REL 2300 - World Religions

College of Fine Arts and Humanities

Credit(s): 3
Contact Hours: 47
Effective Term Fall 2025 (655)

Requisites

Prerequisite Dev Level 2 Writing Met or
Prerequisite satisfactory score on the SPC placement test.

Course Description

This course is an introduction to the ideas and traditions of the major world religions in their historical and contemporary forms. This includes an analysis of sources from the Western canon that includes the Hebrew Bible, Christian New Testament and Qur'an. This course partially satisfies the writing requirements outlined in the General Education and Enhanced World View Requirements. Study Abroad opportunities may apply to this course (https://blog.spcollege.edu/international/study-abroad/).

Course Topics

Topic 1
  Study Abroad-India
Topic 2
  Study Abroad- Israel

Learning Outcomes and Objectives

  1. The student will describe the central themes, narratives, and doctrines presented in worldwide religious traditions in both historical and current contexts by:
    1. explaining how stories of founders and reformers shape beliefs and practices.
    2. identifying how geography, tradition, and culture influence religious ideas.
    3. summarizing the core principles, philosophical arguments, and theological concepts, noting how they have evolved over time.
    4. comparing the ways religions interpret and express key themes such as creation, salvation, purpose, suffering, and the afterlife.
    5. discussing how contemporary issues impact the interpretation of religious stories and writings.
  2. The student will analyze the intertextual relationships between various primary texts, including but not limited to, the connections between the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, the influence of the Qur’an on Islamic thought, and the role of early Christian writings in shaping religious doctrine by:
    1. identifying primary texts within different religions and explaining their historical significance.
    2. exploring the themes and teachings found in a variety of primary texts.
    3. explaining how religious texts reinterpret or build upon earlier scriptures within and across traditions.
    4. interpreting the influence of translation, language, and literary form on the understanding of religious texts.
  3. The student will explore how sacred space, time, and ritual are defined and expressed through the human creative spirit by:
    1. examining how art, music, and architecture reflect and shape sacred places, beliefs, and practices.
    2. identifying specific examples of religious places and holidays and explaining their significance for the religions they represent.
    3. examining how pilgrimage, festivals, and communal gatherings demonstrate shared spiritual experiences and community identity.
    4. comparing the ways different religions mark significant life events (birth, coming of age, marriage, death) through ritual.  

Criteria Performance Standard

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will, with minimum 70% accuracy, demonstrate mastery of each of the above stated objectives through classroom or online measures developed by the individual course instructors.

History of Changes

DBT 5/15/90 Effective Session 19911. 3 YR C&I Review 1993-94. C&I 12/95, DBT 1/24/96 Effective 19961. C&I 11/23/99, DBT 12/14/99, Effective Session 20001. Online 20001 SCNS change effective 20001. 3 Year Review 2003. Mention of GR removed eff 20061 0370. 3 Year Review 2007. Amended prerequisites effective 20112(0450). C&I Approval: 10/12/2010, BOT Approval: 11/16/2010, Effective Term: Spring 2011 (435). C&I Approval: , BOT Approval: , Effective Term: Spring 2016 (510). C&I Approval: 11/20/2015, BOT Approval: 03/15/2016, Effective Term: Summer 2016 (515). C&I Approval: , BOT Approval: , Effective Term: Summer 2021 (590).
C&I Approval: , BOT Approval: , Effective Term: Fall 2025 (655)

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  7. Biology (BIO-TR) (670) (Active)
  8. Biology (BIO-TR) (670) (Draft)
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