PHIL 267 - Comparison of Religions

5.0 Credits
Historical and philosophical study of the major religious traditions of the world. Presentations, readings, discussionand self-reflection. Students compare and contrast religious traditions as avenues in the perennial search for meaning.
Prerequisite Placement in ENGL 99.
Course-level Learning Objectives (CLOs)
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

Identify and describe: Date, Geographical Location, Major Characteristics of: (some or all of these and others as appropriate) a. Religions of Ancient Civilizations, Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Chinese b. Greek and Roman, Living Religions of Today, Native American, Vedantism, Judaism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Shinto, Parsis, Sikhism.
Identify and describe the major academic approaches to religion: (some or all of these and others as appropriate) a. Religion from the inside, Theology, Interpretation of Scriptures, Ethics, Worship b. Religion from the outside, Anthropology, Sociology, History, Phenomenological Studies.
Identify and describe the nature and role of myths, symbols, ritual (most notably that of the ritual of sacrifice), priesthood, oracles, temples and other monuments, magic, meditation, and scripture.
Compare and contrast the major teachings of the living religions. Concerning Deity: Monism, Dualism, Pantheism, Polytheism, Monotheism, Atheism, Secularism. Concerning life after death: Reincarnation, heaven/hell. Concerning human responsibility: Sin, liberation, karma, enlightenment, ego, grace. Relation to other religions: Synthesis-dialogue-holy war.

Course Typically Offered
Fall