Religion Degrees Online

This is a degree for those passionate about Education and Religious Diversity in the contemporary world. Our interpretation of ‘Education’ and ‘Religion’ is widely based and is reflected in the range of modular choices available to students. We are not concerned solely with schools and children, but with providing a portfolio of knowledge and experience to complement a range of future careers. Throughout your time at Trinity you will be exposed to key concepts and leading figures in the world of education and religion. The joint degree incorporates a broad historical overview of educational frameworks set in a cultural and political context, with a broad and in-depth knowledge-base of the range of special educational/additional learning needs. Embedded in this are elements of bilingualism, language acquisition and the religious, sociological, philosophical and psychological aspects of education in its broadest sense. Also, you will have contact with leaders of religious communities, rabbis, imams, etc. You will visit key religious sites and have the opportunity to develop a research project on a religion of your choice.

Theology
Introductory Courses

Religious Studies 114 – Introduction to Theology
Fall, spring
Introduction to major claims in Christian theology through a close examination of historical and contemporary Catholic and Protestant theologies. Topics include: methods in doing theology and in biblical interpretation; images of God and of Jesus; the human condition; different marks and models of the church; and religious diversity. Readings address the interplay in theological reflection between religious tradition and social location, and analyze the implications and challenges of Christian claims in light of gender, race and poverty. One unit.

Religious Studies 115 – The Church in the World
Fall
A basic presentation of how the Catholic Church sees itself, its mission, and its ministry in today’s world in light of the major decrees of the Second Vatican Council. Topics include: different models of the Church and the Church’s approach to contemporary issues of justice and peace as reflected in Catholic social teaching of the popes and national conferences of bishops. One unit.

Religious Studies 116 – Introduction to Catholicism
Alternate years
Introduction to the basic doctrine of Roman Catholic Christianity and to the situation of the church in the contemporary United States. Topics include: differing approaches to Catholicism; doctrinal foundations of the Church; structure, authority, and diversity; spirituality, worship, and the sacramental tradition; Vatican Council II; Catholic moral teaching; the role of women; Catholicism and other religions; and current issues in Catholicism. One unit.

Religious Studies 117 – History of Christianity 1
Fall
A survey of the origins and development of Christianity, both its theology and its structures, from the apostolic period to the eve of the Reformation. Special attention is paid to the evolution of Christian doctrine and worship during the early and medieval periods of the Christian history. The interplay between orthodoxy and heterodoxy will be stressed in a close examination of heretical movements and their impact on the formation of the tradition. The interaction between Church and society will also be addressed. One unit.

Religious Studies 119 – History of Christianity 2
Spring
A survey of the development of Christianity, both its theology and its structures, from the Reformation period to today. Special attention is paid to the development of the various Protestant traditions, and their doctrine and worship. The interplay between Roman Catholicism and the Protestant churches is discussed. The impact of these Christian traditions on American society is also addressed. One unit.

Religious Studies 133 – Contemporary Christian Spirituality
Fall
An introduction to Christian spirituality understood as discipleship. Examines the lived experience and writings of influential 20th-century Christians such as Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Gustavo Gutierrez. Focuses on the quest for justice as an imperative of faith. One unit.

Religious Studies 139 – Understanding Jesus
Fall, spring
An examination of the figure of Jesus as presented in the gospels with attention devoted to historical questions about Jesus’ life and teaching, the theological claims about Jesus being made by the evangelists, and the direct challenge which the gospel story presents to the church and the world today. One unit.

Intermediate Courses
Religious Studies 200 – Reformation & Counter Reformation
Alternate years in spring
The most significant political, intellectual, and religious developments of the Protestant and Catholic Reformation movements in 16th- and 17th-century Europe. Cross-listed in the Department of History as History 248. One unit.

Religious Studies 217 – Eucharist: History and Theology
Alternate years
Provides a detailed study of the historical development and theological significance of the Eucharist in Christian tradition. Treats underlying concepts in sacramental theology in terms of Eucharistic ritual. Special attention is paid to the Roman Catholic experience, but other Christian traditions will be discussed. One unit.

Religious Studies 218 – Sacramental Theology
Alternate years
Provides a general study of the historical development and theological significance of Christian sacraments. Begins with discussion of key underlying concepts in sacramental theology: the experience of the sacred; sign, symbol, ritual; and Christ/Church as sacrament. Special attention is paid to the Roman Catholic experience, but other Christian traditions are discussed. One unit.

Religious Studies 219 – Christian Prayer in Theory and Practice
Alternate years
Considers Christian prayer as both a topic for theological study and a body of disciplines and practices. Topics include various ways of understanding Christian discipleship, different approaches to the meaning and purpose of prayer, various techniques for prayer, (including the contexts in which they have been developed and the practical advantages and problems that they carry), and relationships between prayer and theology. Readings draw from both classic sources and contemporary interpretations of Christian prayer. Weekly practicum sessions focus on observing and/or participating in various forms of Christian prayer. One unit.

Religious Studied 224 – The Church and Homosexuality
Annually
Self-affirming homosexual persons today challenge the Church’s traditional teaching about homosexuality and its understanding of the relationship between God and homosexual persons, producing a sharp debate in churches and societies around the world. This course aims to provide students with a clear understanding of the Catholic Church’s official teaching on homosexuality and the major criticisms made of the teaching. One unit.

Religious Studies 227 – God and Human Experience
Alternate years
Studies the important religious concept of revelation, but does so with an eye to the ordinary ways in which the divine mystery presents itself to human beings. Examines biblical writings and other narratives of faith in which men and women describe the religious dimension of their lives. One unit.

Religious Studies 231 – Early Christian Writers
Alternate years
This seminar examines a number of writers from the second to the fifth centuries who shaped the Christian theological tradition in various ways: Irenaeus, Athanasius, Origen, Augustine, John Chrysostom, Gregory of Nyssa, as well as the Fathers and Mothers of the Desert. In particular, the course looks at how these writers interpreted the Bible, how they related faith and culture, the contributions they made to the Church’s understanding of Jesus, their analysis of human nature, their doctrine of sin and grace, their approach to the interior life, and how they were affected by the intellectual currents of their time.

Religious Studies 234 – Conflicts in the Church
Fall
Examines selected issues which have generated considerable controversy in the contemporary Catholic church (i.e., liberation theology; women’s leadership; birth control; abortion; divorce and remarriage; homosexuality). Topics are considered in relation to differing views on the origin, structure, and purpose of the church itself. Readings draw from official Catholic church teaching as well as writings of so-called “progressive” and “neoconservative” theologians. Concepts covered include: infallibility; teaching authority of theologians and the magisterium; the sensus fidelium; legitimate dissent and the development of doctrine. One unit.

Religious Studies 236 – Makers of Modern Theology
Alternate years
This seminar examines authors or schools of thought which have helped to shape modern theological thinking. Authors examined in years past include: Karl Barth, Dietrich Bonhoefer, Rudolf Bulltmann, Paul Tillich, Karl Rahner, Edward Schillebeeckx, Rosemary Ruether, Hans Küng, James Cone, Ada Maria Isasi-Diaz. Schools of thought represented include: liberal Protestant theology, process thought, transcendental Thomism, liberation theologies. One unit.

Religious Studies 243 – Theology of the New Testament
Alternate years
Drawing on contemporary biblical exegesis, this course explores both the major theological questions which the New Testament writers were addressing in their own time and place and the theological questions those writings force the Church of today to raise in light of our present historical and cultural circumstances. What is faith? What is salvation? What does the New Testament tell us about the mystery of God? Why does Christian religious experience lead us to think about the Church? How does the New Testament as a whole help us to face the concerns of today, such as Christianity’s relationship to the other world religions, environmental justice, as well as the perennial thirst for the transcendent? One unit.

Religious Studies 261 – Feminist Perspectives in Theology
Alternate years
Introduces students to the critiques and alternative reconstructions that feminist/womanist/mujerista theologians present with respect to traditional Christian understandings of scripture, God, Jesus, creation, human personhood, sin, grace, the church, spirituality, and theological method. One unit.

Religious Studies 262 – The Living Church
Fall
This seminar is an exploration of ecclesiology—the church’s theological understanding of itself—and also an exercise in observational learning. Examines the nature of church through readings of a variety of recent theological and sociological works and official documents. Students are guided through semester-long fieldwork projects to explore aspects of church as lived and practiced in local communities. Seminar sessions discuss these observations in light of the course readings. One unit.

Religious Studies 275 – Latin American Liberation Theology
Spring
Based on the principle of God’s special identification with history’s outcasts, liberation theology explores the problems of biblical interpretation, Church teaching and Christian commitment in the contemporary world. With special reference to Latin America, this course examines the relationship between the sociopolitical consciousness of marginalized peoples and their Christian faith. One unit.

Religious Studies 285 – Jesuit Spirituality
Alternate years
Examines the distinctive characteristics of Jesuit Spirituality as reflected in the four weeks of the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola, his autobiography, and other early Jesuit writings. Examines the religious experience that gave birth to the Society of Jesus, the Society’s keen interest in education, and contemporary expressions of the Ignatian vision. One unit.

Religious Studies 292 – Medieval Christianity
Alternate years
This seminar provides an in-depth study of the origins and development of medieval Christianity in Western Europe. It covers theology and structural evolution from the fall of the Roman Empire to the eve of the Reformation. Special attention is paid to the evolution of Christian doctrine, spirituality, architecture and worship during the “high” and “late” Middle Ages, the interplay between orthodoxy and heterodoxy, their impact on the formation of the tradition, and the interaction between church and society. One unit.

Advanced Courses
Religious Studies 333 – Comparative Theology
Spring
An exploration of the meaning and significance of Christianity’s encounter with the Hindu, Buddhist, Islamic, and other religious traditions, both new and old. Investigates major theological questions emerging from the dialogue between Christianity and other world religions. One unit.

Religious Studies 353 – Theology and Ecology
Fall
This seminar provides an opportunity to participate in the conversation currently underway regarding religious faith and contemporary ecological concerns; it seeks to develop a greater consciousness of the interdependence between human beings and other living beings, and between all life forms and non-living created matter. What does it mean to do biblical interpretation and Christian theology at the beginning of the third millennium in a global context that is developing an ever greater awareness of the limited nature of natural resources and an ever increasing appreciation of created matter in the cosmos? One unit.

Religious Studies 355 – Contemporary Feminist Theology
Alternate years
This seminar examines U.S. feminist theology, African-American womanist theology, and mujerista/Latina feminist theology with regard to Christian theological anthropology, or religious reflection on the human person. Considers implications of major Christian claims (about God, Christ, creation, sin/grace, church, etc.) for both historical and contemporary Christian understandings of the human person. Examines theological reconstructions of those claims, as developed through feminist/womanist/Latina analyses of gender, race, class, sexuality, and ecology. Analyzes the expanding scholarship in feminist theology and feminist theory regarding the significance of post-modernity for reinterpreting human identity, especially notions of agency, autonomy, and relationality. One unit.

Religious Studies 357 – Modern Catholic Theology
Alternate years
Examines selected theological questions addressed by modern Catholic theologians such as Rahner, Schillebeeckx, Dulles, Tracy, Gutierrez, and Ruether. Several major works are read and discussed in detail. One unit.

Religious Studies 371 – Contemporary Christology
Fall
A comparative analysis of the christological writings of major contemporary Catholic and Protestant theologians, with emphasis given to an examination of each theologian’s understanding of the centrality of Jesus in modern society, the nature of the Scripture and what it reveals about Jesus, and the nature of faith in Christ and in His resurrection. Prerequisite: Cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better. One unit.

Religious Studies 376 – North American Theologies of Liberation
Spring
Explores recent theological reflection on the dynamics of oppression and liberation in the context of the U.S. This course attempts to sketch the outline of a theology responsive to both the liberating message of the gospel and the socio-political and cultural life of the United States with special attention given to Black, U.S. Hispanic and Gay/Lesbian theological works. One unit.

Religious Studies 395 – Saints and Sinners
Every third year
This seminar offers an examination of the historical and theological development of the ideals and practices of Christian life, from the Middle Ages to the Early Modern era. The focus is on “saints” and “sinners” as windows into the attitudes and values, the fears and hopes, the virtues and vices, the piety and the heresy, of western European culture. Special attention is paid to the following themes: gendered perceptions of sanctity and sin; community and solitude; poverty and riches; feasting and fasting as religious and cultural activity. One unit.

Ethics
Introductory Courses

Religious Studies 141 – Contemporary Christian Morality
Fall
A suggested methodology for evaluating contemporary Christian thought and practice in major areas of ethical concern. An in-depth discussion of responsible decision-making in an age of situationism and ethical relativism, with detailed application to crucial moral dilemmas facing modern persons. One unit.

Religious Studies 143 – Social Ethics
Fall
An introduction to Christian ethical evaluation of such issues as impoverishment and economic justice, racism, and First World/Two-Thirds World relations in the struggle against war and the search for peace. One unit.

Religious Studies 151 – Faith/World Poverty
Spring
Investigates the historical and structural foundations of escalating world poverty. It explores the dynamics of 21st-century capitalism and its international institutions as they are understood by the tradition of Catholic social teaching and by Christian communities in the United States and the Two-Thirds World. The challenge facing people of faith has two sides: one is the reality of oppression and domination, and the other is that of liberation and self-determination. One unit.

Intermediate Courses
Religious Studies 209 – War and Peace in the Christian Tradition
Fall
An introduction to some of the important ethical issues involved in war/peace studies. Beginning with an examination of the two major religious traditions, just war theory and pacifism/nonviolence, the course then turns to an examination of the experience of war by a focus on World War II and Vietnam. In light of an examination of both approaches to issues of war and peace and the experiences of war, the course concludes with a critical analysis of the American bishops’ pastoral letter, The Challenge of Peace. One unit.

Religious Studies 230 – Theological Perspectives on Medical Ethics
Spring
Deals with the basic issues in contemporary health care ethics from the standpoint of the Christian theological tradition. A central concern is the relation between religious beliefs and individual or social choices regarding health and health care. One unit.

Advanced Courses
Religious Studies 313 – HIV/AIDS and Ethics
Alternate Years
Explores the many ethical questions brought into relief by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, arguably one of the most pressing global public health issues of our time. Focusing primarily on issues of social justice, the course mines the traditions of Christian ethics and Catholic social teaching for resources with which to address topics including HIV prevention, treatment, research, access, and global public health. We will become familiar with key ethical methods and concepts, including casuistry, the common good, solidarity, and the option for the poor. One unit.

Religious Studies 335 – Economics and Ethical Values
Alternate years
Investigates the ethical dimensions of contemporary economic issues such as the restructured labor market, income and wealth distribution, the extent of globalization, the international debt crisis, and alternative economic models. Focus also includes the economic dimensions of race and gender relations and their relevance to economic justice. One unit.

Religious Studies 337 – Character and Ethical Responsibility
Fall
Seminar addresses the problems of moral weakness and the agent’s ethical responsibility for acts of weakness from the perspectives of philosophy, theology, psychology, film and modern fiction. The term moral weakness is a translation of the Greek word akrasia, and refers to a moral agent’s perceived ability to perform an action that he or she knows to be evil, or failing to perform an action known to be good. Thus an inquiry into the problem of moral weakness is ultimately an inquiry into character and virtue. One unit.

Religious Studies 342 – Sexual Ethics
Fall
Seminar provides an opportunity to explore ethical issues of both personal and societal importance. Among the topics covered are historical development of Christian sexual ethics; embodiment; gender; and significance of the relation between sexuality, love and reproduction. One unit.

Special Topics
Religious Studies 199 – Special Topics
Fall, spring
Introductory level courses on special topics in religion, theology, Bible, and ethics. One unit.

Religious Studies 299 – Special Topics
Fall, spring
Intermediate level courses on special topics in religion, theology, Bible, and ethics. One unit.

Religious Studies 399 – Special Topics
Fall, spring
Advanced level courses on special topics in religion, theology, Bible, and ethics. One unit.

Religious Studies 411 – Tutorial
Fall, spring
One unit.

Religious Studies major requirements
Religious Studies major (10 courses):
RELS 106 Introduction to the Bible
RELS 114 Introduction to Theology
RELS 280 Introducing Christian Traditions
RELS 290 Doing Theology Today
RELS 321 Topics in Scripture
RELS 433 Christian Ethics: Theology and Society
RELS 460 Advanced Seminar

One course from each of the following three groups (only 1 may be a GS course):

1.) Religious Diversity Component:
RELS 318 Feminist Theology
RELS 331 Judaism and Christianity: The Holocaust
RELS 340 World Religions: A Comparative Examination
RELS 342 Asian Philosophy and Religion
RELS 350 Christianity and Cultural Diversity.
2.) Systematic Theology Component:
RELS 316 Who is Jesus?
RELS 325 Providence, Suffering and Freedom

3.) Other Electives:
RELS 242
RELS 255
RELS 268
RELS 310
RELS 312
RELS 322
RELS 324
RELS 326
RELS 338
RELS 347
RELS 360
RELS 389
HUMA 337*
ART 365
HIST 319

Religious Studies majors are not allowed to count any of the above courses as satisfying the GS 1 requirement.

Religious Studies majors may not double count toward the GS 10 requirement unless double majoring.

Religious Studies with Youth Ministry emphasis (13 courses):
RELS 106 Introduction to the Bible
RELS 114 Introduction to Theology
RELS 242 Liturgy and the Sacraments
RELS 280 Introduction to Christian Traditions
RELS 321 Topics in Scripture
RELS 433 Christian Ethics
RELS 460 Advanced Seminar
RELS 494 Internship
Any other 2 RELS courses, or HIST 319, ART 365

3 of the following:
SSCI 220
SOCI 111
COMM 122
WMGS 110
PEAC 200
SOCI 378

COMMON REQUIREMENTS 21 Semester Hrs (including senior project/thesis)
Students pursuing the Major in Religious Studies must complete 21 hours of Major Requirements in Religion. This course work will include the following areas and semester hours: *

Biblical Studies 6hrs
Historical Studies 3hrs
Philosophy, Theology, and Ethics 3hrs
Studies in Religious Diversity 3hrs
Humanities Research Methodologies 3hrs
Senior project/thesis 3hrs

REQUIRED MAJOR COURSES 21 Semester Hrs
Biblical Studies 6 Semester Hrs

Select one course: 3hrs
REL 101 The Old Testament
REL 102 The New Testament

Select one course: 3
REL 301 History of Israel
REL 308 Old Testament Topics
REL 310 Israelite and Christian Writings Outside the Bible
REL 312 Jesus in the Gospels
REL 316 St. Paul: Ancient Biography
REL 318 New Testament Topics

Drawing on the combined resources of the Department of Religion and Culture at Wilfrid Laurier University and the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Waterloo, the Laurier-Waterloo PhD in religious studies offers a concentration in the religious diversity of North America.

PhD is designed to take four years for completion. Students must enroll in the program full-time, be available for classes and regular on-campus consultation for at least the first two calendar years, and complete a minimum of six terms beyond the MA.Students are expected to proceed through the program in a timely fashion. Normally, students must complete the course work and finish their proposal in the first year; comprehensive exams in the second year; and the dissertation project in the third and fourth years.

Religion is a pervasive, powerful, multifaceted, and enduring dimension of human experience. Religions have shaped complex cultures and countless individual lives. They are influential in the world today and will continue to be so in the future. The academic study of religion is multidisciplinary, drawing upon approaches from history, literary studies, philosophy, and the social sciences. It is multicultural, exploring the beliefs, practices, and development of particular religious communities in many different cultures. The Temple Religion Department is one of the most diverse in the university, with faculty members and students of many different religious traditions, cultures, and academic and personal perspectives. The richness of religious and cultural life in Philadelphia and the region provides a valuable context for the study of religion and of religious traditions and communities.

The Bachelor of Arts in Religion is a solid liberal arts degree, providing graduates with the knowledge base and the intellectual, communication, and interpersonal skills essential to success in any career. More specifically, knowledge of religion — and the ability to think clearly and communicate effectively about it — is valuable in fields that involve public affairs, international and cross-cultural relations, religious issues or groups, or interaction with diverse individuals and populations. While it provides insights into the role of religion in personal, group, and societal identity and conflict, studying religion does not require any particular religious background or commitment.

The concentrations within the major differ only in emphasis. Religion and Public Life prepares students for careers in law, public policy, human and social services, and medicine and healthcare. Religions in a Global Context is of special value to those looking toward careers in the international arena or involving religious diversity. Both concentrations are also excellent preparation for graduate work in religious studies, law, medicine, the humanities and the social sciences.

Fundamental theology
With the master’s in theology, the teaching of fundamental theology is focused on the question how, within the fabric of religious tradition’s own description, the environment of the social system is allocated a place. Core focuses are secularisation, globalisation, religious diversity and religious movements. Themes discussed will preferably be in the fields of spirituality and the market economy. In the conflicts within the religious tradition on these themes, some profound processes of change are going on, which can be recognised as effects of social differentiation. However, they can also be understood as re-interpretations of traditional and prevailing claims to meaning and truth which exist within the religious tradition. The Methodological approach of the research is based on the hermeneutic study of texts and the qualitative study of structures of meaning.

Religion, Culture, and Society

The interface between religion, culture, and society, where the primary focus is on how culture (art, science, learning, etc.) and social institutions (government, economics, medicine, etc.) interact with religion.

113 Religion in America (1 course) This course surveys and analyzes the interaction between religion, particularly Christianity, and American culture from the 16th to the 21st centuries. The study emphasizes the influence of church/state debates, immigration, slavery, wars, science, civil rights, and late 20th- and early 21st-century political realignments upon the religious life and attitudes of the American people. Particular attention will be given to the various ways Americans have negotiated the reality of religious diversity and the desire for cultural unity. THEOL, Offered annually.

123 Faith, Religion, and Culture (1 course) What is faith? What is religion? Are they optional or necessary in human existence? Who, or what, is God, and what does it mean to have a god? How does religion interact with culture? This course addresses these and other basic issues in theology and religion, with primary emphasis on the Christian tradition in the past, present, and future, and with special attention to the role of symbol, myth, scripture, and ritual in religious teachings and institutions. THEOL. Offered annually.

223 Christ, Culture, and Nature (1 course) Who or what is God, and what does it mean to have a God? Who is Jesus Christ? What is the relationship of Christ to culture? Of God to nature? Of the Big Bang and evolution to creation? Of religion to politics? How do Christian claims relate to Buddhist, Muslim, or nontheistic claims? This course is designed as an introduction to theology for students who have a working knowledge of the Christian faith and are interested in a systematic and critical approach to meeting the CHRIS requirement. THEOL. Offered occasionally.

233 Christian Social Ethics (1 course) An investigation into the basic issues, perspectives, and types of historical and contemporary Christian ethics, in connection with social and political analysis of several contemporary social issues. Such issues may include social justice, international politics, gender and sexuality, alternative economic systems, nuclear war, depletion of natural resources, medicine and health care, and ethics in business. HIPHI, Spring semester, even years.

ART-239 Art of the Middle Ages (1 course) An overview of medieval painting, sculpture, and architecture from the early Christian period through the Gothic age (CE 330–1300). Emphasis will be placed on the relation between medieval art, the growth of the Christian church, and the development of the feudal state. ARTS, WRITD, Spring semester.

243 Ethics and Medicine (1 course) An introduction to the study of ethical problems in the context of health care and the practice of medicine. Issues studied will include the problems that arise at the beginning and end of life, the duties of professionals and the rights of patients, the meaning of “health“ and “disease,“ the social causes of illness, medical research, and the adequacy of health care delivery. The inquiry will be informed by the perspectives of contemporary Western moral philosophy, historic and contemporary Christian ethics, and social theory. Prerequisite: any Level I course in religion. SOSCI, Fall semester, odd years.

253 Science and Religion (1 course) The 400-year-old debate between science and religion seems poised for a fundamental change. Until recently it has presupposed a duality between the rationality of science (its factual, quantitative, and objective outlook) and the faith of religion (its valuational, emotional, and subjective outlook). This course will examine postmodern efforts to replace such dualities with an unity, where rationality and faith are found in both science and religion. Prerequisite: any course in religion. HIPHI, WRITD, Fall semester, odd years.

S/A-259 The Anthropology of Religion (1 course) This course reviews comparative anthropological approaches to the study of magic, witchcraft, and religion, primarily in non-Western societies. Focus is on the nature, roles, and varieties of belief and myth; ritual and symbolization; religious experience, including drug and non-drug induced trance states and their psycho-cultural dimensions; and magico-religious social organization. The course will emphasize shamanic and spirit possession religions and radical religious movements, such as nativistic and messianic cults. In relation to all of these, anthropological theories of the origins and functions of magic, witchcraft, and religion in social life and personal experience will be critically examined. NWEST, Spring semester.

273 Religion and Politics in Latin America (1 course) Religion and politics have been interwoven in the Americas since the rise of indigenous American cultures. Starting with the initial clash between European Christianity (missions and conquistadors) and the indigenous cultures, this course will analyze the interaction of religion and politics through time, including struggles for independence, continuing political upheavals, resistance movements, and theologies of liberation and revolution. It asks why so many Latin Americans choose to be Christian. Theological investigations include the role of the poor, conflicts over land, and current popular movements such as Brazil’s Landless Workers’ Movement. HIPHI, NWEST, Spring semester, odd years.

283 Insiders and Outsiders in American Religion (1 course) Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Amish, Black Muslims, Zen Buddhists—just a few of the thousands of different religious groups in America. But who’s “in“ and who’s “out“ when it comes to American religious groups? This course will examine the world of American religion by exploring the tensions between “insider“ and “outsider“ religious groups, how these distinctions are drawn, and whether the distinctions make sense. The course will focus on Christian groups as well as world religions that have found a home in America. We will also explore issues of race and gender as they affect these distinctions. HIPHI, WRITD, Fall semester, odd years.

POL-325 Religion and Politics in America (1 course) This course offers an intensive analysis of the many connections between religion and the American political system. Students will first consider religion’s historical role in shaping American political culture. Other topics to be covered include the constitutional relationship between church and state, the religious dimensions of American political behavior, religious influences on political institutions and decision makers, religious interest group activity and its impact on public policy, and the salience of religious factors in contemporary politics. Prerequisite: junior or senior status. SOSCI, Spring semester, odd years.

373 The Holocaust and Theology (1 course) An examination of the moral and theological implications of the planned and systematic destruction of Jews, Gypsies, and other civilian groups by the Nazis during the 1940s. Attention will be given to the historical events and their background, but the course will focus on the implications of the Holocaust for today: for understanding Western culture, human behavior, moral priorities, Jewish identity, and Christian theology. Prerequisite: one religion course. HIPHI, WRITD, Spring semester.

It is impossible to fully understand our contemporary world without understanding the part religion has played in its political, social and artistic development. The program in Religions and Cultures uses an interdisciplinary and non-confessional approach to study the world’s religious traditions. Anthropological, historical, philosophical, psychological and literary-critical methods are all used to broaden our knowledge and appreciation of religion in the ancient and modern world.

In first-year, students will be introduced to the teachings and history of the world’s religious traditions. In upper year classes, more specific examination of how religious thought and practice inform cultural identities will be the focus. Courses such as “Death and Immortality,” “Religion and Violence” and “Sacred Cinema” are just a few examples of what is on offer in this dynamic program where the interplay between religion and culture is critically explored. In depth study of particular religious traditions will coincide with investigation into the influence of religion on contemporary ethics and politics as well as the role of religion in the construction of gender and its presentation in the media.

Citizens of the modern world must grapple with ever-increasing cultural and religious diversity and a solid grounding in the study of religion is an important element in a well-rounded educational experience.

The program in Religions and Cultures at Nipissing offers a four year honours degree (single or combined), a 3 year degree (single or combined) and a Minor in Religions and Cultures.

All known civilizations, cultures and nations have been deeply affected by religion. Religions have created institutions such as temples and schools, produced great works of literature and art, and organized rituals to mark the continuities and changes in individual and communal lives. Religions have both legitimated political structures and inspired revolutions. Whether we are concerned with international affairs or our everyday experience in multicultural cities like Hamilton, religious diversity is a key element of social interaction. The study of religion is one of the most comprehensive ways of understanding humankind and human visions of reality.

Undergraduate Religious Studies at McMaster specializes in

Asian Religions: some courses focus on particular religious traditions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism or Taoism; other courses deal with the religions and cultures of particular geographical areas such as India or Japan.

Biblical Studies: courses focus on the Judaeo-Christian scriptures and the history of early Judaism and early Christianity.

Western Religious Thought: courses cover Christian thought from all historical periods, Jewish history and philosophy, and Islam; the encounter between religious thought and modernity

Contemporary and Comparative Religions: courses are cross-cultural and thematic in focus, dealing with religious phenomena such as cults in North America, healing and religion, and comparative approaches to death and dying.