HIST*2070 - World Religions

Course Description

A wide-ranging look at the diverse religions of the world including Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The course focuses on each faith’s social context and interactions from their beginnings to the present day.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, the learner should be able to:

1. Recall certain basic facts of religious doctrine and historical development in a manner which allows you to define themes and basic concepts which cut across boundaries;
2. Consider the facts you have memorized in supporting your remarks in frequent discussion within a comparative context;
3. Discuss concepts and events with your peers;
4. Respond to ‘loaded’ questions posed by me (your instructor);
5. Articulate your ideas in essays based on and evaluated through the form invented by Montesquieu (hypotheses supported by specific evidence from history or thematically oriented);
6. Develop competence in combining and developing an understanding of basic themes through a knowledge of historical development; and
7. Evaluate the usefulness of these themes in understanding the nature of the complex relationship between religion and society.

Course Topics

• The Study of Religion in History
• Primal Religions 
• Hinduism 
• Buddhism 
• China and Japan
• Zorastrianism and the Baha’i Faith
• Judaism
• Christianity 
• Islam 
• New Religious Movements 
• Humanism 
• The Modern World and Final Thoughts

Assessment