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Joint Honours Component Religious Studies - Western Religions (36 credits)

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Offered by: Religious Studies     Degree: Bachelor of Arts

Program Requirements

Students wishing to study at the Honours level in two disciplines can combine Joint Honours program components in any two Arts disciplines. For a list of available Joint Honours programs, see "Overview of Programs Offered" and "Joint Honours Programs".  Joint Honours students should consult an adviser in each department to discuss their course selection and their interdisciplinary research project (if applicable). Students in Joint Honours must maintain a program GPA and a CGPA of 3.00 (3.50 for First Class Honours) and attain a B- or higher in each program course. No overlap is allowed between the courses forming each segment of the Joint Honours program. Students in Joint Honours Component Religious Studies choose either the Western Religions or Asian Religions option. It is possible for students following either the Western Religions or the Asian Religions option of the Joint Honours Component Religious Studies to combine their program with the Joint Honours Component Philosophy and Western Religions as the Religious Studies program broadens the material included in the Philosophy and Western Religions program. The requirements set out below pertain to the Western Religions option.

Complementary Courses (36 credits)

36 credits selected with the following specifications:

3 credits from Introductory Courses
3 credits from Advanced Courses
9 credits from Two Groups (Sources of Western Religious Traditions, History and Theology of the Christian Tradition) with at least 3 credits from each group
6 credits in Religion and Culture courses
15 credits, selected in consultation with an adviser, from Religious Studies (RELG) courses (or Approved Related Courses in Other Departments) at the 300-level or above, of which 9 credits must be at the 400-level or above

Introductory Courses

3 credits from:

  • RELG 252 Hinduism and Buddhism (3 credits)

    Offered by: Religious Studies (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Religious Studies : The interaction of Hinduism and Buddhism in India with special reference to the law of Karma, caste, women, ritual, death, yoga, and liberation. Determination of interpretative principles for understanding the religious psychology of Hindus and Buddhists.

    Terms: Fall 2011

    Instructors: Soneji, Davesh; Lai, Lei Kuan (Fall)

    • Fall

  • RELG 253 Religions of East Asia (3 credits)

    Offered by: Religious Studies (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Religious Studies : Harmony with nature, society, and cosmos to be explored through the religions of the Far East (Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism and Shinto).

    Terms: Winter 2012

    Instructors: Hori, G (Winter)

    • Winter

Advanced Courses

3 credits from:

  • RELG 456 Theories of Religion (3 credits)

    Offered by: Religious Studies (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Religious Studies : The history of the academic study of religion from its beginnings in the 19th century until the present. Key texts by figures such as Max Muller, Sigmund Freud, Emile Durkheim, Max Weber, Mircea Eliade, Claude Levi-Strauss and Clifford Geertz will be studied.

    Terms: Fall 2011, Winter 2012

    Instructors: Kanaris, Jim (Fall) Kanaris, Jim (Winter)

    • Fall and Winter

    • Restriction: For Religious Studies Majors and Honours students or with permission of the Chair of the Religious Studies B.A. Committee

  • RELG 555 Honours Seminar (3 credits)

    Offered by: Religious Studies (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Religious Studies : Current trends in the study of religion, including the approaches of critical theory, feminism, post-modernism, and post-colonialism.

    Terms: Winter 2012

    Instructors: Kanaris, Jim (Winter)

    • Winter

    • Restriction: For Religious Studies Honours students or with permission of the Chair of the Religious Studies B.A. Committee

Two Groups

9 credits selected from two groups with at least 3 credits from each group:

Sources of Western Religious Traditions

History and Theology of the Christian Tradition

  • RELG 322 The Church in History 1 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Religious Studies (Faculty of Religious Studies)

    Overview

    Religious Studies : A survey of major developments in the history of Christianity from the end of the apostolic age to 1500. Selected readings from primary and secondary sources will be used.

    Terms: Fall 2011

    Instructors: Kirby, W J Torrance (Fall)

    • Fall

  • RELG 323 The Church in History 2 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Religious Studies (Faculty of Religious Studies)

    Overview

    Religious Studies : Significant events and persons in the history of western Christianity from 1500 - 1948 will be studied. Attention is focused on mainline denominations in Britain and continental Europe.

    Terms: Winter 2012

    Instructors: Kirby, W J Torrance (Winter)

    • Winter

  • RELG 326 Ancient Christian Church AD54 - AD604 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Religious Studies (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Religious Studies : Significant persons and events from Nero's reign to the papacy of Gregory I. Attention to major Christian centres within the Roman Empire before Constantine, to the development of the Eastern Byzantine Church, and to the growth of the papacy in the West. Leading Christian theologians and thinkers will be studied.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2011-2012 academic year.

  • RELG 334 Christian Thought and Culture (3 credits)

    Offered by: Religious Studies (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Religious Studies : Explores the Christian narrative and theological worldview, in relation to western religion, ethics, philosophy, science, and culture, with reference to both primary and secondary literature.

    Terms: Winter 2012

    Instructors: Assaly, Robert (Winter)

    • Winter and Summer

    • Prerequisite: One prior course in Christianity, or History of Western Thought or by permission of the instructor.

  • RELG 532 History of Christian Thought 1 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Religious Studies (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Religious Studies : The development of Christian theology in the Patristic and Medieval periods. Focus on the controversial development of Christian doctrines and disciplines through intensive exposure to primary texts.

    Terms: Fall 2011

    Instructors: Farrow, Douglas B (Fall)

    • Prerequisite: At least six (6) credits at the 300 level in Christianity or the Christian Bible.

    • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken RELG 320

  • RELG 533 History of Christian Thought 2 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Religious Studies (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Religious Studies : The development of Christian theology in the Reformation, Post Reformation and Modern periods through intensive exposure to primary texts.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    • Fall
    • Prerequisite: At least six (6) credits at the 300 level in Christianity or the Christian Bible.
    • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken RELG 327

Religion and Culture

6 credits from:

  • RELG 256 Women in Judaism and Islam (3 credits)

    Offered by: Religious Studies (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Religious Studies : The role of women in Judaism and Islam from the point of view of institutionalized religious traditions and of women's religious subjectivity; how women's spiritual and social roles within their religious traditions are shaped by Revealed Law, Holy Text and the Authority of Interpretation. Comparative sociology of religion approach.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    • Summer
  • RELG 271 Sexual Ethics (3 credits)

    Offered by: Religious Studies (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Religious Studies : A study of the social construction of sexual identity and of selected issues regarding sexual behaviour.

    Terms: Winter 2012

    Instructors: Cere, Daniel M (Winter)

    • Winter

  • RELG 338 Women and the Christian Tradition (3 credits)

    Offered by: Religious Studies (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Religious Studies : Survey of women's involvement in the Christian tradition. Topics include feminist interpretation of scripture, ideas of virginity, marriage and motherhood, mysticism, asceticisms, European witchhunts, contemporary women's liberation theories.

    Terms: Fall 2011

    Instructors: Marr, Lucille (Fall)

    • Fall

    • Core course for the Women's Studies Minor program

  • RELG 340 Religion and the Sciences (3 credits)

    Offered by: Religious Studies (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Religious Studies : Philosophies of science and of religion have created a more positive dialogue on questions of method, symbolism and rationality. Examines key issues (e.g. creation and evolution; objectivity and involvement; determinism and freedom) raised by natural and social sciences, and various possible solutions.

    Terms: Summer 2012

    Instructors: Greydanus, Richard (Summer)

    • Fall and Summer

  • RELG 341 Introduction: Philosophy of Religion (3 credits)

    Offered by: Religious Studies (Faculty of Religious Studies)

    Overview

    Religious Studies : Introduction to the subject. Faith and reason, theistic arguments, values and destiny, the problem of evil, religious language.

    Terms: Fall 2011

    Instructors: Kanaris, Jim (Fall)

    • Fall

  • RELG 347 Topics in Religion and the Arts (3 credits)

    Offered by: Religious Studies (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Religious Studies

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2011-2012 academic year.

  • RELG 361 Religious Behaviour (3 credits)

    Offered by: Religious Studies (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Religious Studies : A study of the psychological origins of religion, of some aspects of the religious life (e.g. prayer, conversion, mystical experiences), and of some contemporary religious phenomena (e.g. marginal religious groups, the charismatic movement, glossolalia). The views of Freud and Jung are also considered.

    Terms: Fall 2011

    Instructors: Green, Garth (Fall)

    • Winter

  • RELG 370 Religion and Human Rights (3 credits)

    Offered by: Religious Studies (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Religious Studies : Social justice and human rights issues as key aspects of modem religious ethics. Topics include: the relationship of religion to the modem human rights movement; religious perspectives on the universality of human rights; the scope and limits of religious freedom; conflicts between religion and rights.

    Terms: Winter 2012

    Instructors: Waind, Jonathan (Winter)

    • Winter

  • RELG 371 Ethics of Violence/Non-Violence (3 credits)

    Offered by: Religious Studies (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Religious Studies : Forms of violence and the reaction of religious groups are assessed both for their effectiveness and for their fidelity to their professed beliefs. Different traditions, ranging from the wholesale adoption of violent methods (e.g., the Crusades) to repudiation (e.g., Gandhi; the Peace Churches).

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    • Summer
  • RELG 375 Religion and Society (3 credits)

    Offered by: Religious Studies (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Religious Studies : A study of the sociology of religion in the light of the contemporary debates regarding secularization, the relation of religion and politics, and the emergence of new religious movements.

    Terms: Fall 2011

    Instructors: Cere, Daniel M (Fall)

    • Fall

    • Restriction: U2 and U3 students

  • RELG 376 Religious Ethics (3 credits)

    Offered by: Religious Studies (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Religious Studies : A discussion of ethical theory will provide the background for an analysis of the relationship between religious world views and moral reason. Attention will be given to the way in which the dominant religious traditions view the exemplars of religious virtue, and to how the virtues exemplified are related to and justified by the faith tradition in which they operate.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2011-2012 academic year.

  • RELG 377 Religious Controversies (3 credits)

    Offered by: Religious Studies (Faculty of Religious Studies)

    Overview

    Religious Studies : A comparative survey of types and topics of argumentation developed in the literature of controversy. Texts discussed include disputations, missionary sermons and polemical treatises.

    Terms: Winter 2012

    Instructors: Levy, B Barry (Winter)

    • Winter

Religious Studies (RELG)

15 credits, selected in consultation with the program adviser, from Religious Studies (RELG) courses at the 300 level or above, of which 9 credits must be at the 400 level or above.

A maximum of 6 credits from other departments may be used toward this requirement (see list below).

Approved Related Courses in Other Departments

The list below is NOT comprehensive. Students may take approved related courses in other departments of the Faculty of Arts, such as Anthropology, Art History, Classics, English, History, Italian Studies, Philosophy, and Sociology selected in consultation with the Program Adviser.

  • EAST 354 Taoist and Buddhist Apocalypses (3 credits)

    Offered by: East Asian Studies (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Asian Language & Literature : Visions of the end of the world in Medieval Chinese Buddhist and Taoist literature will be contrasted with Western apocalyptic materials. The course will trace the development of Buddhism and Taoism in China, focusing on millennarian movements, soteriology, public worship, and ritual.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2011-2012 academic year.

  • EAST 551 Technologies of Self in Early China (3 credits)

    Offered by: East Asian Studies (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Asian Language & Literature : Readings on self-cultivation drawn from Confucian, Legalist, and Taoist philosophic texts of early China (5th-2nd centuries B.C.) in translation will be compared with historical and archaeological materials on the evolving construction of the "individual'' in Chinese social structure, military organization, political and ritual codes.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    • Prerequisite (Undergraduate): One advanced course in EAST or permission of the instructor
  • ISLA 410 History: Middle-East 1798-1918 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Islamic Studies (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Islamic Studies : A study of the Middle East from Napoleon's invasion of Egypt to the end of WWI. Emphasis will be on the emergence of nationalisms in the context of European imperialism; political, social, and economic transformation; religion and ideology; and changing patterns of alliances.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    • 3 hours
  • ISLA 411 History: Middle-East 1918-1945 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Islamic Studies (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Islamic Studies : The impact of WWI on Middle Eastern society and politics; the British and French mandates; the growth of nationalisms, revolutions and the formation of national states; WW II and the clash of political interests within the region.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    • 3 hours
  • ISLA 505 Islam: Origin and Early Development (3 credits)

    Offered by: Islamic Studies (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Islamic Studies : The Qur'an, Hadith, the Shari'a and their major themes. The early development of law, theology and Sufism. The development and formation of an Islamic "orthodoxy", the development and nature of competing interpretations of Islam during the Classical Period. Topics: God, revelation, prophecy, the community and the individual and the meaning of history.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    • 3 hours
  • ISLA 510D1 History: Islamic Civilization - Classical (3 credits)

    Offered by: Islamic Studies (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Islamic Studies : The origins of the early Islamic state in Arabia and the Umawi Caliphate. The growth of an Islamic civilization, and the "Abbasi Empire" until the Seljuk period. The rise of the Fatimis. The Caliphate of Cordoba.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2011-2012 academic year.

  • ISLA 510D2 History: Islamic Civilization - Classical (3 credits)

    Offered by: Islamic Studies (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Islamic Studies : See ISLA 510D1 for course description.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    • Prerequisite: ISLA 510D1
    • No credit will be given for this course unless both ISLA 510D1 and ISLA 510D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms
  • ISLA 511D1 History: Islamic Civilization - Mediaeval Era (3 credits)

    Offered by: Islamic Studies (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Islamic Studies : The Seljuks, and the medieval synthesis. The Moors in Spain and North Africa. The Crusades. The Mongols and the destruction of the Baghdad Caliphate. The Mamluk, Persian, Turkish and Indian Empires until 1700.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2011-2012 academic year.

  • ISLA 511D2 History: Islamic Civilization - Mediaeval Era (3 credits)

    Offered by: Islamic Studies (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Islamic Studies : See ISLA 511D1 for course description.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    • Prerequisite: ISLA 511D1
    • No credit will be given for this course unless both ISLA 511D1 and ISLA 511D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms
  • ISLA 531D1 Survey Development of Islamic Thought (3 credits)

    Offered by: Islamic Studies (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Islamic Studies : A survey of the development of the major intellectual traditions of Islamic civilization in medieval and modern times.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2011-2012 academic year.

  • ISLA 531D2 Survey Development of Islamic Thought (3 credits)

    Offered by: Islamic Studies (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Islamic Studies : See ISLA 531D1 for course description.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    • Winter
    • Prerequisite: ISLA 531D1
    • No credit will be given for this course unless both ISLA 531D1 and ISLA 531D2 are successfully completed in consecutive terms
  • JWST 211 Jewish Studies 1: Biblical Period (3 credits)

    Offered by: Jewish Studies (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Jewish Studies : The history, literature and beliefs of Judaism's formative period. Both Biblical and non-Biblical materials will be studied. The Bible in the context of cognate literatures of the Ancient Near East; non-Biblical documents will be analysed for their bearing on the Jewish tradition.

    Terms: Fall 2011

    Instructors: Levy, B Barry (Fall)

    • All texts will be read in English

  • JWST 252 Interdisciplinary Lectures (3 credits)

    Offered by: Jewish Studies (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Jewish Studies

    Terms: Fall 2011

    Instructors: Aberbach, David (Fall)

  • JWST 316 Social and Ethical Issues Jewish Law 1 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Jewish Studies (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Jewish Studies : A brief introduction to the nature and history of Jewish law. Topics include: redemption of hostages; abortion; death and dying.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2011-2012 academic year.

  • JWST 359 Topics in Jewish Philosophy 2 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Jewish Studies (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Jewish Studies

    Terms: Summer 2012

    Instructors: Caplan, Eric (Summer)

    • All texts in English

The following approved courses offered by Jewish Studies require a reading knowledge of Hebrew:

  • JWST 330 A Book of the Bible (3 credits)

    Offered by: Jewish Studies (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Jewish Studies : One book of the Bible will be studied in its entirety in Hebrew. Emphasis on the contributions of Ancient Near Eastern Studies (archaeology, comparative literature and Semitic linguistics) to understanding the text.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    • Winter
    • Prerequisite: Knowledge of Hebrew
  • JWST 345 Introduction to Rabbinic Literature (3 credits)

    Offered by: Jewish Studies (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Jewish Studies : An introduction to the study of Rabbinic texts.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    • All readings in English
  • JWST 510 Jewish Bible Interpretation 1 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Jewish Studies (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Jewish Studies : The issues, approaches, and texts of Jewish Bible interpretation between the Biblical and Talmudic eras: Bible interpretation in the Bible; in Greco-Roman Jewish literature; in the Mishnah, Tosefta, Targumim, and Talmudim; early Samaritan interpretation, Bible interpretation in ancient synagogue art, and in the massoretic literature.

    Terms: Fall 2011

    Instructors: Levy, B Barry (Fall)

    • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken JWST 512

  • JWST 511 Jewish Bible Interpretation 2 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Jewish Studies (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Jewish Studies : The issues, problems, approaches, and texts of Jewish Bible interpretation in medieval, renaissance, early modern, and modern times. Interpretation in the Geonic, Ashkenazi, Sefardic, North African, Italian, European, Yemenite, North American and Israeli centres of Jewish Learning.

    Terms: Winter 2012

    Instructors: Levy, B Barry (Winter)

    • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken JWST 512

  • JWST 535 Exegetic Midrash (3 credits)

    Offered by: Jewish Studies (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Jewish Studies

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2011-2012 academic year.

  • JWST 543 Maimonides as Parshan (3 credits)

    Offered by: Jewish Studies (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Jewish Studies : Biblical Interpretation in the Guide of the Perplexed and related writings.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    • Requires Departmental approval
    • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken JWST 540
  • JWST 550 The Bible in Hebrew Literature (3 credits)

    Offered by: Jewish Studies (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Jewish Studies : Biblical themes, issues, and characters as they emerge from a comparison of Scripture and various Hebrew essays, poems, plays, short stories and novels of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    • Readings in Hebrew
  • JWST 556 Modern Parshanut 1 (3 credits)

    Offered by: Jewish Studies (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Jewish Studies : A specialized study of one aspect of modern Jewish Bible interpretation.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken JWST 560
  • JWST 573 History of Hebrew Bible Text (3 credits)

    Offered by: Jewish Studies (Faculty of Arts)

    Overview

    Jewish Studies : The text of the Hebrew Bible as it evolved between antiquity and the most recent printed edition. Attention will be given to the accurate reconstruction of the Bible from primary and secondary witnesses: Greek and Aramic translations, Dead Sea Scrolls, and ancient quotations, and the Massoretic notes and lists.

    Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2011-2012 academic year.

    • Prerequisite (Undergraduate): permission of instructor
    • Restriction: Not open to students who have taken JWST 507
Faculty of Arts—2011-2012 (last updated Jan. 26, 2012) (disclaimer)
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