is an introduction to the basic beliefs and practices of the world's great religions.

is an introduction to some of the major issues confronting religion in the modern world. The focus will be on such topics as globalization and religion, religious faith and violence, freedom and authority.

is an introduction to Christianity and its place in the history of Western civilization through examples from Early Christianity, the Reformation, and the Modern Period.

will explore the many ways in which Judaism and Christianity have anticipated and imagined the end times. Attention will be given to Jewish and early Christian notions of the Messiah and his reign, the end of the world, and the impending judgment, as well as how Christianity has coped repeatedly with the delay of the end and how millennial thought and action have affected people during periods of social and natural crises. The role of millennial expectations in our modern era and why the apocalypse is once again a powerful image in religion, film, and literature will also be covered.

is a study of how Jesus is represented in modern film. The course explores the continuing impact that the Jesus of history and faith has had on modern Western culture. The course will examine such films as The Greatest Story Ever Told, The Robe, The Gospel According to St. Matthew (by Pasolini), Jesus Christ Superstar, Jesus of Montreal, The Last Temptation of Christ, The Life of Brian, The Passion of the Christ, The Newfoundland Passion (video of the Squires' Paintings).

is a broadly based survey course introducing students to the religions, culture, and societies of Asia. Traditions explored may include those of India (Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism), China (Daoism, Confucianism, Buddhism), Japan (Shinto, Zen Buddhism), and Korea.

will introduce students to the basics of Chinese vocabulary, characters, and grammar. Mandarin Chinese, the official dialect of China, Taiwan, and Singapore, will be taught. This course is not intended for native speakers.

is a continuation of RELS 1040. At the end of this course students should know over a hundred Chinese characters, which should enable them to read basic texts and carry on a simple conversation. This course is not intended for native speakers.

Prerequisite: RELS 1040.

is designed to introduce students to the elements of Biblical Hebrew in order to prepare them for reading the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament in the original. The emphasis will be upon learning the basic grammar and syntax of Biblical Hebrew.

is a continuation of RELS 1050. The emphasis will be upon the reading of selected Hebrew texts.

Prerequisite: RELS 1050.

is an introduction to the Bible and its impact on literature, art, film, and music in Western culture. This course explores both the basic story line, characters, and themes in the Bible and the Bible’s foundational role in the depiction and development of Western culture.

is a study of the Christian tradition, its development and variety. The course will include an examination of the beliefs and practices of both Eastern and Western Christianity and a study of the main differences among the major Western denominations.

is an introduction to the historical background, literary structure, and content of the Old Testament. Emphasis will be placed on the authorship and dating of the various texts that comprise the Old Testament, as well as on major themes, figures, and events. This course may qualify as a Research/Writing course. Consult each semester's registration materials for the R/W designation.

is an introduction to the history and literary structure of the documents comprising the New Testament. Emphasis will be placed on the major themes found in these documents and on the distinctiveness of approach of the individual writers.

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, the doctrine of the sacraments, and early and medieval speculation on the nature of Heaven and Hell.

explores the radical religious, ethical, and intellectual changes and challenges that brought about the modern world we live in: the Reformation, the Enlightenment, the Romantic Period and Pietism, and Secularism. This course may qualify as a Research/Writing course. Consult each semester's registration materials for the R/W designation.

- inactive course.

is an exploration of Judaism from its beginnings to the modern era. This course introduces students to the basic beliefs and practices of the Jewish faith.

is a study of the religion of Islam in its historical and contemporary manifestations; Muhammad, the Qur'an, Islamic sects, relations with Judaism and Christianity; trends and developments in contemporary Islamic thought and practice.

(same as Sociology/Anthropology 2350) explores psychological, anthropological, and sociological approaches to the nature of religion. Comparative study of religious institutions and beliefs, calendrical feasts and solemnities, the nature of sacrifice and the sacred, religious roles and hierarchies, ritual innovation and revitalization.

is a study of the history of the Buddhist tradition in India and China, the development of the main lines of Buddhist thought, and the nature of the Chinese transformation of Buddhism.

involves a study of the religious thought and history of India, the literature of Hinduism, the major thinkers in Hindu philosophy, and the role of Hinduism in the culture and society of India.

is focussed on myth, iconography and ritual of Hindu gods and goddesses from the ancient to the contemporary period. The course will explore fundamental assumptions of Hindu theistic traditions in popular practice and in formal religious institutions.

is an introduction to the principal forms of tradition to emerge in China. This course examines the origins and development of Confucianism, Daoism, Moism, and Legalism. After exploring the social and historical conditions that gave rise to them, the course will explore their continuing development and role in Chinese society.

is an examination of religion in modern China and the Chinese diaspora in Taiwan, Singapore, and North America. Special attention will be paid to religious beliefs, practices, and institutions and the way in which modern attitudes have been framed by the past.

is an examination of the nature and development of Shinto, the history and characteristics of the major sects of Japanese Buddhism, and the origins and importance of the New Religions of the 19th and 20th centuries, especially Tenrikyo and Soka Gakkai.

is an introduction to religious ethics through the systematic study of selected writers and issues in biomedicine, human sexuality, and social justice. Possible topics for discussion include euthanasia, abortion, poverty, and unemployment.

is an examination of the attitudes toward, and roles of, women in the Western religions, including prehistoric traditions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Contemporary evaluations of these traditions from the point of view of women will also be considered.

is an examination of the history of women in the traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and folk traditions in Asia. The modern status of women in Asia and its relationship to traditional religious ideas will also be studied.

is an historical examination of the impact of science on religion in Western culture. Particular emphasis will be placed on such developments as the scientific revolution, the rise of modern technology, and the emergence of modern scientific theories.

is an introduction to contemporary religious movements in the West, including modern witchcraft, Neo-pagan religions, Mother Earth Spirituality, UFO religion, and the New Age Movement.

will focus on the portrayal and treatment of religion in popular culture and will examine some of the ways in which religious and mythic themes are expressed in such pop culture forums as television shows, films, music, mass-market fiction, and material culture.

- inactive course.

is an introduction to the study of religious themes in popular music. The course will explore the influence of religious music on popular music and song and examine the role of music and song in the expression of religious themes.

examines contemporary religious practices in Canada. Its perspective will be historical and sociological. It will examine indigenous traditions, the beginnings of Christianity in Canada, and how shifts in immigration policy have encouraged a diversity of contemporary religious practice. It will conclude by examining religion in contemporary Canada, particularly issues of religion and public policy (related to the Multiculturalism Act) and to shifting Christian membership.

(same as Medieval Studies 3000, English 3002, History 3000) is an examination of the development and role of the manuscript book during the Middle Ages. Topics covered will include book production and dissemination; authors, scribes and audiences; and various kinds of books (e.g. glossed Bibles, anthologies, books of hours, etc.) and their uses.

Prerequisite: Medieval Studies 2000, 2001 or 2002 or permission of the instructor.

(same as Classics 3010) is a study of the role of religion in the private and public life of the Greek world.

(same as Classics 3020) is a study of the role of religion in the private and public life of the Roman world.

introduces students to one of the founding texts of Western culture, the book of Genesis. Special attention will be paid to the role of myth, human origins, values, and political institutions.

(same as Anthropology 3053) is a critical evaluation of anthropological research on religion, centering on seminal thinkers and major theoretical traditions. Special attention is given to the study of belief systems, and to relationships between belief and ritual.

is a study of the prophets through the relevant books of the Old Testament. Problems of text and interpretation will be discussed in relation to selected passages, but the general approach will be to bring out the creative genius and radical implications of the prophetic movement as a whole.

introduces students to the universal problem of human suffering as it is depicted in various biblical books. Special attention will be placed on the book of Job, but notions of suffering in the Psalms, Jeremiah, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and some apocryphal literature will also be considered.

(same as Classics 3150) is an advanced study of selected themes and personalities in Christian thought and literature from the second to the sixth centuries. Particular attention will be given to the controversies centering on the doctrines of the Trinity and the Person of Christ.

is a study of the ministry and thought of Jesus of Nazareth as contained in the Gospels and other New Testament writings. Attention will be given to the methods and conclusions of recent scholarship as applied to his principal teachings and to the study of the historical Jesus.

is a study of the Pauline writings and an appraisal of the contribution to Christianity of his mission and theology on the basis of New Testament and other relevant material. Particular attention will be given to such related themes as salvation, reconciliation, grace, and justification.

is an examination of the Gospel of John and the community which produced it. Special attention will be given to the place of the Gospel in the history of early Christianity.

- inactive course.

- inactive course.

examines ways in which the Bible has been interpreted from the beginnings of Christianity to the present.

examines the relevance of the Bible to such issues as the environmental crisis, emergent global capitalism, and technology and freedom.

is an exploration of the religious thought and institutions of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah in their cultural and historical contexts from their beginnings to the sixth century B.C.E. The course introduces students to the religious beliefs, practices, and institutions of these two kingdoms prior to their destruction and prior to the development of Judaism in the post-exilic period.

will explore the developments in Jewish thought, institutions, beliefs, and practices during the time when Greek and Jewish cultures encountered one another and in which Jesus of Nazareth lived.

covers the period from the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple to the present and explores Judaism under the spiritual leadership of the rabbis. Approaching the material from a historical and cultural perspective, the course introduces students to the main developments of the Talmudic, Medieval, and Modern periods.

is a study of the origins, development, and importance of mysticism in the Jewish and Muslim traditions. In Judaism, the course will include a survey of Merkavah mysticism, the Qabbalah, and Hasidism. In Islam, it will include an examination of the two major streams of Muslim mysticism (Sufism) - the "drunken" and the "sober" - and the development of the Sufi Orders.

examines the relationship between meditation and theories of human psychology in Buddhism from its origins to its formulation in Zen.

is a study of one of the most influential Epics of Hinduism, the story of Rama, the perfect king of a golden age. The course examines various versions of the narrative, the social and religious values expressed through the story, and the Epic’s place in Indian politics, in dramatic performances, and in visual arts.

is an in-depth examination of some of the principal Upanishads, foundational texts for Hindu religious philosophy and techniques of meditation. The course also examines classical and modern interpretations of these texts.

is a study of Hindu constructions of ideal or iconic females (e.g., Durga, the warrior goddess; Sita, the perfect wife; the Yoginis, the "witches" of Tantra) and their power in the lives of Hindu women. The course includes critical examination of the history of Hindu goddess traditions, the ideals for females in Hindu law, and Hindu women's interpretations of "ideal females".

is a course in the critical reading of the two most important texts in Daoism, the Laozi and the Zhuangzi.

- inactive course.

(same as Philosophy 3500) explores the philosophical aspects of religious belief, religious language, and theology.

is a study of Christian thought and practice in the Reformation era. This course will examine both Protestant and Catholic efforts at reform from the late Middle Ages to the seventeenth century.

is a study of Western Christianity from the Enlightenment to the twentieth century through an examination of institutional and intellectual developments as well as changes in popular religious consciousness and practice.

(same as Medieval Studies 3003) is a study of the development of Christianity in the West from the eleventh century to the eve of the Reformation, through an examination of its principal thinkers and the most significant societal forces and events: the crusades, the universities, monasticism, religious dissent, and mysticism.

is a study of the origins and development of the mystical tradition in Christianity from the fathers of the early Church to contemporary spirituality. The course will examine representative writers and writings from both the Western Christian tradition and Eastern Orthodoxy.

(same as Classics 3600) develops the students’ knowledge of myth and material culture by examining specific religious sites in the Greek and Roman world as foci of ritual practice. Students will learn to integrate knowledge of the physical remains with the literary and ritual evidence in order to obtain a more integrated understanding of religious life in ancient Greece and Rome.

is an examination of the religious ethics of health care in the light of foundational concepts of bioethics. Topics to be discussed will include the relation of religion and medicine, as well as specific issues such as abortion, euthanasia, and genetic engineering.

is a study of social justice issues that arise from an investigation of economic and political systems from the perspective of religious ethics. Topics addressed may include environmental ethics, ecofeminism, gender equity, pacifism, civil disobedience, poverty, and social welfare questions.

is a study of religious approaches to the problem of evil. Attention will be paid to both traditional and contemporary efforts among the world's religions to address the problem.

is presented in three parts. Firstly, there will be a grounding theoretically in Islam, Orientalism, feminism and contemporary political implications related to the study of Muslim women. Secondly, there will be a consideration of topics which have served as explanations for the "difference" of Muslim women in various contexts, both in contemporary Muslim-majority and minority political situations. Lastly, the course concludes by considering a variety of contemporary ethnographic representations of Muslim women in Egypt, Palestine, France, Turkey, Cyprus and Malaysia.

is a study of modern attempts to analyze, interpret, and reassess the place and significance of religion in human life. Attention will be given to thinkers such as Nietzsche, Marx, Freud, Sartre, Otto, Eliade, and Tillich.

is an in-depth examination of one or more forms of contemporary alternative spirituality. Students will study the writings of practitioners of alternative spirituality, as well as social-scientific studies of alternative spiritual groups. Religious movements to be explored include African-American alternative spirituality, Mother Earth and Creation spirituality, Neo-paganism, the New Age Movement, UFO spirituality, and contemporary witchcraft.

provides an in-depth examination of religious themes and issues arising from and within the philosophies of Walt Disney, the Disney animated films, other Disney feature films, and the Disney theme parks. Theoretical models drawn from the field of Religion and Popular Culture will provide the lens through which the religious dimensions of Disney and Disney fandom will be explored.

Prerequisites/Co-requisites: None. Completion of RELS 2812, Religion and Popular Culture, is recommended but not required.

(same as Visual Arts 3820) is an examination of the role of art in the expression of religious ideas, together with a study of specific religious themes and concerns in one or more of the following: literature, film, music, painting, sculpture, and dance.

- inactive course.

is a study of religious themes in contemporary songwriting through the in-depth examination of the work of a selection of contemporary songwriters. The course will explore how religious questions and themes are handled in contemporary song and explore how song as an artistic medium expresses religious meaning. Songwriters to be explored may include the following: Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Van Morrison, Tori Amos, Nick Cave, Alanis Morissette, Julie Miller, the Louvin Brothers, the Stanley Brothers, Hank Williams, etc.

- inactive course.

is an in-depth examination of the concept of implicit religion. The course will explore the concept of "the sacred" through an examination of the ideas of such theorists as Eliade, Turner, and Bailey and will examine the claims of some Religious Studies scholars that the sacred can be found in secular contexts.

is a study of religion and its role in Newfoundland society from the seventeenth century to the middle of the nineteenth century. Attention will be given to the origin, growth, and consolidation of the Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Moravian, and Congregational churches.

is a study of religion and its role in Newfoundland society from the middle of the nineteenth century to the present. The course will include the history of the Anglican, Roman Catholic, United (Methodist), Congregational, and Presbyterian churches in Newfoundland and the establishment and social significance of the Pentecostal movement and the Salvation Army.

are courses which will be offered at the discretion of the Department. They are designed to provide an opportunity for students majoring in Religious Studies or doing a strong concentration of courses in the area to pursue advanced study under tutorial supervision.

Prerequisite: Departmental permission.

are courses which will be offered at the discretion of the Department. They are designed to provide an opportunity for students majoring in Religious Studies or doing a strong concentration of courses in the area to pursue advanced study under tutorial supervision.

Prerequisite: Departmental permission.

- inactive course.

- inactive course.

are courses which will be offered at the discretion of the Department. They are designed to provide an opportunity for students majoring in Religious Studies or doing a strong concentration of courses in the area to pursue advanced study under tutorial supervision.

Prerequisite: Departmental permission.

are courses which will be offered at the discretion of the Department. They are designed to provide an opportunity for students majoring in Religious Studies or doing a strong concentration of courses in the area to pursue advanced study under tutorial supervision.

Prerequisite: Departmental permission.

are designed to provide students with some basic knowledge of the languages necessary for studying the original texts of the major world religions. The languages presently offered through the Department are Mishnaic Hebrew, Aramaic, Coptic, Pali, Tibetan, Japanese, Manchu, Arabic, and Chinese. These courses will be offered at the discretion of the Department. They are designed to provide an opportunity for students majoring in Religious Studies or doing a strong concentration of courses in the area to pursue advanced study under tutorial supervision.

will be based on a program of assigned reading related to the general subject area of the candidate's dissertation.

may be required as part of the honours program.