Effective: 2022-05-01

Course Description

The course outline below was developed as part of a statewide standardization process.

General Course Purpose

REL 230 introduces students to the world's major religious traditions. The course is designed to enhance student's global awareness of peoples and cultures. Students will explore diverse religious philosophies and practices in an effort to understand how they shed light on the nature, meaning, and struggle of human existence and current world events.

Course Objectives

• Civic Engagement: Cultural and Social Understanding
• Respectfully engage with people from diverse religious and cultural backgrounds.
• Appreciate the value of religious diversity in the world and in the local community.
• Discuss the historical and ideological connections among the religions studied.
• Critical Thinking
• Compare and contrast the similarities and differences in the major world religions in terms of philosophy, values, ethics, and practice.
• Critically interpret religious texts, images, values, ethics, and symbols.
• Analyze and discuss the relationship between religion and society in various times and places, including current world events and contemporary issues (e.g. the role and status of women, assimilation into new cultures, LBGTQ concerns, science and religion, environmental concerns, etc.).
• Professional readiness
• Positively interact and cooperate with others in a mutually supportive environment (work, school, community).
• Be a model of tolerance and respect for others.
• Judaism
• Identify, define, and accurately use relevant terms and concepts such as: Torah, Patriarchs, Moses, Covenant, Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Rabbi, Temple vs. Synagogue, etc.
• Summarize the origins and important historical development of Judaism including: The Patriarchs, The Exodus, Hebrew Monarchy, Rabbinic Period, Modern Judaism.
• Outline the basic beliefs, values, and ethical teachings of Judaism including: monotheism, religious law, life and family, etc.
• Outline the basic practices of Judaism including: Sabbath, annual holy days, life cycle events, kosher, etc.
• Identify and discuss the sacred texts of Judaism including: Torah, The Hebrew Bible, Talmud.
• Christianity
• Identify, define, and accurately use relevant terms and concepts such as: Trinity, Christ, and others noted.
• Summarize the origins and important historical development of Christianity including: Jesus, Paul, early history in the Roman Empire, development of and differentiation between denominations (Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant).
• Outline the basic beliefs, values, and ethical teachings of Christianity including: The Trinity, Original Sin, Salvation, etc.
• Outline the basic practices of Christianity including the Sacraments and liturgical calendar holy day periods of Advent, Christmas, Epiphany and Ash Wednesday, Lent, Holy Week, Easter and Pentecost.
• Identify and discuss the sacred texts of Christianity including development, content, and canonization of the New Testament.
• Islam
• Identify, define, and accurately use relevant terms and concepts such as: Muhammad, Quran, Five Pillars, etc.
• Summarize the origins and important historical development of Islam, including the life of Muhammad, development of Sunni-Shi'ite split.
• Outline the basic beliefs, values, and ethical teachings of Islam including the Six Articles of Faith and Shariah.
• Outline the basic practices of Islam, including the Five Pillars.
• Identify and discuss the sacred texts of Islam, including Qur'an, Hadith and Sunnah.
• Hinduism
• Identify, define, and accurately use relevant terms and concepts such as: Dharma, karma, samsara, moksha, yoga, varna, etc.
• Summarize the origins and important historical development of Hinduism.
• Outline the basic beliefs, values, and ethical teachings of Hinduism including Brahman-Atman, Karma, Samsara, Moksha, Dharma, etc.
• Outline the basic practices of Hinduism, including the Yogas and Puja.
• Identify and discuss the sacred texts of Hinduism, including the Vedas, Great Epics and Bhagavad Gita
• Buddhism
• Identify, define, and accurately use relevant terms and concepts such as: Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, Nirvana, Four Noble Truths, Eightfold Path, etc.
• Summarize the origins and important historical development of Buddhism including the life of Buddha, spread and diversification of major "schools" of Buddhism.
• Outline the basic beliefs, values, and ethical teachings of Buddhism including the Four Noble Truths, Five Precepts, Triple Jewel.
• Outline the basic practices of Buddhism including the Eightfold Path, meditation, monasticism.
• Identify and discuss the sacred texts of Buddhism, including Tripitaka, Mahayana Sutras, Dhammapada, and others.
• Other Religions (May extend to exploring other religions or religious movements such as Sikhism, Religion in China, Indigenous Religions, and New Religious Movements.)
• Identify, define, and accurately use relevant terms and concepts.
• Summarize the origins and important historical development of the religion(s).
• Outline the basic beliefs, values, and ethical teachings of the religion(s).
• Outline the basic practices of the religion(s).
• Identify and discuss the sacred texts of the religion(s).

Major Topics to be Included

• Judaism
• Christianity
• Islam
• Hinduism
• Buddhism
• Other Religions (may be covered at discretion of the instructor, as time allows)