A critical survey of the history, sources and chief characteristics of major world religions, including, in particular, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Islam, Judaism and Christianity. Particular attention will be given to an investigation of the phenomenon called religion, and to the relationships between religion and culture.
All 200-level courses have as a prerequisite RLST 110 or 24 credit units at the university.
RLST 211.3
Hindu Religious Tradition 1/2(3L)
A study of the historical, social, doctrinal, and ritual aspects of Hinduism.
RLST 214.3
Introduction to Philosophies of India 1/2(3L)
An introduction to the philosophical thought of India with special reference to early speculations on the nature of human reality, God, world, and human destiny.
RLST 217.3
Buddhist Religious Tradition 1/2(3L)
An examination of Buddhist religious history with emphasis on its socio-cultural dimensions. Topics include early Buddhism and its Indian evolution; culture contact and the spread of Buddhism to southeast Asia, China, Japan and Tibet; Buddhism and change in modern Asia and the west.
RLST 218.3
Developments in Buddhist Thought 1/2(3L)
An introduction to Buddhist philosophy and the development of its major schools of religious thought – Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana. Buddhist views of the interdependence of morality, knowledge and liberation will be studied in their historical and contemporary contexts.
RLST 219.3
Bible and Western Culture 1/2(3L) Prerequisite(s): 6 credit units in RLST or 24 credit units at the university.
Explores the influence of the Bible on the culture of the west, ancient and modern, with a particular focus on the role of biblical themes, symbols and characters in art, literature, music and popular culture.
RLST 220.3(Formerly 325)
Women in Western Religious Traditions 1/2(3L)
Study of women in major western religious traditions: influence of conceptual systems and language; women's embodiment and religion, feminine spirituality, women's contributions to western faiths, and feminine aspects of divinity.
Note: Students with credit for RLST 325 may not take this course for credit.
RLST 221.3
Introduction to Christianity 1/2(3L)
A systematic examination of the foundations of belief in the major divisions of Christianity - Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism, and Protestantism - with emphasis on various theories of revelation, religious authority and public worship.
RLST 222.3
Introduction to Christian Contemplative Tradition 1/2(3L) Prerequisite(s): RLST 110 or completion of 30 credit units at the university.
Introduces Christianity from the perspective of the contemplative tradition. Commencing with the pre-Christian Greek heritage the course examines the early Christian period of the desert contemplative life in various mystical writings and contemporary expressions of Christian contemplation.
RLST 223.3
Fundamental Teachings of Christianity 1/2(3L)
A study of the fundamental teachings of Christianity - the Trinity, creation, redemption, and sanctification - with an examination of the forms of worship and theories about morality, both individual and social, as these are found in the various sectors of contemporary Christianity.