http://upei.ca/religiousstudies

Religious Studies Faculty
Robert H. Dennis, Assistant Professor, Chair
Edward Y.J. Chung, Professor
Peter Koritansky, Associate Professor
Joe Velaidum, Associate Professor
Ron Srigley, Assistant Professor

THE RELIGIOUS STUDIES PROGRAM

The Department of Religious Studies offers courses of general interest on religion as well as Major and Minor programs. Religion is one of the vital elements of human existence. Religious inspirations and aspirations help to shape the personal, cultural and social life of human beings; in turn, religious systems reflect and respond to the historical and social settings in which they find themselves. No understanding of human life is complete without some consideration of the basic questions of truth and meaning posed by religions and the rich variety of answers professed and lived within the religious traditions of the world.

REQUIREMENTS FOR A MAJOR IN RELIGIOUS STUDIES
Forty-two semester hours in Religious Studies are required for the Major. These must include:

* RS 1050 or both RS 1010 and RS 1020,
* At least one course each from groups B and F,
* At least two courses (one of which must be at the 3000 level) from each of groups C, D, and E.
The remaining hours of credit may be chosen from among all Religious Studies offerings, including cross-listed courses.

NOTE: As per Academic Regulation #1 h), all undergraduate degree programs require successful completion of IKE-1040, one of UPEI-1010, 1020 or 1030, and a Writing Intensive Course.

REQUIREMENTS FOR A MINOR IN RELIGIOUS STUDIES
Twenty-one semester hours in Religious Studies are required for the Minor. These must include:

* RS 1050 or both RS 1010 and RS 1020,
* At least one course from each of groups B, C, D, and E,
* At least two courses in total must be at the 3000 or 4000 level.
The remaining hours of credit may be chosen from among all Religious Studies offerings, including cross-listed courses.

Christian Studies Program

The Department of Religious Studies offers a Minor program in Christian Studies. Christianity is not only the single most powerful influence on the history and development of Western civilization and culture, but the largest and most widespread religion in the world today. The Minor in Christian Studies offers an academic and scholarly exploration, open to students of all backgrounds, of the fundamental Christian teachings and values, and of Christianity’s continuing role in the shaping of the contemporary world and its issues.

REQUIREMENTS FOR A MINOR IN CHRISTIAN STUDIES
a. Three core courses: 2020, 2110, 2320
b. Two courses from group C (Western Religious History)
c. Two courses from group E (Religion and Modernity)
d. At least two courses in total should be at the 3000 level

Catholic Studies Program

The Department of Religious Studies offers a Minor program in Catholic Studies. The Catholic tradition has had a profound impact on all aspects of Western culture and civilization, from learning and the arts to moral values and social structures. The Minor in Catholic Studies offers an academic and scholarly exploration, open to students of all backgrounds, of Catholicism’s rich heritage and its contemporary engagement with both Western and global issues.

REQUIREMENTS FOR A MINOR IN CATHOLIC STUDIES
a. One core course — 1710
b. Two courses from 2110, 2835, 3310, 3320, 3770,3870
c. Two courses from 2750, 2790, 3740, 3750, 3760
d. Two courses from 2760, 2770, 2780, 2860, 3735, 3780
At least two courses in total should be at the 3000 level.

RELIGIOUS STUDIES COURSES
A. General Introductions
1010 Religions of the World: Western Traditions
1020 Religions of the World: Eastern Traditions
1050 World Religions

B. Thematic Introductions
1030 Myths of Love, Sex and Marriage
1040 Myths of Hate and Evil

C. Western Religious History
1710 Introduction to Catholic Christianity
2020 Christianity
2060 The Great Conversation II: 21^st Century Perspective
2110 The Bible
2430 Judaism
2440 Islam
2750 Crises in Religious Authority
2780 Catholic Sacraments and Ritual
2835 Development in Early Catholic Thought
2840 Introduction to Medieval Theology and Philosophy
2860 Spiritual Journey of Christian Mystics
3020 Cults, Sects, and New Religions
3310 History of Christianity to Reformation (see History 3210)
3320 History of Christianity from the Reformation to the Present (see History 3220)
3760 Thomas Aquinas and the Thomist Tradition
3770 Death and the Afterlife in the Catholic Tradition
3870 The New Testament

D. Eastern Religions and Comparative Religion
2210 Buddhism East and West
2420 Hinduism
2510 Japanese Religion and Culture
2610 Chinese Religion and Philosophy
2790 Catholicism, Christian Unity, and World Religions
3040 Alternative Spiritualities
3220 Religious Ethics East and West
3230 Interreligious Dialogue
3520 Mysticism in Buddhism and Christianity

E. Religion and Modernity
2120 Why are we Here: Explorations on the Meaning of Life
2320 Christianity and the Moral Imagination
2350 Skepticism, Agnosticism, Atheism and Belief
2360 Religion and Politics
2620 Psychology of Religion
2760 Catholic Moral Thought
2770 Catholic Social Teaching
3510 Religion and Society (see Sociology/Anthropology 4210)
3620 Philosophy of Religion (see Philosophy 3620)
3735 Pleasure and Pain: The Catholic Body
3740 Beauty and Belief
3750 Faith and Reason in Modern Catholic Thought
3780 Moral Problems and the Catholic Tradition
3860 Science and Religion

F. Advanced Seminar
4010 Theory and Method in the Study of Religion

Special Topics and Directed Studies
2880, 3880, and 4880 Special Topics
4510 and 4520 Directed Studies

Other
1210 Classical Mythology (see Classics 2210)
2720 Medieval Art (see Fine Arts 2120)

RELIGIOUS STUDIES COURSES

1010 RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD: WESTERN TRADITIONS
This course is an introduction to the major living religions of the West: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Attention is directed to the ways in which each defines and promotes human fulfilment. Various audio-visual materials complement the lectures to convey an awareness of the spiritual and cultural dimensions of religion.
Three hours a week
NOTE: Credit will not be permitted if a student has already received credit for RS 1050.

1020 RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD: EASTERN TRADITIONS
This course is an introduction to the major living religions of the East: Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. Attention is directed to the ways in which each defines and promotes human fulfilment. Various audio-visual materials complement the lectures to convey an awareness of the spiritual and cultural dimensions of religion.
Three hours a week
NOTE: Credit will not be permitted if a student has already received credit for RS 1050.

1030 MYTHS OF LOVE, SEX, AND MARRIAGE
This course explores the great mythologies of love. The historical significance of religion and love is discussed, leading to a better understanding of our current religious values and secular presuppositions. Recurring themes drawn from various Western religious traditions may include the topics of fidelity, marriage, divine love, human love, sexuality, and personal identity.
Three hours a week

1040 MYTHS OF HATE AND EVIL
This course explores the great mythologies of hate and evil. The historical development of this topic in Western literature is discussed, leading to a better understanding of our current religious and secular presuppositions of hatred and evil. Recurring themes may include scapegoating, the Devil, theodicy, heresy, violence, immorality, and religious intolerance.
Three hours a week

1050 WORLD RELIGIONS
This course is an introduction to the major western and eastern religions of the world: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism.  Students will explore the origins of each religion, its core beliefs and its central practices.
Three credit hours
NOTE: Credit will not be permitted if a student has already received credit for RS 1010 and/or 1020.

1060 IDEAS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD: ANCIENT THOUGHT AND BEYOND
This course is a global historical introduction to various religious, secular, and philosophical speculations about questions that are common to human experience across different historical and cultural contexts. Recurring themes may include different visions of creation, the nature of reality, and understandings of immanence and transcendence. Material will be drawn from traditional and non-traditional sources, as well as contemporary critical scholarship, from the beginning of recorded history until the year 1500.
Three credit hours

1210 CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY
(See Classics 2210)

1710 INTRODUCTION TO CATHOLIC CHRISTIANITY
This course provides an introduction to the central aspects of Catholic Christianity. Topics may include faith, revelation, the Trinity, creation, the human person, the problem of sin and evil, grace, salvation, and the church’s relation with the world.
Three hours a week

2020 CHRISTIANITY
This course begins with an examination of the basic teachings of the Christian religion, particularly the nature of God, Christ, the Church, and the process of salvation. The course explores the characteristic doctrines and practices of Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Protestant churches, with special consideration of their roles in Canadian society and culture. Smaller groups like the Hutterites, Mennonites, and Quakers may also receive attention.
Three hours a week

2060 IDEAS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD: MODERN THOUGHT AND BEYOND
This course is a global historical consideration of various religious, secular, and philosophical speculations about questions that are common to human experience across different historical and cultural contexts. Recurring themes may include the place of religion in the public sphere, the relationship between science and religion, and discourses on human rights. Material will be drawn from traditional and non-traditional sources, as well as contemporary critical scholarship, from the year 1500 to present.
Three credit hours
Note: RS 1060 strongly encouraged but not required.

2110 THE BIBLE
The Bible lies at the heart of three major world religions – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam – and it has been shaping Western civilization and culture for over 1500 years. This course examines the essentials of the Bible: its origins, its contents, its themes, and the ways it has been used in religion and society.
Three credit hours

2120 WHY ARE WE HERE: EXPLORATIONS ON THE MEANING OF LIFE
This course explores various religious, secular, scientific, and philosophical answers to the question: “why are we here”?
Three credit hours

2210 BUDDHISM EAST AND WEST
This course is an introduction to Buddhism, the most influential and popular religion in East Asia. There is special emphasis on the historical development of its major doctrines, practices, and institutions in India, and their transformation in East Asia (China, Japan and Korea). The course studies the recent spread of schools such as Zen in Europe and North America, and also investigates their impact on Western religion and thought.
Three hours a week

2320 CHRISTIANITY AND THE MORAL IMAGINATION
This course explores the place of morality in Christian thought and life, the basis and content of Christian moral teaching, and Christian approaches to contemporary moral and ethical issues.
Three hours a week

2350 SKEPTICISM, AGNOSTICISM, ATHEISM, BELIEF
This course is an historical examination of the meaning of existence for several theologians, religious thinkers, philosophers, and scientists, and the importance or irrelevance that religious faith and values hold in their systems of thought and various historical circumstances. The historical meanings of skepticism, agnosticism, atheism and belief are studied alongside various contemporary issues, such as the problems posed by science and technology. Writers with both philosophical and theological perspectives are considered.
Cross-listed with Philosophy 2350.
Three hours a week

2360 RELIGION AND POLITICS
This course examines the intersection between religion and politics, primarily from the perspective of the western intellectual tradition. With the help of both classical and contemporary texts, students will explore such issues as the separation between church and state, the role of religious argument and authority in public reason, the difference between a secular society and a secularist society, and the basis and implications of the freedom of religion.
Three credit hours

2420 HINDUISM
This course explores the development of Hinduism from its origins in the Indus Valley Civilization and the arrival of the Indo-Aryans through to the maturation of Hindu culture and civilization. The course covers myths of the Hindu gods and goddesses, approaches to personal and social life, karma and reincarnation, yoga, meditation and the quest for absolute truth. The influences of Islam and European colonialism on Hinduism, and Hindu influences on modern Western religion and thought, also receive attention.
Three hours a week

2430 JUDAISM
This course follows the development of Judaism from biblical times to the present day. After considering the religious beliefs and practices of the ancient Israelites, Jews and Samaritans, the course examines the character of Jewish life and community as it was formed by the laws of the Torah, the commentaries of the Talmud, and the spirituality of Kabbalism and Hasidism. The course also explores the shaping of modern Judaism by such factors as emancipation, the Holocaust, and the establishment of the state of Israel.
Three hours a week

2440 ISLAM
Beginning with the establishment of Islam as a religion and a community under Muhammad, the course follows the spread of Islamic culture and civilization, and gives a thorough introduction to the main Islamic teachings and their basis in the Qur’an and Hadith. Finally, it covers some current issues such as relations with the modern West, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and contemporary “Islamist” movements.
Three hours a week

2510 JAPANESE RELIGION AND CULTURE
This course is an introduction to Japanese religion and culture. It examines the role of the “New Religions” as well as the transformation of the older traditions (Shinto, Buddhism, Confucianism) in Japanese society. The course also explores the impact of Western thought and modern developments on traditional Japanese religion and the balance between tradition and modernity in Japan.
Three hours a week

2610 CHINESE RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY
This course is an introduction to Chinese religion and philosophy. It examines the so-called “Three Teachings” in China: Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Most of the course deals with the basic philosophical concepts, moral values and religious beliefs of these major traditions. Attention is directed also to their impact on traditional China, as well as on other East Asian countries, including Japan and Korea. The course concludes by considering the contemporary situation of each tradition in response to recent economic, social and political changes.
Cross-listed with Philosophy 2640.
Three hours a week

2620 PSYCHOLOGY OF RELIGION
Psychological theories and insights are used to explain and inquire into the nature of religious phenomena.
Three hours a week

2720 MEDIEVAL ART
(See Fine Arts History 2120)

2750 CRISES IN RELIGIOUS AUTHORITY
This course explores challenges to religious authority that were precipitated by the discoveries of the New World, Galileo’s theory of the universe, the critical reading of the Bible, and the claim of emerging nations to democratic forms of government.
Three hours a week

2760 CATHOLIC MORAL THOUGHT
This introduction to Catholic moral theology explores the foundational questions regarding the person as a moral agent, natural law, conscience, freedom, responsibility, Church magisterium, and the beatitudes.
Three hours a week

2770 CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING
This course provides a survey of Catholic thought on social ethics by exploring the principles of the common good and their influence on global issues such as human rights, the family, economics, politics, peace, and the environment.
Three hours a week

2780 CATHOLIC SACRAMENTS AND RITUAL
This course explores the relationship between the various mysteries of life and the liturgical rites of the Catholic faith. Topics may include community life, spiritual maturity, forgiveness, marriage, suffering, and death.
Three hours a week

2790 CATHOLICISM, CHRISTIAN UNITY, AND WORLD RELIGIONS
This course is a study of the texts and practices of dialogue, hospitality, and prayer that form the foundation of the Catholic Church’s participation in the movement to promote relations with other Christian communities and world religions.
Three hours a week

2835 Developments in Early Catholic Thought
This course explores the historical development of the principal doctrines of Christianity from the period of the Early Church to the Middle Ages. Topics will include the doctrine of the Trinity, the doctrine of the Person of Christ, the nature of the Church, and the doctrine of the sacraments.
Three hours a week

2840 INTRODUCTION TO MEDIEVAL THEOLOGY AND PHILOSOPHY
This course introduces major medieval thinkers and ideas, their sources in Neoplatonism and Aristotelianism, and their influences upon later philosophers and theologians. Topics may include the problem of evil, the relationship between faith and reason, the idea of salvation, and the certainty of human knowledge.
Cross-listed with Philosophy 2840.
Three hours a week

2860 SPIRITUAL JOURNEY OF CHRISTIAN MYSTICS
This course provides a study of the spiritual journey and its impact on the transformation of the self. Themes from Catholic mystical literature may include: interiority, ascent, light, and darkness.
Three credit hours

2880 SPECIAL TOPICS
This is a course in which topics or issues in Religious Studies are explored and analyzed at an introductory level.

3020 CULTS, SECTS AND NEW RELIGIONS
This course investigates various marginal or unorthodox religious movements which have existed in Europe and North America during the past two centuries. After an introductory discussion of the ways in which religious groups can be classified, the course is devoted to examining the origins, beliefs and practices of movements such as Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) and the Unification Church (Moonies).
Three hours a week

3040 ALTERNATIVE SPIRITUALITIES
This course examines how the quest for fresh and direct ways of encountering the sacred has driven much of human religious history. Increasingly, people in Western societies express dissatisfaction with both the traditional Judaeo-Christian religions and the purely materialistic and secular understanding of existence. This is a comparative survey of alternative forms of spirituality, focusing upon those arising from three major sources: Western occultism, Eastern religions and mysticism, and revived or reconstructed ancient spiritualities.
Three credit hours

3220 RELIGIOUS ETHICS EAST AND WEST
This course is a study of religious ethics focusing on two major traditions: Confucianism, an “ethical humanism” that emphasizes wisdom, and Christianity, a “prophetic religion” that emphasizes revelation. Specific ethical doctrines (e.g., suffering and sin, human nature, good and evil, love/jen, moral self-cultivation, ideal human life and society) are compared from cross-cultural perspectives.
Cross-listed with Philosophy 3220.
PREREQUISITE: Religious Studies 1050 or both Religious Studies 1010 and 1020, or permission of the instructor
Three hours a week

3230 INTERRELIGIOUS DIALOGUE
This lecture-seminar course explores interreligious dialogue, a growing topic in comparative religion. The major models, methodological questions, practical issues, and their ongoing developments are discussed from Western, Eastern, and comparative perspectives: e.g., Jewish-Christian-Islamic dialogue, ecumenical dialogue, Hindu-Christian dialogue, Buddhist-Christian dialogue, and Confucian-Christian dialogue. Various readings are selected from the current scholarship on relevant topics, theories, and ideas.
PREREQUISITES: Religious Studies 1050 or both Religious Studies 1010 and 1020, or permission of the instructor
Three hours a week

3310 HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY TO THE REFORMATION
An examination of the growth and development of Christianity from the time of Jesus up to the Reformation. Special emphasis on the relationship between the growth of the Church and the broader historical context within which it occurred.
Cross-listed with History 3210.
Three hours a week

3320 HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY FROM THE REFORMATION TO THE PRESENT
An examination of some of the principal developments within Christianity from, and including, the Reformation until the present. Special emphasis on the relationship between these developments and the broader historical context within which they occurred.
Cross-listed with History 3220.
Three hours a week

3520 MYSTICISM IN BUDDHISM AND CHRISTIANITY
This course is an introduction to mysticism in two major traditions: Buddhism and Christianity. Some of the major Buddhist doctrines and practices are compared with those of Christianity. Special attention is given to notions of mystical experience, I-Thou relationship, God/Emptiness, sainthood/Buddhahood, and self-transformation. The approach is textual and comparative, using cross-cultural perspectives.
PREREQUISITE: Religious Studies 1050 or both Religious Studies 1010 and 1020, or permission of the instructor
Three hours a week

3620 PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION
(See Philosophy 3620)

3735 Pleasure and Pain: The Catholic Body
This course examines the understanding of the human person (body and soul) in Roman Catholic theology and history. Beginning with the debates on the Incarnation in the early church, the course explores the impact that doctrine had, and continues to have, on the development of Catholic theology, practice and culture. Topics to be discussed may include martyrdom, death, sexuality, asceticism, mysticism and liturgy.
Three hours a week

3740 BEAUTY AND BELIEF
This course is an analysis of the relationship between artistic creativity and Catholic belief. Various visual, literary, musical and dramatic arts will be explored.
Three hours a week

3750 FAITH AND REASON IN MODERN CATHOLIC THOUGHT
This course studies major Catholic debates on the relation between faith and reason. Particular attention is directed to a reading of Pope John Paul’s encyclical, Faith and Reason; 19th- and early 20th-century background; and its setting in the contemporary university.
Three hours a week

3760 THOMAS AQIUNAS AND THE THOMISTIC TRADITION
This course is intended as an introduction to the philosophical and theological thought of Thomas Aquinas. In addition to investigating Thomas’ thoughts on questions of knowledge, God, and morality, and the relationship between faith and reason, we will also raise questions concerning his contribution to the history of philosophy, Christianity, and the development of western civilization. To accomplish all this, we will consider the writings of St. Thomas himself, as well as the writings of some key contributors to what is now called the “Thomistic renewal” of the twentieth century, such as Etienne Gilson, Jacques Maritain, and Josef Pieper.
Three hours a week

3770 Death and the Afterlife in the Catholic Tradition
This course will examine Catholic ideas about what happens at and after death. It will look at the theology of death, ideas of heaven, hell and purgatory, as well as conceptions of death and the afterlife in popular culture (ex. ghosts and zombies), architecture, literature, etc. of Catholic Christianity.
Three hours a week

3780 Moral Problems and the Catholic Tradition
This course explores modern moral problems from the perspective of the Catholic tradition. Topics discussed may include sexuality and gender, contraception, abortion, and medically assisted dying.
Three hours a week

3860 SCIENCE AND RELIGION
This course focuses on the current and historical interactions between science and religion. Readings from scientists, philosophers of science, theologians, and scholars of religion are included in this investigation of the interaction, conflict, and continuing dialogue between science and religion. This course aims to provide a better understanding of the current relationship between these two forces and a greater appreciation of their long history.
Three hours a week

3870 THE NEW TESTAMENT
This course examines the New Testament’s historical context, literary genres, and impact on the formation of faith within early Christian communities.
Three credit hours

3880 SPECIAL TOPICS
This is a course in which topics or issues in Religious Studies are explored and analyzed at an intermediate undergraduate level.

4010 THEORY AND METHOD IN THE STUDY OF RELIGION
This course explores various methods, theories, and research tools employed in the academic study of religion.
PREREQUISITE: At least four previous courses in Religious Studies, two of which must be at the 2000-level or above.
Three hours a week

4510-4520 DIRECTED STUDIES
This is a course in selected topics in Religious Studies offered by visiting professors, or by way of supervised reading, or other special circumstances approved by the Chair and the Dean. Suggested topics include modern research on Jesus; biblical prophetic and apocalyptic literature; Jewish messianism and early christology; interreligious dialogue; Christianity in Asia; shamanism and folk religion in Asia; the thought of Paul Tillich and Karl Barth; the Ecumenical Movement (Protestant, Catholic, Jewish); religion, politics and the economy.
(See Academic Regulation 9 for Regulations Governing Directed Studies.)

4880 SPECIAL TOPICS
This is a course in which topics or issues in Religious Studies are explored and analyzed at an advanced undergraduate level.