Religious Studies Courses

The philosophy department administers several courses in Religious Studies.

These are Lower-Level Liberal Studies courses, and so all Ryerson undergraduate students are eligible to enroll in them.

To find out whether these courses will be running in a given semester, see the Liberal Studies Course Offerings page.

These courses are also sometimes offered through the Chang School of Continuing Education.
 

REL100: Introduction to Religious Studies

This course is an introduction to some of the foundational readings and ideas of religious studies. What is religion? What are its origins? How is the sacred different from the profane? This course examines key figures and texts from anthropology, sociology, psychology, and philosophy in an effort to understand the complexity of religious phenomena. Some of the features of religion to be discussed are ritual, sacred space and time, spirituality, faith-community, and morality.

  
REL101: Introduction to World Religions

This course is a survey of the history, social and political context, beliefs, practices, and influence of the major religious traditions of the world. The course will introduce students to the religions of Indian origin (Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), the religions of Chinese origin (Confucianism, Taoism, and Chinese Buddhism), and the religions of Semitic origin (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). This course presupposes no religious or anti-religious perspective.
   

REL 200: Introduction to Hinduism and Buddhism

This course provides an introduction to Hinduism and Buddhism. We will explore Hindu traditions in classical and contemporary terms through scriptural texts of the Ancient and Classical Brāhmaṇical or Vedic Tradition (most prominently the Upaniṣads and the Bhagavad Gītā), and the emergence of pre-modern and contemporary Hinduism. We will explore Buddhist traditions from the early development of Buddhist thought in South-Asia to the contemporary manifestations of Buddhism as a living tradition in Asia and beyond.