Religious Studies Department

This course develops four competencies of a successful global citizen: what you need to know to interact with a client/customer/patient/neighbour who is of a different religion; what you need to know when travelling; what you need to know to do graduate studies; and what followers of this religion need to know. We study Indigenous religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Sikhism, and alternative religions. Credit will be granted for only one of RELS 103, RELS 110, RELS 111, or RELS 112. Three credits. Offered every year.

A basic introduction to the concepts, thinkers, theories, and methods essential for understanding religion. Offers a broad toolkit of terms and approaches that will come in handy for anyone interested in the relationships both historical and contemporary between religion and society, religion and culture, religion and art, religion and power, religion and philosophy, religion and science, religion and violence, religion and language, and religion and human flourishing. Three credits. Offered every year.

The aim of this course is to familiarize student with the basic structural features of classical Greek. In addition to grammar and vocabulary, the class will read simple texts from classical Greek philosophy and literature as well as from the New Testament. Credit will be granted for only one of RELS 113, CLAS 120 or CLAS198 (2023-2024). Cross-listed as CLAS 121. Three credits. Offered 2024-2025.

This course is designed to provide the foundations for promoting ethical competence among health care professionals as informed by diverse religious and cultural traditions. Students will be introduced to the ethical principles and values underlying debates brough about by advancements in medical technologies. Special emphasis will be placed on the whole person care demonstrated by exemplary health care providers in health care settings. Three credits. Offered every year.

This course examines the impact of the Bible on film, and introduces major biblical themes in films with, and films without, explicit religious content. Students will learn how biblical knowledge can enrich our understanding of modern culture and important human issues, such as creation, redemption, election, messiah-ship, charisma, and tradition. Three credits. Offered 2024-2025.

An introduction to the sociological study of religion. Topics include social factors that influence religion at individual and communal levels; religion as agent of social cohesion and social conflict; religion and power structures; the impact of pluralism and globalization on religion today. Cross-listed as SOCI 227. Three credits. Offered 2024-2025.

This course is an introduction to the use of supernatural imagery and themes in current tales of superheroes. How are supernatural beings and forces incorporated into the stories? How do superheroes function as divine beings? In which ways are the messages presented by DC and Marvel derived from those of world religions? In which ways do they serve as substitutes for religion? Credit will be granted for only one of RELS 216 or RELS 298 (2020-2022). Three credits. Offered every year.

Much contemporary fantasy draws upon ancient and medieval myths about beasts and monsters of various sorts. In this course, we will consider the religious origins of the fantastic, and how it continues to resonate in our contemporary world. Credit will be granted for only one of RELS 222, RELS 292(2018-19) or RELS 298(2017-18). Three credits. Offered every year.

A study of cults in the context of 20th-century North American society, beginning with defining cults in relation to sects and churches. Topics include neo-paganism; Hare Krishna; the theosophical tradition; the Unification Church; tragic endings to cults such as the Branch Davidians and Heaven’s Gate; why people join cults; and the religio-cultural significance of cults today. Three credits. Offered every year.

This course covers narrative and artistic depictions of Greco-Roman Gods, demi-gods, and heroes, both in Hellenistic and early Roman periods, and in their contemporary reception in fiction and film. We will also cover how myths and grand narratives function in the service of and in tension with power, politics, gender, ritual, and culture. Cross-listed with CLAS 241.Three credits. Offered every year.

This course introduces students to the emergence of the Islamic tradition with the aim of understanding a) its place in the Near Eastern religious and geo-political context; b) its reception by contemporaries, especially Christians of the 7th-9th centuries; and c) the teachings of its seminal texts, especially the Qur’an. Particular attention is given to those sections of the Qur’an that reflect the Jewish and Christian theological environment within which the text emerged. Credit will be granted for only one of RELS 254 or RELS 370. Three credits. Offered 2024-2025.

This course focuses on a popular genre of texts called “apocalypse,” produced in the early development of Judaism and Christianity. Apocalypses deal with the end of the world. We explore the development of the worldview called apocalypticism and the ancient literature associated with it, from both inside and outside the Bible. Students compare what they’ve learned about ancient apocalypses to contemporary apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic ideas, from zombies to climate change. Three credits. Offered every year.

The topic for 2024-2025 is Ethics in World Religions. An introduction to religious ethics, this course examines ethical approaches from various religious traditions, including Indigenous, Buddhist, Christian, and Muslim, to such issues as social justice, ecology, pluralism, healthcare, and non-violence. Three credits.

The topic for 2024-2025 is The History and Philosophy of Yoga. This class focuses on yoga, a pan-Indic and now global phenomenon. Using yoga as a case study, we will explore theoretical and methodological issues in the study of religion and themes such as the relationship between philosophy and religion, the functions of doctrine, and the nature of scripture. Students will also be introduced to key moments in the history of yoga’s philosophical development on the Indian subcontinent. Three credits.

The topic for 2024-2025 is Death and Dying: Cross Cultural Perspectives. This course offers a comparative examination of social and ritual practices, religious beliefs, and emotional responses surrounding death in various cultural contexts. Students will explore diverse perspectives on death, addressing questions such as the meaning of death, the concept of a good death, rituals and practices related to death, and the afterlife. Through critical analysis and self-reflection, students will gain a deeper understanding of death’s significance in different cultures and traditions. Three credits.

This course provides an introduction to the academic study of the history and literature of the early Christian movement. The aim of this course is to provide a solid understanding of the New Testament through close study of texts, historical analysis, and evaluation of evidence and arguments. We will explore several early Christian groups, their multiple disputes, arguments, positions, theologies, and understandings, through close reading of texts and appreciation of historical contexts. Credit will be granted for only one of RELS 311 or RELS 265. Three credits. Offered 2024-2025.

This course presents “authentic power” as understood in Hindu and Buddhist traditions. Here, “authentic power” is that which creates, supports, maintains and sustains life. It is understood as an expression of inter-dependent masculine and feminine “principles” both within and outside the individual self. That which seeks to manipulate, control, dominate, oppress or defend territory is here understood to be based in fear: it is an expression of cowardice and, as such, merits our compassion. Cross-listed as WMGS 397. Three credits. Offered 2024-2025.

This course presents the stories of goddesses and gods in the Hindu pantheon. It explores elements of ancient and classical Hindu thought associated with these stories of these deities. It identifies related elements in classical schools of Hindu philosophies such as Samkhya and Vedanta, and gives voice to the poets of the medieval Hindu devotional tradition. Together we will explore concepts of self, other, the world, devotion, the divine and freedom in Hindu religious thought. Three credits. Offered 2024-2025.

This course presents the Buddhist ideal of the Way of the Bodhisattva, one who vows to continue to re-incarnate, lifetime after lifetime, in order to serve all beings until such time as all beings are freed from suffering. It examines early Buddhist teachings that anticipate the development of this ideal, including the Theravada Buddhist focus on the strength of discipline of the mind and body, before detailing the Mahayana Buddhist development of this ideal and its expansion in the narrative and practice of Vajrayana or Tibetan Buddhist tradition. It will include study of Buddhist philosophy regarding the gradual states of realisation of enlightenment. Three credits. Offered 2024-2025.

An examination of the impact of religion on politics and politics on religion. Students will consider the relationship between religion and politics in the Middle East, Northern Ireland, India and Pakistan, Eastern Europe and North America. Case studies will demonstrate interactions between the state and Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Judaism, as well as the influence of religion on citizenship, education, the party system, and social issues. Credit will be granted for only one of RELS 336, RELS 295, or PSCI 295. Cross-listed as PSCI 336. Three credits.

Iconography is the identification and interpretation of images. This course is an introduction to the iconography of Christian art, with an emphasis on images of the Life and Passion of Christ. The course will examine how images develop over history, and how they may be understood in light of historical events, changes in theological thought, and in the artist’s own spirituality. Cross-listed as ART 356. Three credits.

Examines the development of Christianity from its beginnings in the 1st century to its acceptance as the official religion of the Roman Empire in the 4th century. Students will learn about early Christian beliefs and practices, and explore the challenges faced by the first Christians. Topics include community organization, persecution, martyrdom, Gnosticism, and women in the church. Three credits. Offered 2024-2025.

Students gain an understanding of the diversity of Islam and Muslims in Canada. The course examines how Muslims negotiate their religious identities in Canadian civic society. Students engage critically with different theoretical models shaping conceptions of identity and consider their relevance to public policy debates. The course uses Muslim and non-Muslim authors representing diverse points of view that have an impact on questions of immigration, multiculturalism, and religious pluralism. Cross-listed as SOCI 374. Offered in online format. Three credits.

The topic for 2024-2025 is Sex and the Celibate Saint. An introduction to how asceticism, erotic desire, performed and alternative genders, ambition, monasticism, mission, colonialism, benefaction and pilgrimage contributed to the formation of Christianity in its first four centuries, in ways that continue to explain Christian identities since. Three credits.

The topic for 2024-2025 is Medicine and Miracle: Medieval Healing Traditions. When confronted with sickness, medieval people possessed a variety of different explanations and a vast range of healing methods. They could use herbal remedies, visit a physician, call an exorcist, visit the tomb of a saint, or recite a magical charm. Through the close reading of medieval primary sources, students in this course will explore the religious, medical, philosophical, and social approaches brought to healing in Late Antique and Medieval Europe. Cross-listed as HIST 399. Three credits.

This course will focus on religious teachings and traditions on sexual diversity within the broader context of human rights associated with sexual orientation and sexual differences. In particular, we will look at the experiences of gay, lesbian, bisexual, intersexual and transgendered persons within religious communities. Cross-listed as WMGS 412. Prerequisite: any 100-level RELS or WMGS course. Three credits. Offered 2024-2025.

This course examines the history and literature of the Jewish people from the period of the Maccabean Revolt in the 2nd century BCE to the Bar Kokhba Revolt in the 2nd century CE. The literary sources for the study of the Jewish world at the turn of the era include the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Bible, and the Mishnah. This course serves as an introduction to the religious and social environment of the historical Jesus. Credit will be granted for only one RELS 426 or RELS 440. Prerequisite: any 100-level RELS course. Three credits. Offered 2024-2025.

Building upon RELS 426, this course begins with an examination of aspects of the life of the historical Jesus, including his teaching, ministry, and the events leading to his crucifixion. The four canonical Gospels and Letters of Paul will be analyzed as students probe the question of why Jesus came to be understood as the Messiah by the first Christians. Credit will be granted for only one RELS 427 or RELS 440. Prerequisite: RELS 426 or permission of the instructor. Three credits. Offered 2024-2025.

Each student works under the supervision of a chosen professor who guides the selection of a thesis topic, use of resources, methodological component, quality of analysis and execution, and literary calibre of the student’s work. Required for all honours students. Six credits.

The topic for 2024-2025 is The Black Death: Plague and Medieval Society. Black death was an epidemic of plague, an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, that killed roughly half of all people in Europe, Asia, and North Africa in the fourteenth century CE, and remained endemic for the next four centuries. In this course students will study plague’s profound impact on later medieval society, religion, and science in the period ca.1350-1500 CE through traditional documentary research in conjunction with the latest scientific discoveries about plague made through bioarcheology and paleomicrobiology. Cross-listed as HIST 498. Three credits.