RS 100A Introduction to Religion-K
An introduction to Religion, religious phenomena, beliefs, ideas, practices and experience through the study of material and examples from the various fieid in Religious Studies.
Religious Studies (RS)
84 courses in the 1983–84 Undergraduate Calendar, read from the scanned original. The text comes from OCR, so check the scanned page before relying on a detail.
Notes
Faculty listed in 1983–84
Associate Professor and Chairperson JW. Miller, BA (Goshen), MA (NYU), BD (Princeton), ThO (Basel) G
Professor
F.C, Gérard, MA (College St. Dominique, France), 8D, STM (McGill), PhD (Hartford Seminary Foundation) P
W. Kh 1, BA (McMaster), BD
(McMaster Divinity School), PhD (Oxford) G
Associate Professors
Faculty listed in 1983–84
W.J, Bildstein, BA (Western Ontario), STB (Gregorian), MA (Windsor), STD (Angelicum) J
M.S. Bird, 8A, MA, PhD (lowa) R
M.D. Bryant, BA (Concordia), $TB (Harvard), MA, PhD (St. Michael's) R
R.D. Legge, BA (Transylvania), STB (Harvard), PhD (McMaster) P
D. Sahas, 8D (Athens), STM (Christian Theological Seminary), PhD (Hartford Seminary Foundation)
Course Descriptions
Recreation
Religious Studies
Faculty listed in 1983–84
R.J. Sawatsky, BA (Bethel, Kansas), MA (Minnesota), MA, PhD (Princeton) G
A:F. Thompson, BA (Torontd), BTh {Huron}, MA (Western Ontario), STM, PhD (MeGill)
Lecturers
A.L. Evans, BA (Toronto), BD (Emmanuel), STM (McGill), DMin (Andover-Newton) P
M. Kiley, BA (Boston), STM (Harvard) J
R. Kooistra, 8Th (Kampen), DTh (Amsterdam) P
Faculty listed in 1983–84
S.A. MacDonald, BA, STB (Western (Ontario), MA (San Francisco) J
T. Neufeld, BA (Manitoba), MDiv
(Harvard) G
Professors designated with suffix G {Conrad Grebel), J (St. Jerome's), P (St. Paul’s), and R (Renison) are located in the respective Colleges.
Course Descriptions
Courses not offered in the current academic year are listed at the end of this section.
Introductory Notes.
Numbers below the course description indicate the area of Religious Studies to which the course belongs. Explanation is provided in the Arts program section.
RS 100A Religions of the EastS,F,W 3C 0.5
An introduction to the religious traditions of the East: history, religious beliefs and practices of Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism and Shinto.
Area 1
RS 100B Religions of the WastF,W 3C 0.5
Encounter with Judaism, Christianity and Islam: the characteristics and interaction of the three major religious traditions that have shaped the image of the Western World.
Area?
409
RS 100C Religious QuestsF 3C 0.5
Profiles, biographies and autobiographies of individuals in search of ultimate meaning. Persons studied are spiritual seekers from all walks of
_life: traditional religious figures, artists.
novelists, scientists and others. Area 5
RS1000 W 3C 05
Religious Movements
A consideration of religious movements, old and new, inside as well as outside the traditional churches. Also, an exploration of religiously-inspired cultural movements in the social, political and artistic realms of society. Area5
RS 100E Biblical Studies 1F,W 3C 0.5
A survey of the literature, history and religion of ancient Israel as seen in its culturak setting in the ancient Near East. Area 3
RS 100F Biblical Studies 2F,W 3C 0.5
A survey of the literature, history and religious thought of the Christian community during the New Testament period as seen in its cultural setting in the Greco-Roman world. .
Area 3
RS 100H Catholic TheologyF,W 3C 0.5
A study of the principal teachings of the Christian Faith affecting Catholics today. Topics will include Bible and Tradition; worship and sacraments; authority; changing views concerning laity, women, ministry, and ecumenism. Area 4
RS 100K Protestant TheologyF,S 3C 0.5
An introduction to the study of the sources and issues of traditional and contemporary, liberal and conservative Protestantism.
Area 4
RS 105 Elementary Biblical HebrewY 3C 1.0
An introductory course designed to tender a reading knowledge of Biblical Hebrew; the sounds and forms of the language followed by the reading of selected texts from the Hebrew Bible. Cross-listed as R&C 140-3C, taught at WLU.
RS 106 New Testament GreekY 3C 0.5
This course consists of two parts.
a) An introduction to Greek grammar with appropriate grammatical exercises and development of vocabulary.
b) An exegetical study of the Greek text of the Synoptic Gospels, with Mark as the basis..
Area 3
RS 200 The Study of ReligionF 3C 0.5
An exploration of the nature of religion through: 1) the history of the study of religion, 2) exposure to varying methods and ways of approaching religious phenomena, and 3) consideration of accounts of religious experience.
RS 205 The Hebrew ProphetsF 3C 0.5
A study of the prophetic movement from Amos to Malachi in the historical, social, and religious context of Israel and the ancient Near East.
Area 3 .
RS 208 The Parables of JesusF 3C 0.5
Detailed examination of the stories Jesus told, their form, method, message, and significance for religious thought, past and present.
Area3
RS 209 The Apostle Paul: Life and LettersF 3C 0.5
An examination of the career and thought of Paul as seen in his letters and in the Acts of the Apostles. Area 3
RS 213 HinduismF 3C 0.5
A study of the developments 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.
Areal
RS 214 BuddhismW 3C 0.5
An introduction to the unifying betiefs 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.
Area?
Course Descriptions
Religious Studies
RS 216 IslamS 3C 0.5
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.
Area 1
RS 217 JudaismS 3C 0.5
An introduction to the religious tradition of the Jews, in terms of beliefs, practices, ideals and institutions from the beginning to the present time. Area?
AS 220 F 3C 05
Evangelical Christianity
A descriptive, historical and theological review of the wing of North American Christianity known as evangelicalism, fundamentalism, or revivalism.
Area 2
RS 221 Sects, Cults and New Religious MovementsW 3C 0.5
An analysis of minority religions considered deviant by the dominant society such as the Amish, Mormons, and Jehovah's Witnesses with special consideration of the recent new religious movements including Unification (Moonies), Scientology and Krishna consciousness.
Cross-listed as SOC 225.
Area 5.
RS 230 History of ChristianityW 3C 0.5
The develoment of Christianity in its Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Protestant traditions from the time of Christ to the present.
Area 2
AS 231 W 3C 05
History of Christian Thought
An analysis of the major theological developments in the Christian traditions from the apostolic era to the present. Area 4
RS 232A Jesus Christ in ContemporaryW 2C,1S 0.5
Perspective
An examination of current approaches to the person of Jesus through the writings of contemporary theologians attempting to answer the question, “Who is Jesus?”
Area 4
RS 236 Human Sexuality and Christian MoralityW 2C10 0.5
An investigation of the moral implications of an evolving sexual conciousness in the Christian tradition. Prereq: Second year standing or consent of instructor.
Area 4
RS 253 Biblical Foundations of Christian PacitismF 3C 0.5
An examination of the documents of the early church, notably the Bible, with reference to their teaching on war and
’ peace.
Area 4
RS 254 War and Peace In Christian TheologyW 3C 0.5
The Contemporary Discussion. A survey of Christian teaching on war and peace, focusing on the twentieth century discussion.
Area 4
R 255 F 3¢ 05
Christian Ethics
An examination of the development of Christian ethics, the Christian Doctrine of Man, Christian ethics and society, and faith and reason in ethical decisions.
Area 4
RS 256 Current Ethical IssuesS,F,W 3C 0.5
An examination of specific current individual and social problems such as human sexuality, social justice, urban decay, and human rights, in the tight of Christian moral consciousness.
Area 4
RS 260 F 3C 0.5
Isaues In Science, Technology and . Religion
A study of the questions raised by the interaction of religious faith with modern scientific and technological
‘approaches to understanding the
physical, social and psychological dimensions of our world. Area §
RS 261 Women and the Great ReligionsF 3C 0.5
Through a review of the teachings of the great religious traditions about women, this course aims to arrive at a global view of the situation of women ‘in the world of religion’. On the basis of
the evidence gathered, it will attempt an estimation of the role of religion as an intimate and importance influence on human development.
Area §
RS 263 Religion and PoliticsF 3C 0.5
An examination of movements, communities, and theologies which express a Christian hope for the experience of justice, peace and development in the encounter with injustice, oppression and poverty. Area 4
RS 264 Religion In the Canadian ExperienceW 2C,1D 0.5
An examination of the role of religion in Canadian immigration and settlement, education and social reform, political and national identity, secularization and pluralism.
Area §
RS 266 Film and the Quest for Meaning 1F 2C,1S 0.5
An exploration of spiritual themes and issues in the cinema. An assessment of film’s special characteristics as an art form capable of addressing the human quest for a significant existence. Emphasis upon the films of Ingmar Bergman. .
Cross-listed as FINE 252(R).
Film fee $5.00
Area 5
RS 267 Film and the Quest for Meaning 2W 2C,1S 0.5
A consideration of selected themes — death, eveil, guilt, fate, alienation, courage, love, redemption — in the films of several of today’s leading directors. Emphasis upon a variety of directors from divergent cultural backgrounds.
Cross-listad as FINE 253(R). Film fee 5.00.
Area §
RS 268A Religious Perspectives in Contemporary LiteratureS 3C 0.5
A discussion of religious perspectives in contemporary literary works. Emphasis will be on religious pluralism as reflected in the culture with a primary focus on man’s search for meaning, both individually and culturally.
Area §
Course Descriptions 411
Religious Studies
RS 269 Myth & Symbols of the Religions of indiaS 3C 0.5
An approach to understanding symbols and perennial themes of Indian religion through a study of representative art, architecture and folk-literature of Hinduism, Indian Buddhism and Jainism.
Areal
RS 270 Psychology of ReligionF 3C 0.5
A study of theories of the psychological nature of religious experience, the
"sources of religious belief and the
religious significance of psychological phenomena. Topics include faith, doubt, evangelism, conversion, faith healing, mysticism, drugs and religious experience, tongues-speaking.
Area §
RS 271 Personality and ReligionW 3C 0.5
A study of the psychology of personality in its relationship between personality and religious thought, experience and behaviour.
Area 5
RS 274 Religious Approaches to Personal Crises ‘W 3C 0.5
A critical historical review of Judaeo- Christian approaches to emotional! and interpersonal! problems, with an analysis of the clinicat and pastoral education movement in the church.
Area 5
RS 275 Retigion and PsychotherapyW 3C 0.5
A review and analysis of the dialogue between theistic religion in the West and the personality sciences since Freud their respective views of God, man, sin, sickness and the therapeutic process. Clinicians and theorists in psychotherapy and religion from the surrounding community wil! contribute to the exploration.
Area §
RS 281 Theology of Worship and SacramentS 3C 0.5
The course will examine Christian corporate worship in its existential reality and historical development. New trends will be analyzed in the light of both tradition and present needs.
Area 4
RS 290B The Just SocietyJ 3C 1.0
A multi-disciplinary approach to the study of the involvement of the Roman Catholic and protestant churches in issues of poverty, unemployment and prejudice; their reaction to socialism and capitalism; their social activities in Latin America; their attitudes towards women.
Area ¢
RS 302 The Gospel of JohnW 3C 0.5
An interpretation of the Fourth Gospel in the light of the situation of the Church at the end of the first century, with an emphasis on the Johannine portrait of Jesus. The letters of John will also be studied.
Area3.
RS 305 Intermediate New Testament GreekY 3C 1.0
Extensive reading of the New Testament, selected sections of the Didache and other related materials. Advanced grammar and syntax arising from the readings.
Prereq: R S 106 or consent of instructor. Area 3
RS 306 Intermediate Biblical HewbrewY 3C 1.0
Reading and grammatical analysis of selected prose and poetic portions of the Hebrew Bible.
Offered at Wilfrid Laurier University.
RS 307A Selected Topics in Biblical Theology-D
Special topics will be offered Fall and Winter, 1983-84. Consult department.
RS 309 New Testament ThemesW 3C 0.5
A comparative study of the distinctive ways in which New Testament writers view key issues in the early Church; e.g., freedom and authority, social responsibility, the role of taw, relations with the Jewish religion, the person of Jesus. An attempt will be made to relate their views to issues facing Christianity today.
Prereq: R S 100F or consent of instructor.
Area 3
RS 314 Zen BuddhismW 3C 0.5
A seminar based on eastern and western interpretations of the Zen tradition. First half, basic Buddhist concepts and principles; second, a study of classical Zen literature. Prereq: R S 100A or RS 214 or consent of instructor.
RS 315 Canadian Native ReligionsW 3C 0.5
An introduction to the stories of Canada’s pre-modern Native Peopies in order to appreciate “story” as a basic mode of religious expression and to understanding the religious beliefs of these peoples.
(WLU 317/367-30)
Area 1 .
RS 318 Islam and ChristianityW 0.5
A survey of the history of the Mustim- Christian relations from the tie of the emergence of Islam td the present, with a special emphasis on the characteristic polemic literature which each community produced against the other. Prereq: R S 100B or consent of the jnstructor.
Area 1
RS 322 Radical ReformationW 3C 0.5
A study of Anabaptism and its place in the history of the Christian Church and of the Reformation period.
Prereq: Second year standing
Area 2
RS 331A The Church in the Modern WorldW 3C O05
A study of the recent transformations of the Roman Catholic Chruch through the events, movements, personalities, and historical realities of the past fifty years.
Area 2
RS 335 Modern TheologyF 3C 0.5
A study of modern thinkers (for example, Kant, Hegel, Schleiermacher and Kierkegaard), with special emphasis on their influence on nineteenth century theology.
Prereq: RS 230 of 237 or consent of instructor.
Area 4
Course Descriptions
Religious Studies -
RS 336 Contemporary TheologyW 3C 0.5
A study of major themes and movements in contemporary theology, with reference to selected thinkers, such as Barth, Tillich, Buber, de Chardin and Rahner.
Prereq: RS 231 or consent of instructor. Area 4
RS 344 Theology of Radial ProtestantismF 3C 0.5
A study of the development of beliefs of the churches in the Radial Reformation tradition (Mennonites, Baptists, Quakers) examined in their ecumenical contexts.
Prereq: RS 230 or 231 or consent of instructor.
Area 4
RS 350 Christian Spirituality and MysticismF,W 3C 0.5
A study of the spiritual experience and mystical knowledge of great Christian mystics, from the desert Fathers and Hesychasts in the Eastern Orthodox tradition to the mystical schools of the Western Catholic tradition.
Prereq: RS 230 or 231 or consent of instructor.
Area 2
RS 360 Religion and the ArtsS 3C 0.5
A consideration of the spiritual dimension in art, both sacred and secular. An exploration of the quest for meaning in the various arts — painting, music, architecture, sculpture, dance, and cinema-encountered through slides, films, recordings, and readings. Prereq: RS 100C or 266 or 267, or consent of the instructor.
Area §
RS 370 Dreams in Religious ExperienceF 3C 0.5
The course examines the place of dreams in religious experience from ancient to modern times. Present day advances in understanding dream symbols will be explored, as well as the possibility of incorporating the use of dreams in one’s personal religious growth and development.
Prereq: RS 271 or consent of instructor. Area 5
RS 371 Religion and Suicidal BehaviourW 3C 0.5
A study of self-destructive behaviour and its relation to retevant religious concepts. The range of experience from illness to suicide will be explored and
related to the concepts of guilt, hope, and meaning in the Christian faith. Prereq: RS 271 or consent of instructor. Area §
RS 398 Directed Reading in Special Subjects-399
RS 400A Special Topics in Religious Studies-h
Special topics will be offered in terms in 1983. Consult Department.
RS 490A Honours SeminarS,F,W 0.5
A course of study and research designed to provide the student with guidance and supervision towards completing an Honours research assignment.
Prereq: Fourth year standing and consent of the Undergraduate Officer.
RS 490B Honours SeminarS,F,W 0.5
A continuation of the above.
Every student in the Hanours RS Program is required to take R S 490A
‘and 490B.
RS 590-597 FW R O05 Directed Research in Special Subjects for Graduate Students
RS 598 Directed Research in Special Subjects for Graduate Students-599 R 0.5
tStudents wishing to enrol in a course marked with a dagger (+) should
consult the department.
Not Offered 1983-84
RS 203 Wisdom Literature in the Old Testament
Listed without a description.
RS 206 Modern Study of Jesus
Listed without a description.
RS 215 Religion in China
Listed without a description.
RS 232B Jesus Christ in Historical Perspective
Listed without a description.
RS 238 The Ecumenical Movement
Listed without a description.
RS 265 Unity and Diversity in Canadian Religion
Listed without a description.
RS 268B Religious Perspectives in Cantemporary Canadian Literature
Listed without a description.
RS 282 New Perspectives in Sacramental Theology
Listed without a description.
RS 290A Religious Experience of the Young
Listed without a description.
RS 291A -D Studies in the History of Religions
Listed without a description.
RS 325 The Orthodox Church
Listed without a description.
RS 326 Anglicanism
Listed without a description.
RS 331B The Church in the Modern World
Listed without a description.
RS 334 Islamic Theology,. Philosophy and Mysticism
Listed without a description.
RS 338 Theology in North America
Listed without a description.
RS 339 Luther and Calvin: The Reformation in Theological Outline
Listed without a description.
RS 382 The Theology of Marriage Faculty of Science
Listed without a description.
RS 100C Religious Quests
Listed without a description.
RS 263 Religion and Politics
Listed without a description.
RS 266 Film and the Quest for Meaning 1
Listed without a description.
RS 267 Film and the Quest for Meaning 2
Listed without a description.
RS 268A Religious Perspectives in Contemporary Literature
Listed without a description.
RS 360 Religion and Arts
Listed without a description.