Program Requirements
The Bachelor of Theology (B.Th.) degree requires 120 credits. Many students enter the program with advanced standing, and their credit requirement for the degree is adjusted accordingly. All students must discuss their course selection with their program adviser.
Students admitted on the basis of a bachelor degree will have advanced standing and should consult their program adviser to determine any course equivalencies completed during their first degree and how these affect their program requirements for the Bachelor of Theology.
The Bachelor of Theology degree serves three types of students: those seeking a classically oriented undergraduate program in the humanities that allows them to focus eventually on theology and related disciplines (90/120 credits); those who already have a degree but desire to add this competency, whether out of personal interest or with a view to graduate research in a theological discipline (60 credits); and those who not only desire but require it for the sake of a subsequent professional degree such as the Master of Divinity.
The Bachelor of Theology engages students in some of life’s biggest questions and some of the world’s most influential literature. Those doing 90 or more credits can (schedules permitting) add a Minor Concentration program in some other desired discipline or field; those who enter the program at Year 0 can add two Minor Concentrations offered by the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Science.
The normal course load in the degree for full-time students is 15 credits per term, five 3-credit courses. By permission of the Chair of the B.Th. Committee, students may also enroll for courses at any university in the province of Quebec. For further information, see University Regulations and Resources > Registration > Quebec Inter-University Transfer Agreement > Quebec Inter-University Transfer Agreement: McGill Students.
Professional and vocational courses (e.g., leading to ordination) are available through the In-Ministry Year (Master of Divinity (M.Div.)) upon the completion of the B.Th. degree.
Required Courses (33 credits)
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RELG 302 Literature of Ancient Israel 1 (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : An introduction to the literature of Ancient Israel in English translation. Reading and interpreting representative selections.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Kirkpatrick, Patricia (Fall)
Fall
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RELG 303 Literature of Ancient Israel 2 (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : Approaches to historical-critical scholarship and to the historical background of the Old Testament. Part of the course will be an examination of methods of biblical analysis through the use of learning cells.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Oegema, Gerbern (Winter)
Winter
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RELG 309 World Religions and Cultures They Create (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : The constitution and mutual entanglements of selected religions and cultures originating and thriving in varied regional contexts. Focus on highlighting the symbolic (visual, aural) expressivity of religions via ritual, myth, and rational speculation and its impact on high and popular cultures.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Salvatore, Armando (Fall)
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RELG 311 Formation of the New Testament (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : An introduction to the formation and interpretation of the New Testament, excluding the Gospels.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Henderson, Ian H (Fall)
Fall
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RELG 312 The Gospels (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : An introduction to the critical study of the Gospels.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Henderson, Ian H (Winter)
Winter
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RELG 322 Church and Empire to 1300
(3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : A survey of major institutional developments in the history of Western Christianity in Church and Empire from the end of the apostolic age to 1300.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Kirby, W J Torrance (Fall)
Fall
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RELG 323 Church and State since 1300 (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : Significant events and persons in the history of Western Christendom from 1300 to the present.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Kirby, W J Torrance (Winter)
Winter
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RELG 333 Principles of Theology (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : An introduction to the central questions, claims, and categories of Christian thought, considered in their narrative and credal context, with discussion of the nature of theology and the relation between faith and reason.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Farrow, Douglas B (Fall)
Winter
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RELG 341 Introduction: Philosophy of Religion (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : Introduction to the subject. Faith and reason, theistic arguments, values and destiny, the problem of evil, religious language.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Fall
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RELG 434 Advanced Theology (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : Examination of the nature of theology, and particular theological loci, through readings in major theologians. The Lord’s Prayer is added to the Nicene Creed as a second lens for theological study.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Fall
Prerequisite(s): RELG 333 or permission of the instructor.
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RELG 470 Theological Ethics (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : Examines ancient and modern sources of Christian moral thought against a backdrop of contemporary alternatives.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Fall
Prerequisites: One course in theology or Christian thought and one course in philosophy or ethics.
Complementary Courses (12-51 Credits)
Students with advanced standing take the minimum number of complementary credits, which must be at the 300 level or above from the following.
Philosophy
0-6 credits from:
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PHIL 200 Introduction to Philosophy 1 (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : A course treating some of the central problems of philosophy: the mind-body problem, freedom, scepticism and certainty, fate, time, and the existence of God.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Gold, Ian Jeffrey (Fall)
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PHIL 230 Introduction to Moral Philosophy 1 (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : A survey of a number of historically important and influential theories. Philosophers to be discussed may include Aristotle, Hume, Kant, Bentham, Mill, and Moore.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Howard, Christopher (Fall)
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RELG 321 Western Intellectual Tradition (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : Introduces essential sources in western philosophy and theology; examines the interdependence of these disciplines in their historical development; exposes students to the means and methods of argumentation that will allow them to compare and contrast these sources, and to develop and defend their own positions with respect to them.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Prerequisite: U0 students must obtain permission from instructor
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RELG 380 Religion, Philosophy, Modernity (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : Through primary source readings, this class will examine the intellectual history of this change, will identify the agents of this change, both philosophical and theological, and will consider the significance and implications of inhabiting a 'modernity' that is, and understands itself as, 'secular.' Charles Taylor's recent book, A Secular Age, narrates a historical development, from a 'pre-modern' condition, in which it was 'virtually impossible not to believe in and encounter God,' to a modern and contemporary situation in which 'faith is an embattled option.' Within the 'context of our self-understanding,' 'secularism' has become a 'default option.'
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Theology
3-6 credits from:
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CATH 310 Catholic Intellectual Traditions (3 credits)
Overview
Catholic Studies : This course examines Catholic intellectual perspectives, schools of thought, and major thinkers, with focus on topics such as God, faith and reason, the human person, history, culture and community. Will also examine the interaction between Catholicism and other perspectives and traditions.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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RELG 211 Theology through Fiction (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : Fiction of Christian provenance, in a variety of subgenres, including famous works by the likes of Dostoevsky, Undset, Chesterton, Mauriac, Lewis, Tolkien, Waugh, Greene, Percy, and O’Connor, is both theologically informed and theologically informative. Works selected from such literature will be read and discussed with a view to probing the notions of redemption in play.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Farrow, Douglas B (Fall)
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RELG 334 Theology of History (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : A study of Christian readings of history, and especially of the present age, including apocalyptic literature and political theology.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Winter and Summer
Prerequisite(s): One prior course in Christianity, or permission of the instructor.
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RELG 336 Contemporary Theological Issues (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : A study of contemporary theological issues. Topic varies by year.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Winter
Prerequisite: 3 credits in Christianity or permission of instructor
Bible (Old Testament)
3-6 credits from:
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RELG 201 Religions of the Ancient Near East (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : Introduction to the religions of Mesopotamia, Egypt and Syria-Palestine (excluding Israelite religion) from the fourth to first millennium B.C.E. Themes that will be discussed include: gods and goddesses, divine kingship, deification of kings, temple cult, death and afterlife, magic, piety, oracles, prayer, lament, myth and epic.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Kirkpatrick, Patricia; Rosini, Amanda (Fall)
Fall
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RELG 202 Religion of Ancient Israel (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : An examination of the religion of Ancient Israel by a study of selected texts (narratives, laws, prophetic sayings, wisdom traditions, and psalms) from the Hebrew Scriptures/Old Testament in translation.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Oegema, Gerbern (Winter)
Winter
- RELG 407 The Writings (3 credits)
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RELG 408 The Prophets (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : A study of significant texts selected from the prophetic tradition in the Old Testament.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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RELG 491 Biblical Hebrew Narratives (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : Exegesis and translation of certain narratives from the Masoretic text of the Hebrew Bible.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Fall
Narratives to be determined by the instructor.
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RELG 492 Biblical Hebrew Poetry (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : Translation and exegesis of certain poetic passages of the Masoretic Hebrew Bible and or Qumran corpus.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Winter
Passages to be determined by the instructor.
Bible (New Testament)
3-6 credits from:
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CLAS 220 Introductory Ancient Greek 1 (3 credits)
Overview
Classics : A course designed for beginners with little or no background in ancient Greek. Introduction to basic grammar, vocabulary, morphology. Reading of simple sentences and connected passages.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Kaloudis, Naomi (Fall)
Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken CLAS 220 D1/D2 prior to September 2016.
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CLAS 222 Introductory Ancient Greek 2 (3 credits)
Overview
Classics : Continued introduction to ancient Greek grammar, vocabulary, and morphology. Reading of more complex sentences and longer connected passages.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Kaloudis, Naomi (Winter)
Pre-quisite(s): CLAS 220 or equivalent
Restriction(s): Not open to student who have taken CLAS 220D1/D2.
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RELG 210 Jesus of Nazareth (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : A critical study of selected ancient and modern accounts of the aims and person of Jesus. Attention will be given also to the question of the historical sources and to the relationship between faith and history.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Henderson, Ian H (Fall)
Fall, Winter and Summer
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RELG 279 New Testament Greek 1 (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : An introduction to the basic morphology, grammar, and syntax of New Testament Greek. Analysis of simple sentences from the New Testament and Septuagint.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
-
RELG 280 New Testament Greek 2 (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : Continued basic grammar, vocabulary and syntax of New Testament Greek. Analysis of more complex sentences from the New Testament and Septuagint.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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RELG 326 Christians in the Roman World (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : A social-historical examination of Christians within the complex cultural, political, ethnic and religious contexts of later Greco-Roman antiquity, focusing on changing relations among different varieties of Christian, as well as on interactions and conflicts among Christians, Jews and polytheists. Other topics to be considered include martyrdom, orthodoxy and heresy, and Gnosticism.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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RELG 381 Advanced New Testament Greek (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : A review of grammar and syntax with an emphasis on rapid reading of sections chosen from different parts of the New Testament.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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RELG 410 Paul and His Legacy (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : An in-depth study of Paul and his letters in their primary historical context, and the legacy of both in the early history of Christianity. Exegesis of the authentic epistles in conversation with relevant scholarship; Pauline letter collections; Pauline influence in/on New Testament andother early Christian literature; early competition over Paul; and interpretive problems and defining hermeneutics in the reception of the Pauline Epistles.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
- RELG 411 New Testament Exegesis (3 credits)
- RELG 482 Exegesis of Greek New Testament (3 credits)
Church History
3-6 credits from:
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CATH 330 Catholicism in a Global Context (3 credits)
Overview
Catholic Studies : An exploration of Catholicism as a global phenomenon through case studies of its multiple expressions in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Topics include transnational Catholic movements and interreligious engagement.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Atansi, Chukwuemeka (Fall)
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RELG 310 Canadian Church History (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : A survey of the major Christian traditions in Canada from the settlement of New France to the present. Lectures and seminars with use, where possible, of primary source materials.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Kirby, W J Torrance (Winter)
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RELG 338 Women and the Christian Tradition (3 credits)
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: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Fall
Core course for the Women's Studies Minor program
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RELG 399 Christian Spirituality (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : Seminar exploring the phenomena of internal religious experience in their relation to received formularies of Christian thought and practice.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Summer
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RELG 423 Reformation Thought (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : An examination of issues and persons in Europe and the British Isles that contributed to ecclesiastical and social change during the 16th and early 17th centuries.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Finch, Karen (Fall)
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RELG 498 Special Studies (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : Special studies in Religious Studies. Topic varies by year.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Fall and Winter
Prerequisite: permission of the Chair of the B.Th. Committee
Comparative Religion
0-6 credits from:
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ISLA 200 Islamic Civilization (3 credits)
Overview
Islamic Studies : An introduction to, and survey of, the religious, literary, artistic, legal, philosophical and scientific traditions that constituted Islamic civilization from the 7th Century until the mid-19th Century.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Abdel-Latif, Sara (Fall)
Fall
Note: All readings are in English.
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ISLA 370 The Qur’an: History and Interpretation (3 credits)
Overview
Islamic Studies : It examines the history of the codification of the text, its form, and modes of interpretation in both the modern and pre-modern periods. Presentation of different schools of Qur’anic exegesis, including traditional hermeneutical approaches, and modern approaches such as feminist interpretations of the Qur’ān.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Abdel-Latif, Sara (Winter)
Prerequisite(s): ISLA 200 or permission of instructor
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ISLA 380 Islamic Philosophy and Theology (3 credits)
Overview
Islamic Studies : A survey of the most important philosophers and theologians in Islamic intellectual history, with a focus on the theories they articulated and the movements they engendered. The impact of European thought on 19th and 20th century Islamic intellectual history is also examined.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Prerequisite: ISLA 200 or permission of instructor.
Note: Reading and discussion in English.
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JWST 382 Jews, Judaism and Social Justice (3 credits)
Overview
Jewish Studies : A study of North American Jewish activists, thinkers and organizations whose social justice work is deeply rooted in Jewish text and in the lessons of Jewish historical experience.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Caplan, Eric (Winter)
For detailed course content go to www.mcgill.ca/jewishstudies/undergraduates.
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RELG 204 Judaism, Christianity and Islam (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : An introduction to the beliefs, practices, and religious institutions of these three world religions.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Cere, Daniel M; Salvatore, Armando (Winter)
Winter
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RELG 207 Introduction to the Study of Religions (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : This course is an introduction to classic and contemporary approaches to the academic study of religions. This includes perspectives from philosophy, theology, anthropology, sociology, psychology, phenomenology, and feminism. Students are also exposed to applications of these perspectives from visiting scholars who treat some aspect of a religious tradition in light of current-day interests and events. The primary objective is to introduce students to the principal theories and methods that have shaped our understanding of religion, its various meanings as well as its roles and functions in society.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Kanaris, Jim (Winter)
Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken RELG 255.
Winter
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RELG 252 Hinduism and Buddhism (3 credits)
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 2024
Instructors: Stainton, Hamsa; Braitstein, Lara E (Fall)
Fall
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RELG 253 Religions of East Asia (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : This course introduces East Asia's major religions comparatively by addressing the continuous exchange of ideas and practices between traditions. Rather than adopting a mere chronological approach, Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism will be discussed thematically, taking in to account topics such as gender constructs, the secular and the sacred, material culture, and the apparent contrast between doctrine and practice.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Lai, Rongdao (Winter)
Winter
-
RELG 288 Introduction to Sikhism (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : An introduction to the historical and religious contexts relevant to understanding Sikh religious traditions, including its principal doctrines, practices and institutions and its evolution from its origins in South Asia to the present, with particular attention to Sikh-Canadian transnational connections.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Farran, Andrea (Fall)
Restriction: Not open to students who have taken RELG 388.
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RELG 348 Classical Hinduism (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : Surveys classical Hinduism through Sanskrit learning traditions. Topics include: Vedic literature, fables, ethics, statecraft, erotics, liberation, and epic literature.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Sharma, Arvind (Fall)
All texts are read in English translation; no prior knowledge is assumed.
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RELG 352 Japanese Religions: History and Thought (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : This course provides an in-depth introduction to the religious traditions of Japan from the emerging of the Japanese state to the role of religion in contemporary Japan. Kami worship, the Buddhist tradition, Yin Yang divination, Confucianism, and the modern construct of Shinto are addressed in an interdisciplinary approach, taking into account insights from the fields of History, Literature, and Art.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Bauer, Mikaël (Fall)
Fall
Prerequisite: RELG 253 or permission of instructor
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RELG 353 Gandhi: His Life and Thought (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : A study of the life and thought of Gandhi.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Sharma, Arvind (Winter)
Winter
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RELG 354 Chinese Religions (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : Introduction to the diverse religiosities in the Chinese cultural sphere. Examination of the everyday practice of ancestor worship, longevity practices, morality, rituals, and the veneration of deities and spirits.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Lai, Rongdao (Fall)
Fall
Prerequisite: RELG 253
Ethics
0-3 credits from:
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CATH 340 Catholicism and Public Policy (3 credits)
Overview
Catholic Studies : An examination of Catholic social thought, including intellectual and institutional engagement with a wide range of key public policy issues in spheres such as politics, law, economics, diplomacy, and international development.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Prerequisite: CATH 200, or permission of instructor
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CATH 370 Topics in Catholic Studies (3 credits)
Overview
Catholic Studies : A review of selected topics in Catholica studies. Topics vary by year.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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RELG 370 Religion and Human Rights (3 credits)
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: Fall 2024
Instructors: Cere, Daniel M (Fall)
Winter
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RELG 371 Ethics of Violence/Non-Violence (3 credits)
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 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Summer
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RELG 373 Christian Ethics of Love (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : This course will focus on the philosophical sources of love and on their uses by Christian authors. By comparing both their premises and methods, we will see how different authors in a particular tradition (Christianity) offer various answers to the themes of love, friendship and charity.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Fiasse, Gaelle (Fall)
Winter
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RELG 376 Religious Ethics (3 credits)
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 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
0-12 credits of undergraduate RELG or CATH courses (for students who do not have advanced standing that enter program at Year 0).
Elective Courses (15-36)
15-36 credits chosen from Arts or Science disciplines.
Students with advanced standing take the minimum number of elective credits.
Elective credits may be applied to any Minor Concentration available in Arts or Science other than Religious Studies (see specific Minor Concentration regulations)
