St. George Campus Course Descriptions 2011-12
Additional details about courses can be found on the Arts & Science timetable. Students interested in the Religion in the Public Sphere Service-Learning Course (RLG492H1S) should visit the course webpage and submit an application.
S11 199Y1Y L0371 How Religion Crosses Borders and Changes Cultures (W10-12)/ C. Thomas McIntire
This seminar asks how a religion originating among one set of people crosses geographical and cultural borders to embrace new peoples, and how the religion changes in the process. The focus is on Christianity, the religion of one-third of the world’s population, and probably the most border-crossing and culture-changing religion in the world. Christianity stands out as the only religion with communities flourishing in every country of the world. The course draws examples from many regions and many periods, and considers factors ranging from religion, missions, and spirituality to society, migration, empire, trade, and war. The method is participatory, as students select and explore particular cases, and contribute to the overall project of the course.
XBC 199Y1Y L0372 Society, Religion and Architecture in the Ancient Mediterranean (W10-12)/ Peter Richardson
How did society function 2000 years ago in the Eastern Mediterranean? What did its architecture express? How did religion influence urban forms? We will examine countries from Italy eastwards around the great inland sea, emphasizing the intersection of various cultural features (architecture, art, urban design, religion, literature, beliefs, burial practices, daily life, for example). We will concentrate on Greek and Roman religion and culture, how they influenced cities and towns, and how eastern religious movements such as Judaism, Mithraism and Christianity reshaped them. We pay attention to the juxtaposition of physical evidence (surveying archaeological excavations, primarily) and literary evidence, using authors such as Strabo, Pliny the Younger and Pausanias.
MHB 155H1F L0101 Elementary Modern Hebrew 1 (MW 10-12)/ Keren Rubinstein
Introduction to the fundamentals of Hebrew grammar and syntax. Emphasis on the development of oral and writing skills. Exclusion: Grade 4 Hebrew (or Grade 2 in Israel)/NML155H1
MHB 156H1S L0101 Elementary Modern Hebrew 11 (MW 10-12)/ Keren Rubinstein
Continued introduction to the fundamentals of Hebrew grammar and syntax. Emphasis on the development of oral and writing skills. Prerequisite: MHB155H1/NML155H1 or permission of instructor. Exclusion: Grade 4 Hebrew (or Grade 2 in Israel)/NML156H1
MHB 255H1F L0101 Intermediate Modern Hebrew 1 (MW 12-2)/ Keren Rubinstein
Intensive study of written and spoken Hebrew. Prerequisite: MHB156H1/ NML156H1 or permission of instructor. Exclusion: Grade 8 Hebrew (or Ulpan level 2 in Israel)/NML255Y1)
MHB 256H1S L0101 Intermediate Modern Hebrew 11 (MW 12-2)/ Keren Rubinstein
Continued intensive study of written and spoken Hebrew. Prerequisite: MHB255H1/NML156H1 or permission of instructor. Exclusion: Grade 8 Hebrew (or Ulpan level 2 in Israel)/NML255Y1
MHB 355H1F L0101 Advanced Modern Hebrew 1 (TR 12-2)/ Keren Rubinstein
Advanced intensive study of written and spoken Hebrew. Prerequisite: MHB256H1/NML255Y1 or permission of instructor. Exclusion: OAC Hebrew/NML355Y1
MHB 356H1S L0101 Advanced Modern Hebrew 11 (TR 12-2)/ Keren Rubinstein
Continued advanced intensive study of written and spoken Hebrew. Prerequisite: MHB355H1 or permission of instructor. Exclusion: OAC Hebrew/NML355Y1
RLG 100Y1Y World Religions L0101
An introductory study of the ideas, attitudes, practices, and contemporary situation of the Judaic, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Confucian, Taoist, and Shinto religious traditions. Exclusion: RLG280Y1; HUM B03H3, HUM B04H3. Note: HUM B03H3 and HUM B04H3 taken together are equivalent to RLG100Y1. Note: RLG101H5 is not equivalent to RLG100Y1.
Day Section/ Arti Dhand MW 9 F12 (t)
Evening Section/ David Perley R6-8 R5 (t)
RLG105Y1 Great Religious Books/Not offered 2011-12
200 Series Courses
Note: No 200-series RLG course has a 100-series RLG course prerequisite or co-requisite.
RLG200H1F Study of Religion L0101 (T3-5)/Thomas McIntire
An introduction to the discipline of the study of religion. This course surveys methods in the study of religion and the history of the discipline in order to prepare students to be majors or specialists in the study of religion. Prerequisite: Open to Religion Specialists and Majors. Exclusion: RLG200Y1
RLG202Y1Y Jewish Religious Tradition L5101 (M6-8)/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG203Y1Y Christian Religious Traditions L0101 (T1-3)/ Pamela Klassen
An introduction to the varieties of Christianity as they have developed from the 1st century C.E. to the present, with a focus on texts, material culture, the arts, and global politics and culture. Exclusion: RLG203H5. Recommended Preparation: RLG100Y1/RLG200Y1/RLG280Y1
RLG204Y1 Islamic Religious Traditions/Not offered 2011-12
RLG205Y1 Hindu Religious Traditions/Not offered 2011-12
RLG206Y1 Buddhist Religious Traditions/Not offered 2011-12
RLG207Y1Y East Asian Traditions L0101 (T11-1)/ Amanda Goodman
This course is an introduction to the study of East Asian religious traditions, including Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, Shinto, shamanism and so on. The first semester will focus on premodern traditions across China, Japan and Korea, while the second term will examine specific traditions within their modern cultural contexts. Emphasis both terms will be placed on the various scholarly approaches to the study of East Asian religions. Recommended Preparation: RLG100Y1/RLG200Y1/RLG280Y1
RLG210Y1Y Introduction to the Sociology of Religion (W6-8)/ Joseph Bryant
Religion from the sociological viewpoint; religion as the source of meaning, community and power; conversion and commitment; religious organization, movements, and authority; the relation of religion to the individual, sexuality and gender; conflict and change; religion and secularization. Emphasis on classical thinkers (Durkheim, Marx, Weber) and contemporary applications. Note: This course is equivalent to SOC250Y1. Exclusion: SOC250Y1
RLG211Y1Y Introduction to the Psychology of Religion (W5-7)/Barbara Greenberg
A survey of the psychological approaches to aspects of religion such as religious experience, doctrine, myth and symbols, ethics and human transformation. Attention will be given to phenomenological, psychoanalytic, Jungian, existentialist, and feminist approaches.
RLG212H1 Anthropology of Religion/Not offered 2011-12
RLG213H1S Reading Sacred Texts L0101 (M1-3)/ Erin Vearncombe
Surveys interpretative traditions related to sacred texts, focusing on reading strategies that range from the literal to the figurative with attention to rationales that transform literal textual meanings and copyists manipulations of texts. May focus on various religious traditions from year to year, targeting a single canonical tradition or comparative analysis. Students will gain insight into literalist, environmentalist, secularist and erotic approaches to texts.
RLG215H1F Pilgrimage as Idea and Practice L0101 (R10-12)/ Simon Coleman
The study of pilgrimage has become increasingly prominent in anthropology and religious studies in recent decades. Why should this be? This course provides some answers while engaging in a cross cultural survey and analysis of pilgrimage practices. We also explore whether research into pilgrimage has wider theoretical significance.
RLG220H1 Philosophical Responses to the Holocaust/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG2211H1 Religious Ethics: The Jewish Tradition/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG224Y1 Problem in Religious Ethics/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG225H1 Christian Ethics and Human Sexuality/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG228H1 Religious Ethics: The Environment/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG229H1S Death, Dying and Afterlife L0101 (R11-1)/ Amanda Goodman
This course introduces students to various religious approaches to death, the dead, and afterlife. Through considering different ways in which death has been thought about and dealt with, we will also explore different understandings of life and answers to what it means to be human.
RLG230H1 Religion and Public Life/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG231H1 Religion and Science/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG232H1S Religion and Film L5101 (R6-9)/ Richard Last
The role of film as a mediator of thought and experience concerning religious worldviews. The ways in which movies relate to humanitys quest to understand itself and its place in the universe are considered in this regard, along with the challenge which modernity presents to this task. Of central concern is the capacity of film to address religious issues through visual symbolic forms. Exclusion: RLG232H5
RLG236H1 Gender, Body and Sexuality in Asian Traditions/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG237H1S Women and Western Religions L5101 (T6-8)/ Eleanor Pontoriero
The social and legal status of women in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The historical and contemporary situation of women in these traditions. Exclusion: RLG237Y1
RLG239H1F Special Topics – Lament and History (R10-12)/ Luiz Ribeiro & Paula Schwebel
This course explores literary sources and philosophical interpretations of lament and mourning over destruction, with a focus on how these texts represent the relationship between memory, loss, and renewal in the Jewish tradition. We will cover material from the biblical, rabbinic and medieval traditions of lament, as well as the retrieval of this concept in modern German-Jewish thought.
RLG239H1S Special Topics/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG241Y1Y Early Christian Writings L5101 (W5-7)/ John Kloppenborg
An introduction to New Testament literature, examined within the historical context of the first two centuries. No familiarity with Christianity or the New Testament is expected. Exclusion: RLG241H5; RLG341H5; HUMC14H3
RLG243H1 Diasporic Religions/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG245Y1 Religions of the Silk Road/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG246H1 Karma and Dharma in Indic Traditions/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG248H1 Martyrs, Mystics and Saints/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG249H1 Dreams and Visions/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG251H1 Women in Islam/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG260Y1Y Introduction to Sanskrit L0101 (MW2-4)/ Bryan Levman
An introduction to Sanskrit for beginners. An overview of basic grammar and development of vocabulary, with readings of simple texts.
RLG261Y1 Introduction to Tibetan/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG280Y1Y World Religions: A Comparative Study L0101
An alternative version of the content covered by RLG100Y1, for students in second year or higher who cannot or do not wish to take a furtHER 100-level course. Students attend theRLG100Y1 lectures and tutorials but are expected to produce more substantial and more sophisticated written work, and are required to submit an extra written assignment.Prerequisite: Completion of 5.5 full course equivalents. Exclusion: RLG100Y1
Day Section/ Arti Dhand MW 9 F12 (Tutorial)
Evening Section/David Perley R6-8 R5 (Tutorial)
RLG285Y1 Great Religious Books/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG290YI Special Topics/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG299Y1Y Research Opportunity/Staff
Credit course for supervised participation in faculty research project.
300 Series Courses
Note: All 300-series courses presuppose at least three prior RLG half courses (or equivalent). Only specific prerequisites or recommended preparations are listed below. Students who do not meet the prerequisites but believe they have adequate preparation should consult the undergraduate coordinator regarding entry to the course
RLG301H1 Sigmund Freud on Religion/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG302H1 Carl Jung’s Theory of Religion/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG303H1 Evil and Suffering/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG304H1F Language, Symbols, Self (R6-8)/ Nick Dion & Rebekka King
Theories of the self that involve the constitutive role of language in its various forms. Problems of socially-conditioned worldviews and sense of self as related to discourse. Myth, symbol, metaphor, and literary arts as vehicles for personality development and self-transformation along religious lines. Prerequisite: See note above for general prerequisites
RLG305H1F Material Religion L0101 (T10-12)/ Simon Coleman
Religions are constituted by material forms, including bodies, shrines, films, icons, and ‘ kitsch’. Anti-material impulses have also prompted many religious impulses, involving forms of iconoclasm that ironically demonstrate the power of objects. What is at stake in studying materiality? How might such a perspective transform our view of religion? Prerequisite: See note above for general prerequisites
RLG306H1S Anthropology of Christianity L0101 (W10-12)/ Kevin O’Neill & Pamela Klassen
This course focuses on current debates in the fast-developing field of the anthropology of Christianity. Topics possibly included: the past and present influence of Christianity on anthropological thinking; historical interactions between missionaries and anthropologists; emerging transnational, charismatic Christian networks; the ’Southernization’ of Christianity; Christianity and competing ideas of ‘the modern’. Prerequisite: RLG100Y1/ANT204H1
RLG307H1 Religion and Society in Canada/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG308H1F Religion and the City L0101 (F10-12)/ Rebekka King
The course focuses on the role of religionin the genesis and development of cities, as well as the ways urbanization and immigration have transformed religious organizations and identies. Various methodologies, including ethnography, literary/textual analysis, social and cultural history will be considered. This year’s focuswill examine the formation of vivic identity (real and imagined) with reference to the (religious) ‘Other’. Prerequisite: See note above for general prerequisites
RLG309Y1Y Religion, Morality and Law (M6-8)/ Eleanor Pontoriero
The relationship and interaction between religious and ethical norms, social and political ideals, and systems of law. The course concerns the ongoing dialectic between religious and other values, the application of religious ideas to social orders, and questions of religious and human rights. Prerequisite: three RLG or PHI/PHL half-courses and third year standing. See note above for general prerequisites. Exclusion: RLG309H5
RLG310Y1Y Modern Atheism and the Critique of Religion L0101 (W3-5)/ James Dicenso
This course examines major classical thinkers who have contributed to the development of critical approaches to religion in the modern West, and whose theories still influence contemporary debates. We begin with the 17th century European Enlightenment and proceed to examine selected 19th and 20th century thinkers. The approaches considered are mainly philosophical, but include historical, social, and political issues as well. Authors studied include Hume, Kant, Marx, Nietzsche and others. Prerequisite: three RLG or PHI/PHL half-courses and third year standing. See note above for general prerequisites.
RLG314H1 Gender and Sexuality/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG315H1 Rites of Passage/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG316H1 Classical Anthropological Theories of Religion/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG317H1 Religious Violence and Nonviolence/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG318Y1 Special Topics/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG319H1 Reconception of Biblical Figures in Early Jewish and Christian Sources/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG320H1S Judaism and Christianity in the Second Century L0101 (M10-12)/ John Marshall
Judaism and Christianity in the period from 70 C.E. to 200 C.E. The course focuses on the relationship between the two religious groups, stressing the importance of the setting within the Roman Empire. Prerequisite: RLG241Y1; see note above for general prerequisites
RLG321H1 Early Christian Writings II/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG322H1S Early Christian Gospels L5101 (M6-8)/ Sarah Rollens
Literary, historical, and rhetorical analyses of selected early Christian gospels. The gospels to be treated will vary, but each year will include a selection from the four canonical gospels and extra-canonical gospels (the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Philip, the Gospel of Peter, the Gospel of Truth, infancy gospels, and fragments of Jewish-Christian gospels). Prerequisite: RLG241Y1; see note above for general prerequisites
RLG323H1 Jesus of Nazareth/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG324H1F Paul of Tarsus L0101 (M10-12)/ John Marshall
An examination of the historical Jesus based on a critical study of the earliest accounts of Jesus, with intensive study of the Gospels to determine what can be said about Jesus activities and teachings. Prerequisite: RLG241Y1; see note for above general prerequisites. Exclusion: RLG323H5
RLG325H1 Visions and Revelations in Ancient Judaism and Christianity/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG326H1S Roots of Early Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism L0101 (R12-2)/ Judith Newman
This course treats the major elements of the apocalyptic literary corpus and accompanying visionary experiences in ancient Judaism and Christianity. Contemporary theories on the function and origin of apocalyptic literature. Prerequisite: RLG202Y1/RLG203Y1/RLG241Y1 or permission of instructor; see note for above general Prerequisites. Exclusion: NMC338H1, RLG325H5
RLG327H1 Magic and Miracle in Early Christianity/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG 328H1 The Politics of Belief in Early Christianity/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG329Y1 The Development of Christian Identity/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG330H1 God and Evil/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG331H1 Eastern Christianity/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG332H1F Memoir and Confession: Telling Christian Lives L0101 (W1-3)/ Pamela Klassen
How and why have modern Christians revealed their inner lives via diaries, autobiographies, memoirs, letters and even Facebook? Reading autobiographical writings and theoretical approaches, we consider the effects of Christianity on self-revelation from Augustine to Oprah. Prerequisite: RLG203Y1; see note above for general prerequisites
RLG333H1 Christianity and Conflict/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG337H1F Witchcraft and Magic in Christian Tradition L0101 (R1-4)/ Leslie Hayes
This course considers the history and theory of Western witchcraft, magic, and heresy in the mediaeval and early modern periods. Consideration of relevant anthropological theory, the relationship between constructions of witchcraft, the Enlightenment and the rise of science, and the role of gender in definitions of witchcraft. Prerequisite: See note above for general prerequisites. Recommended Preparation: RLG203Y1/RLG203H5
RLG338Y1 Technology, Ethics and the Future of Humanity/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG339Y1 Religion and Globalization/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG340Y1Y Classical Jewish Theology L0101 (W2-4)/ David Novak
A study of four great figures during critical moments in Jewish history, each of whom represents a turning point: Jeremiah (biblical era), Rabbi Akiva (rabbinic era), Moses Maimonides (medieval era), Franz Rosenzweig (modern era). Belief in God; Torah as law, teaching, tradition, revelation, eternity of Israel, meaning of Jewish suffering, problem of radical evil, history and messianism. Prerequisite: RLG100Y1/RLG202Y1/RLG221H1/RLG280Y1; see note above for general Prerequisites
RLG341H1F Dreaming of Zion: Exile and Return in Jewish Thought L0101 (T2-4)/ Ken Green
An inquiry into the theme of exile and return in Judaism, often called the leading idea of Jewish religious consciousness. Starting from Egyptian slavery and the Babylonian exile, and culminating in the ideas of modern Zionism, the course will examine a cross-section of Jewish thinkers–ancient, medieval, and modern. Prerequisite: RLG100Y1/RLG202Y1/RLG280Y1/RLG342Y1; see note above for general Prerequisites
RLG342Y1Y Judaism in the Modern Age L0101 (T10-12)/ Ken Green
The development and range of modern Jewish religious thought from Spinoza, Mendelssohn and Krochmal, to Cohen, Rosenzweig and Buber. Responses to the challenges of modernity and fundamental alternatives in modern Judaism. Prerequisite: RLG100Y1/RLG202Y1/RLG221H1/RLG280Y1; see note above for general Prerequisites
RLG343H1 Kabbala: A History of Mystical Thought in Judaism/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG344Y1Y Anti-Semitism L0101 (M4-6)/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG345H1F Social Ecology and Judaism L0101 (T10-12)/ Harry Fox
The environment and human society studied as systems of organization built for self-preservation. Such topics as vegetarianism and the humane treatment of animals, suicide and euthanasia, sustainability and recycling, explored from the perspective of Judaism. Prerequisite: RLG100Y1/RLG228H1/RLG280Y1/one course in Jewish Studies
RLG346H1 Time and Place in Judaism/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG350H1F The Life of Muhammad L5101 (W6-8)/ Walid Saleh
This course examines Muhammads life as reflected in the biographies and historical writings of the Muslims. Students will be introduced to the critical methods used by scholars to investigate Muhammads life. Issues include: relationship between Muhammads life and Quran teachings and the veneration of Muhammad. Prerequisite: See note above for general prerequisites
RLG351H1 The Qur’an: An Introduction/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG352H1S Post-Colonial Islam L5101 (R12-2)/ Hussein Syed Adnan
This course will study Islam in a post-colonial framework. It will introduce students to the work of post-colonial studies, and how critical scholarship has transformed our understanding of monolithic concepts such as modernity, the nation and Islam. It will focus on the particular case of Islam in South Asia and the Middle East by exposing students to the transformative impact of colonialism. It will equip students with the tools to challenge the hegemonic notion of a singular ‘tradition’ in Islam by tracing its lineages in the post-colony. Prerequisite: NMC185H1/NMC201Y1 or RLG204Y1, NMC278H1; see note above for general Prerequisites. Exclusion: NMC381Y1, RLG250H1
RLG354H1 Islam in Egypt/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG355H1 Anthropology of Islam/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG356H1 Islam in China/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG360H1F Intermediate Sanskrit L0101 (TR4-6)/ Joel Tatelman
Review of grammar and the further development of vocabulary with a focus on reading simple narrative prose and verse. Prerequisite: Introductory Sanskrit
RLG361H1 Hindu Myth/Not offered 2011-12
RLG362H1 Rama Through the Ages: An Odyssey from Valmiki to Ayodhya/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG363H1S Hindu Ritual L5101 (R6-8)/ Eric Steinschneider
Hindu ritual in its Vedic, Pauranic, Tantric, and popular forms; the meaning that ritual conveys to its participants and the relation of ritual to Hindu mythology and to social context. Prerequisite: RLG100Y1/RLG205Y1/RLG280Y1; see note above for general Prerequisites
JPR364Y1Y Religion and Politics (R12-2)/ Ruth Marshall
This course examines the evolving role of religions in contemporary public, political contexts. Themes include democracy and secularism; religion,human rights, law and justice; part politics, identity-formation and citizenship; gender and sexuality; interreligious conflict. (Given by the Departments of Political Science and Religion). Prerequisite: A course in POL or 1.5 FCEs in Religious Studies
RLG364H1 Fiction, Film and Cyberspace: Hinduism and Contemporary Media/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG365H1 Modern Hinduism/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG366H1F Hindu Philosophy and Practice L0101 (W12-2)/ Arti Dhand
A study of six classical schools of Hindu philosophy, focusing on the key issues of the Self, the Real, karma and ethics. Prerequisite: RLG100Y1/RLG205Y1/RLG280Y1/ ;See note above for general Prerequisites. Exclusion: RLG362H1
RLG367H1 Religious Pluralism in Modern India/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG368H1 Yoga and Ayurveda from pre-Modernity to post-Modernity/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG369H1 The Mahabharata/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG370Y1 Intermediate Tibetan/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG372H1S Tibetan Buddhism L0101 (F10-12)/Frances Garrett
A survey of the various schools of Tibetan Buddhism, focusing on differences in both theory and practice, with readings of Tibetan texts in translation and ethnographic studies of Buddhist practice in Tibet. Prerequisite: RLG206Y; see note above for general prerequisites
RLG373H1F Buddhist Meditation: Historical, Doctrinal, and Ethnographic Perspectives L0101 (M4-6)/ Matt King
This course will examine Buddhist meditation, its history, and basic concepts through a critical analysis of primary and secondary readings. Students will be asked to explore the tensions between knowledge and experience, belief and ritual, theory and practice as it unfolds in different representations of Buddhist meditation. A brief survey of some of the more important traditions of Buddhist meditation will be accompanied by an in-depth look at the specific contexts from which they arose. Prerequisite: See note above for general prerequisites. Recommended Preparation: RLG206Y1/RLG206H5
JPR374Y1 Religion and Power in the Post Colony (R12-2)/Ruth Marshall
This course examines the role of a variety of religious forms and spiritual practices in the politics of post-colonial societies, tracing their genealogies from the colonial period to the present. Cases taken principally from Africa and Asia. (Given by the Departments of Political Science and Religion). Prerequisite: A POL 200-level course or 1.5 FCEs in Religious Studies
RLG375H1F Buddhist Thought L0101 (F10-12)/ Frances Garrett
An introduction to thought and practice in various Buddhist traditions, with a focus on Buddhist communities in Toronto. Prerequisite: RLG206Y1; see note above for general prerequisites
RLG376H1 Death and Rebirth in Buddhist Traditions/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG377H1 Theravada Literature/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG379H1 Daoism in Practice/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG380H1 Comparative Mysticism/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG384H1 Pluralism and Dialogue/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG387H1 Research Training in the Study of Religion/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG388H1F Special Topics I: Tibetan Sacred Biography L5101 (T5-7)/ Ben Wood
This course offers a study of Buddhist life writing in Tibet (in translation) through a survey of traditional Tibetan biographies, autobiographies, and clan and ecclesiastical biographical compendia.
RLG388H1S Special Topics I: Politics, Sexuality and North American Evangelicanism L5101 (T5-7)/ Brian Carwana
Heated political debates in North America often erupt at the intersection of sexuality and religion. In this course, we will explore the interaction of North American evangelicals and the secular state. We will look at how evangelical and secular perspectives relate to each other in terms of shared historical roots, common assumptions, and sometimes sharp disagreement. We will also examine how seemingly “private” practices of religion and sexuality carry very political consequences.
RLG389HS: Special Topics: Jewish Collective Memory (W4-6)/ Tim Langille
This course will survey Jewish cultural memory from ancient Israel to the modern State of Israel, from the Exodus and the destruction of the first temple to the Rabin assassination in 1995. The focus of this course will be on the ways in which traumatic memory has informed Jewish identity. More specifically, this vast temporal survey will be structured around the following themes in Jewish memory: destruction and restoration, and exile and return. In the process, we will examine the ways in which cultural memories of trauma are intergenerational sites of memory that may be revisited by later groups with new causes and extended into their social worlds. Moreover, we will also consider the ways in which the repetitive temporality of traumatic memory triggers and collapses the distinctions between the past and present. Finally, we will discuss the role of ritual in commemorating and repeating the founding events introduced in the course. As such, we will look at the relationship between the Jewish holiday cycle and Jewish memory: Passover, Hanukkah, Purim, Tish’a be-Av, etc. The course will conclude with a reading of Saul Friedlander’s memoir entitled When Memory Comes, which will help draw together the main themes of the course: traumatic memory and identity formation, destruction and restoration, homeland and diaspora, and exile and return.
RLG389H1F Special Topics II: The Origins of Hasidism L0101 (M10-12)/ J. Baumgarten
How did a simple healer, teacher, writer of amulets and Baal Shem (“Master of the Divine Name”), known as the Besht (1700–1760), become the founder of Hasidism, a movement of spiritual revival that flourished in Jewish communities of Eastern Europe? In this course, we will first analyze the social and religious context, especially the struggle between, on one side, the first Hasidim and, on the other, the opponents (Mitnaggedim) and the enlightened Jews (Maskilim). We will study, between historical facts and legends, the charismatic figure of the Besht, his life, works, and religious thought. Is his pietist doctrine really innovative or does he only introduce small changes in the existing mystical tradition? How did the main institutions (such as the Hasidic court), the mystical rituals (such as the visit and the encounter with the Rebbe), and the central figure of the Tsaddik become essential aspects in the development of the movement? What were the social and religious roles of his pupils, disciples, and heirs (like the great mystic and messianic figure Rabbi Nahman of Bratslav)? In each lesson, we will read relevant texts related to the main aspects of the history of Hasidism, like scholarly works on Hasidut, from Gershom Scholem to Moshe Idel, historical documents, Hasidic literature, commentaries on the Torah (like the Toledot Yaakov Yosef [1780] by Yaakov Yosef of Polonnoye), hagiographical legends (like the Shihvei ha-Besht [1815]), and major mystical and ethical treatises (for example, the Likkutei Moharan [1808–1811] by Nahman of Bratslav). In this course we will show that, contrary to what some historians have written, Hasidism is not only a conservative ultraorthodox trend, but also a revival religious movement which helps us to understand the strategies of adaptation in the Jewish society and the transition to modernity. All reading materials are in English translation.
400 Series Courses
Note: All 400-level courses are cross-listed as graduate courses. Open to advanced undergraduates with permission of instructor.
RLG400Y1Y/401H1Y/402H1Y Independent Studies / Staff (TBA)
Intensive programs of study including site visits and lectures in areas of religious significance abroad. Preparatory work expected, together with paper or assignments upon return.
(Y1 course: 4 weeks minimum; H course: 2 weeks minimum)
RLG404H1 Departmental Capstone-Research/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG405H1 Departmental Capstone-Practical/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG406H1S Constructing Religion L0101 (T10-12)/ Simon Coleman
How have different researchers constructed ‘religion’ as their object of study, and are some frameworks simply incompatible with each other? We discuss – but also provide critical assessments of — different theoretical and methodological frameworks. Prerequisite: open to 4th year Religion Specialists and Majors
RLG410Y1Y Advanced Topics in Religion L0101/TBA
Distribution Requirement Status: This is a Humanities course. Breadth Requirement: None
RLG411H1F Advanced Topics in Religion L0101 (W11-1)/ Amanda Goodman
Advanced Topics in Buddhist Studies.
RLG416H1S Sex, Religion and Gender in Iran L0101 (W2-4)/ Karen Ruffle
Advanced study in specialized topics focusing on the instersection of religion and gender. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
RLG419H1 Secularism and Religion/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG420H1F Religion and Philosophy in the European Enlightenment L0101 (M3-5)/ James Dicenso
An advanced study of selected Enlightenment thinkers with a focus on their interpretations of religion. The work of Immanuel Kant will form a focus point, but others will be discussed as well. Issues include the rational critique of traditional religion, the relations among religion, ethics and politics, and the pursuit of universal approaches to religion. Prerequisite: Instructors permission required for admission to course
RLG421H1 Topics in Psychology of Religion/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG423H1 The Birth of Anthropology/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG425H1S Hermeneutic and Religion L0101 (M3-5)/ James Dicenso
A study of how principles of textual interpretation and theories of language have been central to modern philosophy of religion. Beginning with Spinoza, we examine the development of modern hermeneutical theory of religion in Kant and Schleiermacher, and conclude with 20th century hermeneutical theories of Gadamer, Ricoeur, and Derrida. Prerequisite: Instructors permission required for admission to course. Recommended Preparation: RLG310Y1
RLG426H1S Religion in the Public Sphere Service Learning L0101 (R10-12) / Amy Fisher
For upper-year students, from any discipline. In a 40-hour community service placement, discover first-hand religion’s significance in Toronto and examine how religion manifests in public spaces, institutions, and interactions, while critically reflecting on the experience of working with professionals and their “clients” in settings where religious diversity is at play. Prerequisite: Instructor’s permission required for admission to course.
RLG430H1S Advanced Topics in Judaism L0101
RLG431H1F Old Yiddish literature and the History of Ashkenazi Society (M2-4) / J.Baumgarten
Old Yiddish literature (OYL), from the Middle Ages to the Haskalah, was for a long time considered a minor component of the Jewish culture. The earliest period of OYL was either unknown or neglected by scholars. In this course, we would like to show that, contrary to many a priori and stereotypes, the major works of OYL, integrated into the complex totality of the Jewish tradition, are important for understanding the history of the Ashkenazi society. They also constitute an essential aspect of the European culture. On the one hand, OYL served as a tool to disseminate the major Hebrew rabbinical texts into the vernacular language for the less educated readers, either women, men, or children. We will study the main “genres” which help to transmit the fundamental messages, values, and canonical texts into Yiddish—this may include Bible translations and commentaries in prose and verse, homiletical compositions (like the Tsenerene [1622]), mystical and ethical literature (Musr), tales and legends (like the Mayse bukh [1602]), books of customs (Minhagim), and bilingual books of prayers. We will also study original works printed in order to foster the faith and knowledge of the lay audience. One the other hand, OYL resounds with issues central to Jewish society. The texts mirror the transformation of the Jewish culture during the Early Modern period. The works of Elijah Bahur Levita, alexicographer, grammarian, and poet, are representative examples of the Jewish humanism in the Italian Renaissance. We will study epic romances or adaptations of the European literature which show a secularization of the Jewish culture. We will also raise questions related to the cultural history of the Ashkenazi society: who were the authors, adaptors, translators, and editors? How and where were books printed, diffused, and read by the Jewish masses? Old Yiddish texts will be analyzed in a large context showing the dynamic relations with the Hebrew literature and the non-Jewish surrounding cultures. Jewish “popular” literature is a good testimony of the transmission of the religious tradition and the tensions in the Jewish society. All reading materials are in English translation.
RLG432Y1 Natural Law in Judaism and Christianity/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG433H1 Maimonides and His Modern Interpreters/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG434H1S Modern Jewish Thought L0101 (T2-4)/ Ken Green
Close study of major themes, texts, and thinkers in modern Jewish thought. Focus put on the historical development of modern Judaism, with special emphasis on the Jewish religious and philosophical responses to the challenges of modernity. Among modern Jewish thinkers to be considered: Spinoza, Cohen, Rosenzweig, Buber, Scholem, Strauss, and Fackenheim. Prerequisite: Instructors permission required for admission to course
RLG435H1 The Thought of Leo Strauss/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG437H1 Constructions of Authority in Early Christianity/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG440H1 Religion and Healing/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG441H1S Words and Worship in Christian Cultures L0101 (R10-12)/ Simon Coleman
How are we to analyze the words that Christians use? And how are such words related to ritual forms? We explore techniques for the analysis of texts, while looking at forms of verbal discourse ranging from prayers, speaking in tongues, and citing the Bible to more informal narratives. Prerequisite: ANT356H1/RLG212Y1 and permission of instructor
RLG442H1S North American Religions L0101 (W2-5)/ Pamlea Klassen/ Kevin O’Neill
This course considers the varieties of religious practice in North America from anthropological and historical perspectives. Of particular interest are the ways religions have mutually influenced each other in the context of nineteenth and twentieth century North America. Prerequisite: Instructors’ permission required for admission to course.
RLG443H1 Guitierrez and Berry/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG448H1S Pseudepigraphy in Ancient Mediterranean Religion L0101 (T1-3)/ John Marshall
A seminar examining the phenomenon of falsely claimed and/or attributed authorship in religions of the ancient Mediterranean, mainly Christianity and Judaism. The course examines understandings of authorship and other cultural forms that facilitate or inhibit ancient pseudepigraphy, ancient controversies over authorship, as well as specific pseudepigraphical writings. Prerequisite: Two half FCEs numbered RLG32*; permission of instructor
RLG449H1 The Synoptic Problem/Not offered 2011-12
RLG451H1 The Parables of Jesus/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG452H1 The Death of Jesus/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG454H1 Christianity and Judaism in Colonial Context/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG454H1F Social History of the Jesus Movement L0101 (W9-12)/ John Kloppenborg
The social setting of the early Jesus movement in Roman Palestine and the cities of the Eastern Empire. Topics will include: rank and legal status; patronalia and clientalia; marriage and divorce; forms of association outside the family; slavery and manumission; loyalty to the empire and forms of resistance. Prerequisite: RLG241Y1 and at least one of RLG319H1 - RLG327H1; Instructor’s permission required for admission to course
RLG455H1F Heresy and Deviance in Early Christianity L0101 (T1-3)/ John Marshall
A study of the construction of deviance or heresy within the literature of first and second century Christianity: tasks include a survey of sociological theory in its application to deviance in the ancient world and close readings of selected texts from first and second century Christian and pre-Christian communities. Prerequisite: RLG241Y1 and at least one of RLG319H1 - RLG327H1; Instructor’s permission required for admission to course
RLG456H1 Readings in Qu’ran and Tafsir/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG457H1 The Qur’an and its Interpretation/ Not offered 2011-12
JPR 457HIF L0101 Democracy and Secular (R2-4)/ Ruth Marshall
What is the philosophical relationship between modern democracy and the secular? How can critical political thought respond to attempts to re-found politics along religious or theo-political lines? What would a project of rethinking the secular ‘all the way down’ entail? This seminar in theory will explore these questions through an examination of dilemmas of sovereignty, community, justice and violence as developed in continental political philosophy – Schmitt, Benjamin, Lefort, Agamben, Derrida, Nancy, Zizek, Badiou. (Given by the Departments of Political Science and Religion). Registration in this course is through the Department of Religion. Prerequisite: POL320Y1 or permission of instructor. Exclusion: POL485H1(S), Section L0201 (taken in 2008-09). Recommended Preparation: POL320Y1 or a 300-level course in Philosophy or Philosophy of Religion or Anthropology of Religion
RLG458H1 Apocryphal Bible/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG459H1 Disciplining Islam/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG460H1 Ramayana in Literature, Theology and Political Imagination/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG461H1 Ismaili History and Thought: The Persian Tradition/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG462H1 Newar Religion/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG463H1 Causation, Movement and Time in Buddhist Scholastic Debate/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG464H1S History and Historiography of Buddhism L0101 (W12-2)/ Frances Garrett
This course examines histories of Buddhism authored inside and outside Asia, considering how various models of historiography affect our knowledge of Buddhism and Buddhist cultures. Readings will include translations of indigenous Buddhist histories, recent histories of Buddhism that have shaped the field of Buddhist Studies, and theoretical studies of historiography. Prerequisite: Instructor’s permission required for admission to course. Recommended Preparation: RLG206Y1/RLG206H5
RLG466H1 Buddhism and Society in East Asia/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG467H1 Theravada Practice/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG468H1 Religion and Society in Classical Japan/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG469Y1Y Readings in Tibetan Buddhism L0101 (TR4-6)/ Kunga Sherab
Advanced readings in Tibetan Buddhist literature. Tibetan language skills required. Prerequisite: Instructor’s permission required for admission to course
RLG470H1 Tantra in Tibet/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG471H1S Dharma, Artha and Kama L0101 (W12-2)/ Arti Dhand
Prerequisite: RLG205Y; Instructor’s permission required for admission to course.
RLG472H1 Religion and Aesthetics in South Asia/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG73H1 Vedanta Through the Ages/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG474H1S Sanskrit Readings L0101 (TR12-1:30)/ Ajay Rao
This course will have students read choice pieces of South Asian literature. While tackling a text in Sanskrit from a major literary tradition, Buddhist or Hindu, and discussing its content and context, students will learn strategies for translating and interpreting Sanskrit literature. Prerequisite: Intermediate Sanskrit
RLG482H1 The Taking of Human Life/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG483H1 Christian Political Philosophy/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG484H1 Religion and the Environment/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG486H1 Critiques of the Technological Society/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG487H1 Liberation Theology/ Not offered 2011-12
RLG490Y1F\RLG490Y1S\RLG490Y1\RLG491H1F\RLG492H1F\RLG492H1S\RLG493H1S\RLG493H1Y\RLG494Y1S\RLGY1Y Individual Studies\Staff
Student-initiated projects supervised by members of the Department. The student must obtain both a supervisor’s agreement and the Department’s approval in order to register. The maximum number of Individual Studies one may take is two full course equivalents. Deadline for submitting applications to Department including supervisor’s approval is the first week of classes of the session.