament. The focus will be on exploring relationships via narrative passages in the Old Testament and particularly in the Book of Genesis. The following relationships will be discussed: spousal; human/God; parent/child; siblings; gender issues in narratives of rape, incest, seduction, and dominance. The focus of this course will be more on select specific themes rather than an overview of many themes.
LEC · Course ID 010108On ucalendarRS 218 today
The course examines religion in the American context regarding issues like secularization, the nature and the influence of sects (e.g., Mormonism, Pentecostalism), Protestant revivalism and televangelism, and the impact of non-Christian traditions (e.g., Buddhism, Islam). [Note: This course fulfils an Area 1 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 008310On ucalendarRS 219 today
How have religions influenced and been influenced by politics? How do the world's major religions understand political institutions and theories? Important writers from the world religions will be placed in dialogue with classical and modern thinkers. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 1 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 011866On ucalendarRS 220 today
This course examines conceptions of East-West divide and confrontation as well as topics of interest, both geo-political and religious, that influence the relationships of Muslims and the Western world. The focus is on the history of Muslims in the West and the challenges of integration of Muslim communities in pluralistic, secular societies.
Prereq: Level at least 1B
LEC · Course ID 014398On ucalendarRS 221 today
This course is a continuation of GRK 102/RS 102. It will complete the initial study of ancient Greek grammar and devote substantial time to the reading of ancient Greek literature. Texts read will include a selection of poetry and prose in a variety of fields, including authors such as Homer, Herodotus, Euripides, Plato, the New Testament, and Josephus.
Prereq: GRK/RS 102
LEC · Course ID 006166On ucalendarRS 223 today
This course is designed to follow GRK 201/RS 201 and to expand students' experience of reading ancient Greek texts for the study of classical studies and religious studies. Texts read will include a selection of poetry and prose in a variety of fields, including authors such as Homer, Herodotus, Euripides, Plato, the New Testament, and Josephus.
LEC · Course ID 006169On ucalendarRS 224 today
An exploration of the spiritual dimension through the medium of art: sacred and secular. Aspects of the quest for meaning in world religions will be considered, expressed variously in the visual arts, architecture, music, and cinema. [Note: Formerly RS 122. This course fulfils an Area 1 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Antireq: RS 122
LEC · Course ID 009532On ucalendarRS 225 today
The Bible is the most translated and most read document in human history. This course explores central biblical ideas, from creation to the end of time, violence to redemption, and political intrigue to family ties, and examines their impact on Judaism, Christianity, and Western Culture. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 2 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 012721On ucalendarRS 228 today
How has Christianity been a force for both oppression and liberation in Canada's history? This course examines the involvement of Christianity in such Canadian matters as racism, colonization, and the creation of the social welfare state. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 015542On ucalendarRS 229R today
This course surveys the significance of the land of Israel in Judaism from historical, textual, and religious perspectives. Topics covered include the politics of Ancient Israel; the concept of Israel in prayer and the rabbinic and medieval Jewish imagination; portrayals of Israel in Christian and Muslim texts; and the origins, visions, and challenges of Zionism and the modern State of Israel. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 1 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 014248On ucalendarRS 230 today
This course will examine the uses and abuses of power in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) by analyzing the historical narratives of the conflict between Saul and David, as well as the rise and fall of King David. In doing so, it will deal with the period of the prophets, i.e., the books of Joshua, Kings, and Samuel. [Note: Knowledge of Hebrew is not required. This course fulfils an Area 1 or Area 2 requirement for Religious Studies majors but not both.]
LEC · Course ID 010109On ucalendarRS 234 today
The life and death of Jesus of Nazareth, as experienced and interpreted by his followers and recorded in the New Testament and other ancient literature. Attention is given to Jesus' identity as a Jew in the Roman Empire in the first century, his teachings and actions, and his ongoing significance throughout history. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 2 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 008298On ucalendarRS 235 today
The career and thought of the apostle Paul, at once a Jew, a Graeco-Roman, and a Christ believer, living within the Roman Empire. Attention is given to issues such as spirit, Jewish Law, grace, freedom and slavery, Christ, church, politics, gender, and sexuality. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 2 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 008301On ucalendarRS 236 today
This course explores the tension between insiders and outsiders in the Bible, examining the rationale for and implications of issues such as purity, holy war, the chosen people, and the Gentiles. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 2 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 012724On ucalendarRS 237 today
The development of Christianity in its Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant traditions from the time of Christ to the present. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 2 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 008318On ucalendarRS 240 today
Religious traditions and beliefs contribute both positively and negatively to social development. This course explores the interrelationship of religious diversity, multiculturalism, and attitudes towards social issues.
LEC · Course ID 015497On ucalendarRS 242R today
An examination of the role played by the Church in the social, political, and economic life of Canada from 1867 to the present. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 2 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 008323On ucalendarRS 245 today
An analysis of the major theological developments in the Christian traditions from the apostolic era to the present. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 2 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 008319On ucalendarRS 250 today
This course will explore the origins, development, and contemporary challenges to Catholic social thought. The main focus will be on the critical and global influences of the past 100 years. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 2 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 008315On ucalendarRS 251 today
Who is God? What does it mean to be human? What difference does the death of Jesus Christ make? What is the purpose of the Christian church? What happens after death? This course will explore the diversity of Christian responses to these questions and examine debates about the meaning of such beliefs in contemporary contexts. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 2 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Antireq: RS 152
LEC · Course ID 008287On ucalendarRS 253 today
Historical and contemporary Christian approaches to ethical questions about human sexuality and relationships. Topics include marriage, celibacy, single life, homosexuality, HIV/AIDS, sexual violence, gender roles, abortion, reproductive technologies, and sexuality and spirituality. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 2 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 008324On ucalendarRS 254 today
An examination of ideas about God in Western thought from religious, philosophical, cultural, scientific, and political perspectives. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 2 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 008296On ucalendarRS 258 today
What do the churches say about sex and gender? This course examines how matters of the body have affected Christian spirituality, particularly in the lives of women and LGBTTTQQIPA + persons. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 015543On ucalendarRS 259R today
Societies are in a time of flux and change - so too religions. No matter one's worldview, religion offers a window into societal changes. How one studies religion matters. This course addresses complex issues such as violence, religious experience, ritual, and gender within the context of methods in the study of religion. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 008295On ucalendarRS 260 today
A critical discussion of basic religious concepts. Among the topics covered will be faith, miracles, religious experience, immortality, arguments for the existence of God, and challenges to religious belief. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 007281On ucalendarRS 261 today
This course examines the nature of religion, spirituality, and non-religion in society and their impact on many aspects of social and political life in North America and Europe. We will also consider how religion, spirituality, and non-religion can be sources of social stability and peace as well as of social change and conflict. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Prereq: SOC 101/101R or 120R
LEC · Course ID 008309On ucalendarRS 262 today
Is listening to music a religious experience? Why is food an essential part of some religious rituals? This course integrates attention to sensory experience with the study of material culture and ritual in a variety of religious traditions, both ancient and modern.
LEC · Course ID 016087On ucalendarRS 263 today
An examination of spiritual autobiographies, attending to themes such as context, conversion, the relationship of individual and community, the dynamic character of spiritual identity, and self-presentation. This course may consider the writings of persons such as Augustine, Dorothy Day, Malcolm X, Elie Wiesel, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr., and the Dalai Lama, among others.
LEC · Course ID 016088On ucalendarRS 264 today
While death is a physical event, it often entails legal, social, cultural, psychological, and religious significance. This course examines matters of dying, death, and death rituals in a variety of religions. [Note: The course fulfils an Area 1 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 015265On ucalendarRS 266 today
This course examines how religion has been a central concern and inspiration for filmmakers and how popular films have informed and shaped our understanding of religion. [Note: Film Studies Course. This course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 005468On ucalendarRS 270R today
Each term, this course focuses on a specific genre or theme to explore the complex relationship between cinema and religion. Topics may include science fiction, fantasy, horror, comedy, and documentary films. [Note: Film Studies course. This course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors. This course is repeatable up to five times, subject to different content.]
LEC · Course ID 005469On ucalendarRS 271R today
An examination of the Holocaust as portrayed in feature films and documentaries. Do cinematic attempts capture the horror of the Holocaust faithfully, or trivialize it? The background to anti-semitism, use of religious imagery in propaganda films, and what counts as success or failure in cinematic representations are discussed. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 011636On ucalendarRS 272 today
The course examines how religious beliefs and values in Japan are explored in the medium of film. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 014245On ucalendarRS 275 today
This course examines various cults and new religious movements (e.g., Scientology, Krishna Consciousness, Neo-paganism) and places them within the context of our sociological knowledge of their emergence, who joins and why, and other issues. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 008312On ucalendarRS 280 today
An examination of the nature and causes of episodes of mass violence inspired by apocalyptic beliefs. This course will use historical and contemporary case studies and theoretical discussions of the social and psychological factors precipitating violence. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Prereq: SOC 101/101R or 120R
LEC · Course ID 008311On ucalendarRS 281 today
An examination of specific current individual and social problems such as human sexuality, social justice, urban decay, and human rights, in the light of Christian moral consciousness. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 008328On ucalendarRS 283 today
Through a review of the teachings of the great religious traditions about gender, this course aims to arrive at a global view of the situation of beliefs and practices related to gender "in the world of religion". It will examine the role of religion as an important influence on gender and human development. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Antireq: WS 261
LEC · Course ID 008331On ucalendarRS 284 today
An examination of the past and present effects of Christianity and other world religions on human treatment of the natural world. Historical background, recent debates, and contemporary approaches to the ethical issues will be investigated. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 010224On ucalendarRS 285 today
Exploring changes in spirituality in modern society. Topics include the impact of eastern religions, new cults and sects, healing, psychology, ecological spirituality, women and spirituality, and the spiritual practices of Indigenous peoples on traditional concepts of spirituality. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 008357On ucalendarRS 286 today
Consult Department for current offerings. [Note: This is a repeatable course, subject to different content; it may be completed a total of three times.]
LEC · Course ID 010239On ucalendarRS 291 today
This course examines Buddhist - including mindfulness - engagement with contemporary social issues, such as peacemaking, environmentalism, political reform, race and gender concerns, and LGBTTTQQIPA + rights.
Prereq: Level at least 2A
SEM · Course ID 015510On ucalendarRS 301R today
This course examines the history and development of Buddhism in North America. Topics such as the adaptation of traditional Buddhism to North American culture and its development as a Western religion will be examined. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 1 for Religious Studies majors. Formerly RS 227.]
Antireq: RS 227
LEC · Course ID 013000On ucalendarRS 307 today
This course examines the diversity of Muslim lives and practices worldwide. Selected case studies raise issues such as gender, authority, stereotypes, fundamentalism, and secularism. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 1 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 015123On ucalendarRS 312 today
This course will survey the roots, history, and symbolism of the Jewish mystical tradition known as Kabbalah. Students will be introduced to the major texts, charismatic mystical masters, and schools of Kabbalah. [Note: Knowledge of Hebrew is not required. This course fulfils an Area 1 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 012171On ucalendarRS 314 today
An examination of the religious beliefs and cult practices of the classical world. Topics include prayer and sacrifice; divination and oracles; temples, priests, and festivals; mystery cults and their relation to Christianity. [Note: This course fulfills an Area 1 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Prereq: One of CLAS 100, 104, 201, 202
LEC · Course ID 004290On ucalendarRS 315 today
This course introduces students to the integral role and place of spiritual practices and ceremonies in the everyday experiences of Indigenous peoples in Canada. Course materials will be supplemented by visits with Elders, Knowledge Keepers, Storytellers, as well as integration of ceremonial and land-based practices.
LEC · Course ID 010156On ucalendarRS 318 today
Religion in Canada past and present. Topics include Canada's Christian origins, religion and nationalism in English and French Canada, secularization, religious tolerance and multiculturalism, Christian antisemitism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and the Sikh communities, and new religious movements. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 1 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Prereq: Level at least 3A
LEC · Course ID 011607On ucalendarRS 319 today
Current Christian approaches to peacemaking in areas of conflict: war and militarism, crime, poverty, racism, and gender relations. Attention will be given to various biblical, theological, and historical bases for these approaches. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 2 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Prereq: Level at least 2A. Antireq: RS 256
LEC · Course ID 008329On ucalendarRS 320 today
This course examines deeply rooted attitudes in the major world religions toward sexual identity, practices, and gender. Examining sacred scriptures and codes of conduct from the world religions, as well as fictional writings and films, this course enables students to explore various social and religious traditions. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 1 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Prereq: Level at least 3A. Antireq: WS 320
SEM · Course ID 012739On ucalendarRS 325 today
From clothing to hairstyles to tattoos, dress can express beliefs, aspects of identity, and power. This course examines dress in a variety of religions from ancient Greece to the modern era. The course includes attention to the look and feel of dress on the body, conflicts that can arise over dress and religion, as well as the role of dress in the formation and maintenance of religious communities. [Note: The course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Prereq: Level at least 2A
LEC · Course ID 015266On ucalendarRS 327 today
Why has the Bible inspired so much violence? This course explores how it has been used to justify, and to oppose, violence within the Christian tradition in historical and contemporary contexts. Topics may include the crusades, slavery, colonization, apartheid in South Africa, the residential school system in Canada, gender violence, and the environmental crisis. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Prereq: Level at least 2A
LEC · Course ID 015511On ucalendarRS 335 today
An exploration of the impact of social crises on late medieval religious modes of expression. Topics will include the Great Famine, the Black Death, the Avignon Papacy and Western Schism, the development of heretical movements, and the eventual disintegration of European religious unity. [Note: This course fulfils the Area 2 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Prereq: Level at least 2A
LEC · Course ID 008378On ucalendarRS 342 today
A study of the major 16th century reformers, and their intellectual background in humanism and late medieval scholasticism. Special attention will be given to the Lutheran and Reformed traditions, and their ideological, social, and political expressions. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 2 requirement for RS majors.]
LEC · Course ID 006380On ucalendarRS 343 today
A study of 16th century Anabaptism - a religious Reformation movement dissenting from both Protestantism and Roman Catholicism - its origins; its social, political, and theological content; and its relationship to such independent dissenters as Sebastian Franck. [Note: This course fulfils the Area 2 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Prereq: Level at least 2A
LEC · Course ID 008377On ucalendarRS 344 today
An analysis of the context and rich documentary tradition of the second Vatican Council, the course will explore, in particular, the global dynamics of these teachings. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 2 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Prereq: RS 151
LEC · Course ID 008384On ucalendarRS 348 today
This course examines works of writers, artists, architects, and thinkers in the Western European tradition for whom all of reality participates in the larger mystery of God. The course focuses on figures who, from the early Italian Renaissance onward, gave expression to that mystical imagination. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors. This course is taught in Rome and incurs extra costs for the student above and beyond the registration fee in the form of travel, room and board, and incidental costs.]
Prereq: Level at least 2A. Antireq: RS 291 (LEC 001) taken fall 2017
SEM · Course ID 015863On ucalendarRS 349 today
Why do people die for their religious convictions? How do religious communities shape the stories they tell about such persons? What are the implications of these practices? This course will examine historical and contemporary martyrdom in various religious and political contexts.
Prereq: Level at least 2A
LEC · Course ID 016089On ucalendarRS 350 today
Christian teachings on war and peace from the early church to the present, including crusade, just war, and pacifist traditions, focusing especially on the 20th century discussion around realism, just revolution, nuclear pacifism, and non-violent resistance. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 2 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Prereq: Level at least 2A
LEC · Course ID 008399On ucalendarRS 353 today
An examination of some influential Christian thinkers who have played a critical role in Roman Catholic theology such as Augustine, Hildegard of Bingen, Julian of Norwich, Aquinas, Newman, Rahner, Ruether, Schussler Fiorenza, and Lonergan. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 2 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 008412On ucalendarRS 354 today
Christian feminist thought challenges traditional Christian teaching at every level. This course will explore in particular the challenges to traditional disciplines of theology and spirituality. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 2 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Prereq: Level at least 2A
LEC · Course ID 008381On ucalendarRS 355 today
The origins of the Christian hymn and its development up to the present. The course considers the hymn as theological, poetic, musical, cultural, and spiritual expression, and the use of hymns in a variety of worship settings. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 2 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 007051On ucalendarRS 357 today
The nature of worship and the role of music within worship in historical, theological, and cultural perspectives. Field trips to services of various traditions. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 2 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
LEC · Course ID 007052On ucalendarRS 358 today
This course examines how religion has been studied as an object of anthropological inquiry. Topics may include ritual, magic, witchcraft, symbolism, cosmology, the relation between beliefs and practices, as well as the mutual influences of religion, politics, nationalism, and socioeconomic change.
LEC · Course ID 003440On ucalendarRS 361 today
Jewish comedians have dominated humour in North America from Groucho Marx to Jerry Seinfeld, Sarah Silverman, Amy Schumer, and Seth Rogen. Studying Jewish humour is critical for understanding the development of Judaism, Jewish identity, immigrant experience, and response to persecution. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Prereq: Level at least 2A
LEC · Course ID 015869On ucalendarRS 364 today
This course examines how religion, religious themes, and the religious imagination are explored in and through science fiction film and television. Topics include the use of science fiction to discuss questions of transcendence, humanity, and divinity, as well as the challenge of extraterrestrial and artificial lifeforms.
LEC · Course ID 016090On ucalendarRS 377 today
This course investigates the roles of religion and spirituality in peacemaking, exploring both obstacles and opportunities facing religious peace builders. Cases involving representatives of major world religions (Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism) will provide a basis for comparing practices of faith-based advocacy for social justice, reconciliation, and coexistence. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Prereq: Level at least 2A or Peace and Conflict Studies Diploma students
LEC · Course ID 012189On ucalendarRS 380 today
An examination of communities, movements, and theologies which express a Christian hope for justice, peace, and development in the encounter with injustice, oppression, and poverty. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Prereq: RS 283
LEC · Course ID 008332On ucalendarRS 383 today
Engaging experience, theory, and reflection, this course explores spirituality as a central aspect of growth and development in later life. This course draws on perspectives from various faith and humanistic traditions. Topics include religious beliefs and spiritual concerns later in life, a spirituality of aging, providing spiritual care to persons in later life, spirituality and dementia, and death and dying. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Prereq: Level at least 2A. Antireq: RS 391 taken winter 2018
LEC · Course ID 015763On ucalendarRS 387 today
See Department for current offerings. [Note: This is a repeatable course, subject to different content; it may be completed a total of three times.]
LEC · Course ID 010229On ucalendarRS 391 today
Consult department for current offerings. [Note: This is a repeatable course, subject to different content; it may be completed a total of 10 times.]
LEC · Course ID 010226On ucalendarRS 395 today
Readings in selected topics chosen in discussion with instructor. [Note: This is a repeatable course, subject to different content; it may be completed a total of three times.]
RDG · Course ID 008417On ucalendarRS 398 today
This course explores human nature, issues fundamental to human life, and theories which have developed around these issues. The approach is interdisciplinary and intercultural/interreligious with emphasis on such themes as self knowledge, community, loneliness and anxiety, free will and purpose in human life, and the nature of human happiness.
Prereq: Level at least 3A
SEM · Course ID 006509On ucalendarRS 420R today
This course serves as a comprehensive introduction to the sacred text of Islam. Students engage the Qur'an using a wide array of interpretive approaches, from traditional forms of exegesis to new trends in the academic study of the Qur'an.
SEM · Course ID 015353On ucalendarRS 450 today
This course examines key substantive, theoretical, and methodological issues of the sociology of religion through the detailed study of a series of high-profile media and legal cases surrounding the role of religion, spirituality, and non-religion in Canadian society. [Note: This course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Prereq: Level at least 4A Religious Studies majors
SEM · Course ID 010232On ucalendarRS 462 today
Consult the department for special topics. [Note: This is a repeatable course, subject to different content; it may be completed a total of 10 times.]
LEC · Course ID 010231On ucalendarRS 491 today
Consult the department for current offerings.
RDG · Course ID 010729On ucalendarRS 495 today
Readings in selected topics chosen in discussion with instructor.
Prereq: Level at least 3A
RDG · Course ID 012735On ucalendarRS 498 today
This seminar examines contemporary methods and theories in the study of religion and how they may be used to address specific themes in religious studies.
Prereq: Level at least 4A Honours Religious Studies
SEM · Course ID 012736On ucalendarRS 499 today