R E L I G I O U S   S T U D I E S

RS 100s


RS 100 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 008280
Religions of Asia
An introduction to religious traditions of Asia, including Hinduism, Buddhism, and East Asian traditions. Further topics may include Sikhism, Jainism, and Shinto.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 1 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]

 
RS 101 LEC,TUT 0.50
Course ID: 006164
Introductory Ancient Greek 1
This course is designed for students beginning the study of ancient Greek. It covers the foundational grammar of Attic and Hellenistic Greek and is the first step in preparing students to read original ancient Greek texts for the study of classical studies and religious studies.
Antireq: GRK/RS 133
(Cross-listed with GRK 101)

 
RS 102 LEC,TUT 0.50
Course ID: 006165
Introductory Ancient Greek 2
This course is a continuation of GRK 101/RS 101. The majority of the rules of ancient Greek grammar will be covered by the end of the course. Students will begin to read more complex ancient Greek texts relevant to the study of classical studies and religious studies.
Prereq: GRK 101/RS 101
(Cross-listed with GRK 102)

 
RS 110 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 008281
Religions of the West
Encounter with Judaism, Christianity, and Islam: the characteristics and interaction of the three major religious traditions originating in the Middle East that have shaped the image of the Western World.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 1 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]

 
RS 121 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 010215
Evil
How do the religions of the world define evil? How do they suggest it can be overcome? Classical and modern writers from Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, and Hinduism will be considered.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 1 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]

 
RS 123 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 015272
Monsters and Magic in Japanese Popular Culture
An examination of the roles played by monsters, magic, and supernatural creatures in Japanese popular culture, with attention to their treatment in Buddhism, Shinto, Daoism, and folk practices. Topics include modern-day creations such as Godzilla and Pokemon and traditional beings such as deities, ghosts, angry spirits, goblins, and shapeshifters.
(Cross-listed with EASIA 120R)

 
RS 150 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 008283
Christian Ethics
An introduction to Christian ethical theory and practice and their implications for personal and social living. Case studies will investigate sexual morality, business and medical ethics, environmental issues, violence and non-violence, and family life.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 2 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]

 
RS 180 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 008288
Love and Friendship
A study of the significance of love and friendship in classical and contemporary religious writers. We will consider questions such as, "Why are friendship and love important for human living?" and "Is friendship with God a possibility?"
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]

 

RS 200s


RS 201 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 004872
Religions of East Asia
An examination of the leading religious and philosophical ideas that have shaped the cultures and histories of East Asia: China, Korea, and Japan. Folk, Shamanic, Confucian, Daoist, Shinto, and Buddhist traditions are examined.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 1 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
(Cross-listed with EASIA 205R)

 
RS 203 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 008304
Hinduism
A study of the development 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.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 1 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]

 
RS 204 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 008305
Buddhism
An introduction to the unifying beliefs 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.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 1 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]

 
RS 206 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 012997
Japanese Religions
An examination of religious phenomena in the history of Japan, including their impact on art, literature, philosophy, and politics. Buddhism, Shinto, Confucianism, folk beliefs, new religious movements, and other traditions are explored.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 1 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Prereq: Level at least 2A
(Cross-listed with EASIA 206R)

 
RS 207 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 016170
Mindfulness and Meditation
What is mindfulness? This course examines the origins and contemporary use of mindfulness and other forms of meditation. Topics include major methods and teachers of meditation, its use in Buddhist and non-Buddhist contexts, and applications in education, medicine, work, and more.

 
RS 208 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 016171
Religions of India
This course examines the religions of India, including Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism. It also addresses Islam, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, and Christianity, which came to India through conquest, travel, or spiritual encounters. It will focus on their cultural context, significance, connections, and conflict among them, both in history and India today.

 
RS 209 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 014871
Jews and Jewishness
This course examines the central elements that make up contemporary Jewish identity/identities, traditional and otherwise, with particular focus on the North American Jewish experience and the nature of Jewish modernity. It explores historical, literary, religious, and social issues that have contributed to the formation of these identities.
Antireq: JS 114/RS 114
(Cross-listed with JS 209)

 
RS 210 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 008308
Judaism
An introduction to the religious tradition of the Jews in terms of beliefs, practices, ideals, and institutions from the beginning to the present time.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 1 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
(Cross-listed with JS 217)

 
RS 211 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 011635
Jewish Responses to the Holocaust
The catastrophe and devastation of the Holocaust and the radical nature of its evil demanded responses within contemporary Jewish thought, identity, and experience. This course will explore philosophical, theological (Jewish law, rabbinic), literary (novels, poetry, memoirs, plays), and artistic (museums, memorials) attempts to deal with the issues the Holocaust raises.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 1 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
(Cross-listed with JS 203)

 
RS 212 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 010110
Great Jewish Books
Jews are a people of many books. Over the centuries challenges to their faith and very existence have provoked various responses. From the Bible to contemporary times, this course comprehensively examines the history of Jewish thought through essential books that offer radically divergent conceptions of Jewishness and Judaism.
Antireq: JS 125
(Cross-listed with JS 212)

 
RS 216 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 008307
Islam
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.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 1 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]

 
RS 218 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 010108
Seduction, Rivalry, and Dysfunction in the Bible
Students will be introduced to the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) by way of selected readings which deal with a particular aspect of the human predicament. The focus will be on exploring relationships via narrative passages in the Old Testament and particularly in the Book of Genesis. The following relationships will be discussed: spousal; human/God; parent/child; siblings; gender issues in narratives of rape, incest, seduction, and dominance. The focus of this course will be more on select specific themes rather than an overview of many themes.
Antireq: JS 120/RS 111
(Cross-listed with JS 218)

 
RS 219 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 008310
Religion in America
The course examines religion in the American context regarding issues like secularization, the nature and the influence of sects (e.g., Mormonism, Pentecostalism), Protestant revivalism and televangelism, and the impact of non-Christian traditions (e.g., Buddhism, Islam).
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 1 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]

 
RS 220 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 011866
Religion and Politics
Religion continues to influence politics around the world as seen in the return of religious nationalism, religious opposition to globalization, populism and religion, and grassroots political movements for social change. Considering both historical and contemporary cases, students critically analyze how religion shapes - and is shaped by - politics.
(Cross-listed with PSCI 253)
Offered at St. Jerome's University

 
RS 221 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 014398
Islam, the West, and the Modern World
This course examines conceptions of East-West divide and confrontation as well as topics of interest, both geo-political and religious, that influence the relationships of Muslims and the Western world. The focus is on the history of Muslims in the West and the challenges of integration of Muslim communities in pluralistic, secular societies.
Prereq: Level at least 1B
(Cross-listed with SI 221R)

 
RS 223 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 006166
Intermediate Greek
This course is a continuation of GRK 102/RS 102. It will complete the initial study of ancient Greek grammar and devote substantial time to the reading of ancient Greek literature. Texts read will include a selection of poetry and prose in a variety of fields, including authors such as Homer, Herodotus, Euripides, Plato, the New Testament, and Josephus.
Prereq: GRK/RS 102
(Cross-listed with GRK 201)

 
RS 224 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 006169
Selections from Greek Authors
This course is designed to follow GRK 201/RS 201 and to expand students' experience of reading ancient Greek texts for the study of classical studies and religious studies. Texts read will include a selection of poetry and prose in a variety of fields, including authors such as Homer, Herodotus, Euripides, Plato, the New Testament, and Josephus.
Prereq: GRK 201/RS 223
(Cross-listed with GRK 202)

 
RS 225 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 009532
Sacred Beauty: Religion and the Arts
An exploration of the spiritual dimension through the medium of art: sacred and secular. Aspects of the quest for meaning in world religions will be considered, expressed variously in the visual arts, architecture, music, and cinema.
[Note: Formerly RS 122. This course fulfils an Area 1 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Antireq: RS 122

 
RS 226 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 016341
Introduction to Indigenous Spirituality
This course introduces the plurality of Indigenous spiritual traditions in Canada and the diversity, complexity, and strength of these traditions. Included is an understanding of traditional ceremonies, world views, creation stories, cultural values, healers, and medicine. Special attention is given to Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee nations.
(Cross-listed with INDG 226)

 
RS 228 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 012721
Big Ideas of the Bible
The Bible is the most translated and most read document in human history. This course explores central biblical ideas, from creation to the end of time, violence to redemption, and political intrigue to family ties, and examines their impact on Judaism, Christianity, and Western Culture.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 2 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Antireq: JS 131/RS 130
(Cross-listed with JS 228)

 
RS 229 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 015542
Christianity and Social Change in Canada
How has Christianity been a force for both oppression and liberation in Canada's history? This course examines the involvement of Christianity in such Canadian matters as racism, colonization, and the creation of the social welfare state.

 
RS 230 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 014248
Visions of Israel in Judaism: From Biblical to Modern Times
This course surveys the significance of the land of Israel in Judaism from historical, textual, and religious perspectives. Topics covered include the politics of Ancient Israel; the concept of Israel in prayer and the rabbinic and medieval Jewish imagination; portrayals of Israel in Christian and Muslim texts; and the origins, visions, and challenges of Zionism and the modern State of Israel.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 1 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
(Cross-listed with JS 215)

 
RS 234 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 010109
Power and Corruption in the Bible
This course will examine the uses and abuses of power in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) by analyzing the historical narratives of the conflict between Saul and David, as well as the rise and fall of King David. In doing so, it will deal with the period of the prophets, i.e., the books of Joshua, Kings, and Samuel.
[Note: Knowledge of Hebrew is not required. This course fulfils an Area 1 or Area 2 requirement for Religious Studies majors but not both.]
Antireq: JS 130/RS 112
(Cross-listed with JS 234)

 
RS 235 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 008298
Jesus: Life and Legacy
The life and death of Jesus of Nazareth, as experienced and interpreted by his followers and recorded in the New Testament and other ancient literature. Attention is given to Jesus' identity as a Jew in the Roman Empire in the first century, his teachings and actions, and his ongoing significance throughout history.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 2 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
(Cross-listed with JS 235)

 
RS 236 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 008301
Paul: Life and Letters
The career and thought of the apostle Paul, at once a Jew, a Graeco-Roman, and a Christ believer, living within the Roman Empire. Attention is given to issues such as spirit, Jewish Law, grace, freedom and slavery, Christ, church, politics, gender, and sexuality.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 2 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
(Cross-listed with JS 236)

 
RS 237 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 012724
Insiders and Outsiders in the Bible
This course explores the tension between insiders and outsiders in the Bible, examining the rationale for and implications of issues such as purity, holy war, the chosen people, and the Gentiles.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 2 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
(Cross-listed with JS 237)

 
RS 240 DIS,LEC 0.50
Course ID: 008318
History of Christianity
The development of Christianity in its Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestant traditions from the time of Christ to the present.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 2 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
(Cross-listed with HIST 235)

 
RS 241 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 015016
Sex, Politics, and Religion in the U.S. and Canada
What are the three topics that should not be talked about in polite company? Sex, politics, and religion. Breaking the taboo, this course examines religious practices and conflicts around sexuality and sexual behaviour in the United States and Canada, and how they have manifested in political contests and public policy.
[Note: Formerly RS 115R.]
Antireq: RS 115R

 
RS 242R LEC 0.50
Course ID: 015497
Religious Diversity and Social Development
Religious traditions and beliefs contribute both positively and negatively to social development. This course explores the interrelationship of religious diversity, multiculturalism, and attitudes towards social issues.
(Cross-listed with SDS 242R)

 
RS 244 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 011607
Religion in Canada
Canada is a multicultural and a multi-faith society. While Christians remain the majority, Canada is home to increasing numbers of Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, Jews, Muslims, and people with no religion. This course examines religious diversity in Canada, including topics such as religion and multiculturalism, human rights, and selected controversies.
[Note: Formerly RS 319.]
Prereq: Level at least 2A.
Antireq: RS 319
(Cross-listed with CDNST 244)

 
RS 245 DIS,LEC 0.50
Course ID: 008323
The Catholic Church in Canada
Using a variety of methods this course critically examines the role played by the Catholic Church in the social, political, and economic life of Canada from 1608 to the present.
(Cross-listed with HIST 234)
Offered at St. Jerome's University

 
RS 250 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 008319
History of Christian Thought
An analysis of the major theological developments in the Christian traditions from the apostolic era to the present.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 2 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]

 
RS 251 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 008315
Catholic Social Thought
This course will explore the origins, development, and contemporary challenges to Catholic social thought. The main focus will be on the critical and global influences of the past 100 years.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 2 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]

 
RS 253 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 008287
Christianity's Big Questions
Who is God? What does it mean to be human? What difference does the death of Jesus Christ make? What is the purpose of the Christian church? What happens after death? This course will explore the diversity of Christian responses to these questions and examine debates about the meaning of such beliefs in contemporary contexts.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 2 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Antireq: RS 152

 
RS 254 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 008324
Christian Sexual Ethics
Historical and contemporary Christian approaches to ethical questions about human sexuality and relationships. Topics include marriage, celibacy, single life, homosexuality, HIV/AIDS, sexual violence, gender roles, abortion, reproductive technologies, and sexuality and spirituality.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 2 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]

 
RS 255 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 008286
Roman Catholicism
This course offers comprehensive knowledge of the significance of Roman Catholic beliefs, values, and practices for our time. Topics analyzed in a wide context include spirituality, ethics, the meaning of the sacraments, prayer, sin and salvation, questions of authority, tradition, change, and views on sexuality and gender.
[Note: Formerly RS 151.]
Antireq: RS 151

 
RS 258 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 008296
God
An examination of ideas about God in Western thought from religious, philosophical, cultural, scientific, and political perspectives.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 2 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]

 
RS 259 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 015543
Gender, Sexuality, and Christianity
What do the churches say about sex and gender? This course examines how matters of the body have affected Christian spirituality, particularly in the lives of women and LGBTTTQQIPA + persons.

 
RS 260 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 008295
Religion Matters
Societies are in a time of flux and change - so too religions. No matter one's worldview, religion offers a window into societal changes. How one studies religion matters. This course addresses complex issues such as violence, religious experience, ritual, and gender within the context of methods in the study of religion.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]

 
RS 261 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 007281
Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion
A critical discussion of basic religious concepts. Among the topics covered will be faith, miracles, religious experience, immortality, arguments for the existence of God, and challenges to religious belief.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
(Cross-listed with PHIL 237)

 
RS 262 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 008309
Spirituality, Secularity, and Religion in Sociological Perspective
This course examines the nature of religion, spirituality, and non-religion in society and their impact on many aspects of social and political life in North America and Europe. We will also consider how religion, spirituality, and non-religion can be sources of social stability and peace as well as of social change and conflict.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Prereq: SOC 101/101R or 120R
(Cross-listed with SOC 260)

 
RS 263 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 016087
Religion and the Sensory Experience
Is listening to music a religious experience? Why is food an essential part of some religious rituals? This course integrates attention to sensory experience with the study of material culture and ritual in a variety of religious traditions, both ancient and modern.

 
RS 264 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 016088
Spiritual Journeys
An examination of spiritual autobiographies, attending to themes such as context, conversion, the relationship of individual and community, the dynamic character of spiritual identity, and self-presentation. This course may consider the writings of persons such as Augustine, Dorothy Day, Malcolm X, Elie Wiesel, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King Jr., and the Dalai Lama, among others.

 
RS 266 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 015265
Death and Dying
While death is a physical event, it often entails legal, social, cultural, psychological, and religious significance. This course examines matters of dying, death, and death rituals in a variety of religions.
[Note: The course fulfils an Area 1 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]

 
RS 270 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 005468
Religion in Popular Film
This course examines how religion has been a central concern and inspiration for filmmakers and how popular films have informed and shaped our understanding of religion.
[Note: Film Studies Course. This course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Antireq: RS 270R
(Cross-listed with FINE 252)

 
RS 271 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 005469
Special Topics in Religion and Film
This course focuses on a specific genre or theme to explore the complex relationship between cinema and religion.
[Note: Film Studies course. This course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors. This course is repeatable up to five times, subject to different content. RS 271 was formerly RS 271R.]
Antireq: RS 271R
(Cross-listed with FINE 253)

 
RS 272 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 011636
The Holocaust and Film
An examination of the Holocaust as portrayed in feature films and documentaries. Do cinematic attempts capture the horror of the Holocaust faithfully, or trivialize it? The background to anti-semitism, use of religious imagery in propaganda films, and what counts as success or failure in cinematic representations are discussed.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
(Cross-listed with JS 233, GER 283)

 
RS 275 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 014245
Religion and Japanese Film
The course examines how religious beliefs and values in Japan are explored in the medium of film.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
(Cross-listed with EASIA 275R)

 
RS 279 DIS,LEC 0.50
Course ID: 011863
Religion and Popular Culture
A critical examination of the role of religion and myth in popular culture including television, cinema, music, fashion, and sport.
[Note: Formerly RS 170.]
Antireq: RS 170
Also offered at St. Jerome's University

 
RS 280 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 008312
Cults and New Religious Movements
This course examines various cults and new religious movements (e.g., Scientology, Krishna Consciousness, Neo-paganism) and places them within the context of our sociological knowledge of their emergence, who joins and why, and other issues.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
(Cross-listed with SOC 262)

 
RS 281 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 008311
Millennialism and Violence
An examination of the nature and causes of episodes of mass violence inspired by apocalyptic beliefs. This course will use historical and contemporary case studies and theoretical discussions of the social and psychological factors precipitating violence.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Prereq: SOC 101/101R or 120R
(Cross-listed with SOC 258)

 
RS 283 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 008328
Religion and Ethics
How have world's religious communities responded to the great ethical challenges of today? This course examines how religious thinkers, activists, and institutions have responded to individual and social problems, such as questions about human rights, ecology, sex, and social justice.

 
RS 284 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 008331
Gender and the Great Religions
Through a review of the teachings of the great religious traditions about gender, this course aims to arrive at a global view of the situation of beliefs and practices related to gender "in the world of religion". It will examine the role of religion as an important influence on gender and human development.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Antireq: WS 261
(Cross-listed with GSJ 261)

 
RS 285 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 010224
The Sacred Earth: Religion and Ecology
An examination of the past and present effects of Christianity and other world religions on human treatment of the natural world. Historical background, recent debates, and contemporary approaches to the ethical issues will be investigated.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
(Cross-listed with ERS 294)

 
RS 287 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 016346
Mysticism and Wisdom Teachings in the World's Religions
This course will introduce students to core wisdom teachings and mystical practices in the world's religions, with an emphasis on comparative interpretation. Through this course, students will gain an elemental knowledge of diverse approaches to religious epistemology, increasing their capacity to identify similarities and differences in the thought worlds and value systems of various traditions.

 
RS 291 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 010239
Special Topics
Consult Department for current offerings.
[Note: This is a repeatable course, subject to different content; it may be completed a total of three times.]

 

RS 300s


RS 301 SEM 0.50
Course ID: 015510
Engaged Buddhism
This course examines Buddhist - including mindfulness - engagement with contemporary social issues, such as peacemaking, environmentalism, political reform, race and gender concerns, and LGBTTTQQIPA+ rights.
Prereq: Level at least 2A
(Cross-listed with GSJ 301)

 
RS 307 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 013000
Buddhism in North America
This course examines the history and development of Buddhism in North America. Topics such as the adaptation of traditional Buddhism to North American culture and its development as a Western religion will be examined.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 1 for Religious Studies majors. Formerly RS 227.]
Antireq: RS 227

 
RS 310 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 016345
Digital Spirituality: New Media Art in the Middle East/North Africa Diaspora
This course examines how Muslims and those influenced by Islam give spiritual expression to their lives through the digital arts. Using critical approaches, we will examine contemporary art of the Middle East/North Africa diaspora in the West to explore the relationship of Islam to the digital realm.
Prereq: Level at least 3A
(Cross-listed with SI 310R)

 
RS 312 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 015123
Muslim Lives and Practices Worldwide
This course examines the diversity of Muslim lives and practices worldwide. Selected case studies raise issues such as gender, authority, stereotypes, fundamentalism, and secularism.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 1 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]

 
RS 314 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 012171
Secret Teachings and Mysticism in Judaism
This course will survey the roots, history, and symbolism of the Jewish mystical tradition known as Kabbalah. Students will be introduced to the major texts, charismatic mystical masters, and schools of Kabbalah.
[Note: Knowledge of Hebrew is not required. This course fulfils an Area 1 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Antireq: JS 211/RS 213
(Cross-listed with JS 314)

 
RS 315 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 004290
Greek and Roman Religion
An examination of the religious beliefs and cult practices of the classical world. Topics include prayer and sacrifice; divination and oracles; temples, priests, and festivals; mystery cults and their relation to Christianity.
[Note: This course fulfills an Area 1 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Prereq: One of CLAS 100, 104, 201, 202
(Cross-listed with CLAS 325)

 
RS 318 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 010156
Indigenous Worldviews and Spirituality
This course introduces students to the integral role and place of spiritual practices and ceremonies in the everyday experiences of Indigenous peoples in Canada. Course materials will be supplemented by visits with Elders, Knowledge Keepers, Storytellers, as well as integration of ceremonial and land-based practices.
(Cross-listed with INDG 318)

 
RS 320 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 008329
Christian Approaches to Peacemaking
Current Christian approaches to peacemaking in areas of conflict: war and militarism, crime, poverty, racism, and gender relations. Attention will be given to various biblical, theological, and historical bases for these approaches.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 2 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Prereq: Level at least 2A.
Antireq: RS 256
(Cross-listed with PACS 320)

 
RS 325 SEM 0.50
Course ID: 012739
Sex and the World Religions
This course examines deeply rooted attitudes in the major world religions toward sexual identity, practices, and gender. Examining sacred scriptures and codes of conduct from the world religions, as well as fictional writings and films, this course enables students to explore various social and religious traditions.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 1 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Prereq: Level at least 3A.
Antireq: WS 320
(Cross-listed with GSJ 320)

 
RS 327 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 015266
The Body, Dress, and Religion
From clothing to hairstyles to tattoos, dress can express beliefs, aspects of identity, and power. This course examines dress in a variety of religions from ancient Greece to the modern era. The course includes attention to the look and feel of dress on the body, conflicts that can arise over dress and religion, as well as the role of dress in the formation and maintenance of religious communities.
[Note: The course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Prereq: Level at least 2A
(Cross-listed with CLAS 326, GSJ 327)

 
RS 335 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 015511
Christianity, Violence, and the Bible
Why has the Bible inspired so much violence? This course explores how it has been used to justify, and to oppose, violence within the Christian tradition in historical and contemporary contexts. Topics may include the crusades, slavery, colonization, apartheid in South Africa, the residential school system in Canada, gender violence, and the environmental crisis.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Prereq: Level at least 2A
(Cross-listed with PACS 336)

 
RS 342 DIS,LEC 0.50
Course ID: 008378
Heresy and Religious Crises in Late Medieval Europe
An exploration of the impact of social crises on late medieval religious modes of expression. Topics will include the Great Famine, the Black Death, the Avignon Papacy and Western Schism, the development of heretical movements, and the eventual disintegration of European religious unity.
[Note: This course fulfils the Area 2 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Prereq: Level at least 2A
(Cross-listed with MEDVL 304, HIST 304)

 
RS 343 DIS,LEC 0.50
Course ID: 006380
Reformation History
A study of the major 16th century reformers, and their intellectual background in humanism and late medieval scholasticism. Special attention will be given to the Lutheran and Reformed traditions, and their ideological, social, and political expressions.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 2 requirement for RS majors.]
(Cross-listed with HIST 379)

 
RS 344 DIS,LEC 0.50
Course ID: 008377
The Radical Reformation
A study of 16th century Anabaptism - a religious Reformation movement dissenting from both Protestantism and Roman Catholicism - its origins; its social, political, and theological content; and its relationship to such independent dissenters as Sebastian Franck.
[Note: This course fulfils the Area 2 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Prereq: Level at least 2A
(Cross-listed with HIST 348)

 
RS 348 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 008384
The Catholic Church and Change
This course examines how the Roman Catholic Church adjusts to change, including the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) that revolutionized teaching on issues such as religious freedom, human rights, and relations with other religions. The course also explores how the Church confronts contemporary issues such as racism, climate change, and gender.

 
RS 349 SEM 0.50
Course ID: 015863
The Mystical Imagination
This course examines works of writers, artists, architects, and thinkers in the Western European tradition for whom all of reality participates in the larger mystery of God. The course focuses on figures who, from the early Italian Renaissance onward, gave expression to that mystical imagination.
[Note: This course is taught in Rome and incurs extra costs for the student above and beyond the registration fee in the form of travel, room and board, and incidental costs.]
Prereq: Level at least 2A.
Antireq: RS 291 (LEC 001) taken fall 2017
(Cross-listed with ITALST 349)
Also offered at St. Jerome's University

 
RS 350 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 016089
Dying for God
Why do people die for their religious convictions? How do religious communities shape the stories they tell about such persons? What are the implications of these practices? This course will examine historical and contemporary martyrdom in various religious and political contexts.
Prereq: Level at least 2A

 
RS 353 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 008399
War and Peace in Christian Theology
Christian teachings on war and peace from the early church to the present, including crusade, just war, and pacifist traditions, focusing especially on the 20th century discussion around realism, just revolution, nuclear pacifism, and non-violent resistance.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 2 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Prereq: Level at least 2A
(Cross-listed with PACS 330)

 
RS 354 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 008412
Shapers of Roman Catholicism
An examination of influential Christian thinkers - both historical and contemporary - who have played a critical role in shaping Roman Catholic thought and practice. Issues include debates on the nature of God, sin and redemption, authority in the Church, and perspectives on gender and sexuality.
Prereq: One of RS 151/255, RS 240/HIST 235, RS 250

 
RS 355 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 008381
Christianity, Gender, and Justice
New thinking about the nature and meaning of gender in Christianity has challenged traditional teaching and practices at every level. This course will explore how writers concerned with gender and justice have disrupted traditional disciplines of theology and spirituality and introduced innovations into Church thinking and practice.
Prereq: Level at least 2A

 
RS 357 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 007051
The Christian Hymn
The origins of the Christian hymn and its development up to the present. The course considers the hymn as theological, poetic, musical, cultural, and spiritual expression, and the use of hymns in a variety of worship settings.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 2 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
(Cross-listed with CMW 363, MUSIC 363)

 
RS 358 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 007052
Worship and its Music
The nature of worship and the role of music within worship in historical, theological, and cultural perspectives. Field trips to services of various traditions.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 2 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
(Cross-listed with MUSIC 364, CMW 364)

 
RS 361 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 003440
Anthropology of Religion
This course examines how religion has been studied as an object of anthropological inquiry. Topics may include ritual, magic, witchcraft, symbolism, cosmology, the relation between beliefs and practices, as well as the mutual influences of religion, politics, nationalism, and socioeconomic change.
(Cross-listed with ANTH 311)

 
RS 364 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 015869
Jewish Humour: Laughing Your Way Through History
Jewish comedians have dominated humour in North America from Groucho Marx to Jerry Seinfeld, Sarah Silverman, Amy Schumer, and Seth Rogen. Studying Jewish humour is critical for understanding the development of Judaism, Jewish identity, immigrant experience, and response to persecution.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Prereq: Level at least 2A
(Cross-listed with JS 364)

 
RS 377 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 016090
Religion in Science Fiction Films and Television
This course examines how religion, religious themes, and the religious imagination are explored in and through science fiction film and television. Topics include the use of science fiction to discuss questions of transcendence, humanity, and divinity, as well as the challenge of extraterrestrial and artificial lifeforms.
(Cross-listed with FINE 377)

 
RS 380 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 012189
Religion and Peacebuilding
This course investigates the roles of religion and spirituality in peacemaking, exploring both obstacles and opportunities facing religious peace builders. Cases involving representatives of major world religions (Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism) will provide a basis for comparing practices of faith-based advocacy for social justice, reconciliation, and coexistence.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Prereq: Level at least 2A or Peace and Conflict Studies Diploma students
(Cross-listed with PACS 326)

 
RS 383 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 008332
Justice, Peace, and Development
An examination of communities, movements, and theologies which express a Christian hope for justice, peace, and development in the encounter with injustice, oppression, and poverty.

 
RS 387 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 015763
Aging and the Spiritual Life
Engaging experience, theory, and reflection, this course explores spirituality as a central aspect of growth and development in later life. This course draws on perspectives from various faith and humanistic traditions. Topics include religious beliefs and spiritual concerns later in life, a spirituality of aging, providing spiritual care to persons in later life, spirituality and dementia, and death and dying.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Prereq: Level at least 2A.
Antireq: RS 391 taken winter 2018

 
RS 391 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 010229
Special Topics
See Department for current offerings.
[Note: This is a repeatable course, subject to different content; it may be completed a total of three times.]

 
RS 395 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 010226
Study-Travel Seminar in Religion
Consult department for current offerings.
[Note: This is a repeatable course, subject to different content; it may be completed a total of 10 times.]

 
RS 398 RDG 0.50
Course ID: 008417
Directed Readings in Special Subjects
Readings in selected topics chosen in discussion with instructor.
[Note: This is a repeatable course, subject to different content; it may be completed a total of three times.]
Department Consent Required

 

RS 400s


RS 420R SEM 0.50
Course ID: 006509
Critical Encounter with Human Nature
This course explores human nature, issues fundamental to human life, and theories which have developed around these issues. The approach is interdisciplinary and intercultural/interreligious with emphasis on such themes as self knowledge, community, loneliness and anxiety, free will and purpose in human life, and the nature of human happiness.
Prereq: Level at least 3A
(Cross-listed with SDS 420R)

 
RS 450 SEM 0.50
Course ID: 015353
Reading and Interpreting the Qur'an (in translation)
This course serves as a comprehensive introduction to the sacred text of Islam. Students engage the Qur'an using a wide array of interpretive approaches, from traditional forms of exegesis to new trends in the academic study of the Qur'an.
(Cross-listed with SI 450R)

 
RS 462 SEM 0.50
Course ID: 010232
Religion and Spirituality in the Social and Legal World
This course examines key substantive, theoretical, and methodological issues in the field of sociology of religion. Students will critically analyze high-profile media and legal cases surrounding the role of religion, spirituality, and secularity in Canadian society. Students will also further their knowledge by completing their own projects in this thematic area, developing both their research and written skills.
[Note: This course fulfils an Area 3 requirement for Religious Studies majors.]
Prereq: Level at least 4A Sociology majors
(Cross-listed with SOC 402)

 
RS 491 LEC 0.50
Course ID: 010231
Special Topics
Consult the department for special topics.
[Note: This is a repeatable course, subject to different content; it may be completed a total of 10 times.]

 
RS 495 RDG 2.50
Course ID: 010729
Study Term Abroad
Consult the department for current offerings.
Department Consent Required

 
RS 498 RDG 0.50
Course ID: 012735
Directed Readings in Special Subjects
Readings in selected topics chosen in discussion with instructor.
Department Consent Required
Prereq: Level at least 3A

 
RS 499 SEM 0.50
Course ID: 012736
Senior Seminar
This seminar examines contemporary methods and theories in the study of religion and how they may be used to address specific themes in religious studies.
Department Consent Required
Prereq: Level at least 4A Honours Religious Studies