2/5/2025 12:35:00 PM	RELS 2 Course Outline as of Fall 2025	Changed Course
CATALOG INFORMATION
Discipline and Nbr:  RELS 2	Title:  WORLD RELIGIONS
Full Title:  World Religions
Last Reviewed:1/27/2025

Units		Course Hours per Week			Nbr of Weeks	Course Hours Total
Maximum	3.00	Lecture Scheduled	3.00		17.5 max.	Lecture Scheduled	52.50
Minimum	3.00	Lab Scheduled	0		6 min.	Lab Scheduled	0
		Contact DHR	0			Contact DHR	0
		Contact Total	3.00			Contact Total	52.50
		Non-contact DHR	0			Non-contact DHR Total	0

Total Out of Class Hours:  105.00

Total Student Learning Hours: 157.50

Title 5 Category:  AA Degree Applicable
Grading:  Grade or P/NP
Repeatability:  00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP
Also Listed As: 
Formerly:  PHIL 8

Catalog Description:

Students will be introduced to doctrines, beliefs, historical development, and practices of the major religions of the world.

Prerequisites/Corequisites:

Recommended Preparation:
Eligibility for ENGL C1000 or equivalent

Limits on Enrollment:

Schedule of Classes Information
Description:

Students will be introduced to doctrines, beliefs, historical development, and practices of the major religions of the world.

(Grade or P/NP)
Prerequisites:
Recommended:Eligibility for ENGL C1000 or equivalent
Limits on Enrollment:
Transfer Credit:CSU;UC.
Repeatability:00 - Two Repeats if Grade was D, F, NC, or NP

ARTICULATION, MAJOR, and CERTIFICATION INFORMATION

Associate Degree:		Effective:	Fall 1981	Inactive:
Area:	E H	Humanities Global Perspective and Environmental Literacy
CSU GE:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
	C2	Humanities		Fall 1981
IGETC:	Transfer Area			Effective:	Inactive:
	3B	Humanities		Fall 1981
CSU Transfer:	Transferable	Effective:	Fall 1981	Inactive:
UC Transfer:	Transferable	Effective:	Fall 1981	Inactive:
C-ID:

Certificate/Major Applicable: Both Certificate and Major Applicable

COURSE CONTENT

Student Learning Outcomes:
At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

1. Identify major tenets of the world's major religions.

2. Critically analyze the primary doctrines of the major world religions.

3. Articulate the diversity of religious practices throughout the world.

 

Objectives:

At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

 

1. Analyze and evaluate the main doctrines of the major world religions.

2. Compare and contrast the differing categories of religious expression.

3. Describe the tenets, cultural setting, historical development and global spread of each of the religions covered.

Topics and Scope

Topics include:

 

I. The major world religions include, but are not necessarily limited to, Hinduism, Buddhism, the Chinese Traditions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

II. Key concepts used in the study of world religions include, but are not limited to, ultimate reality, theology, cosmology, afterlife, monotheism vs. polytheism, morality, history, rituals, scripture.

III. The tenets, cultural setting, and historical development of the world's religions include, but are not limited to:

    A. Hinduism (Bhagavad Gita, Trimurti & Devi, avatars & numerous deities, Brahman-Atman, maya, karma, samsara, caste system, four stages of life,  yoga paths)

    B. Buddhism (life of Buddha, relation to Hinduism, Triple Treasure, Four Truths, Eightfold Path, Paramitas, Pali Canon, nirvana, bodhisattva, Theravada vs. Mahayana, zen, Tibetan Vajrayana; primacy of meditation practice and mind training)

    C. Chinese Traditions (Confucian ideology, Taoist philosophy & the legend of Laozi, yin-yang-5-phases correlative cosmology, the folk tradition's pantheon of popular deities, ghosts, & ancestors; Chinese transformation of Buddhism)

    D. Judaism (creation, Patriarchs, Prophets, Exodus, Diaspora, relation to Christianity, Zionism,  Orthodox, Reform & Conservative branches, Holocaust)

    E. Christianity (life of Jesus, relation to Judaism, resurrection, disciples, early Christians, incarnation, original sin, Trinity last judgment, Roman Catholicism vs. Protestantism vs. Eastern Orthodoxy)

    F. Islam (life of Muhammad, Five Pillars, Sunnis vs. Shi'ites, Sufism, jihad, relation to Christianity & Judaism, fundamentalist political movements)

Assignments:

1. Readings from course text and/or supplementary materials.

2. Group discussion of specific issues raised in readings or lecture.

3. Short essays (500-1000 words each) comparing and contrasting various aspects of the major religions.

4. Research paper(s) (1250-2500 words each) defending a specific position on a comparative issue.

5. Quizzes, midterm, and/or final.

Methods of Evaluation/Basis of Grade.

Writing: Assessment tools that demonstrate writing skill and/or require students to select, organize and explain ideas in writing.		Writing 45 - 65%
Short essays, research paper
Problem solving: Assessment tools, other than exams, that demonstrate competence in computational or non-computational problem solving skills.		Problem Solving 0 - 0%
None
Skill Demonstrations: All skill-based and physical demonstrations used for assessment purposes including skill performance exams.		Skill Demonstrations 0 - 0%
None
Exams: All forms of formal testing, other than skill performance exams.		Exams 25 - 45%
Exams and quizzes
Other: Includes any assessment tools that do not logically fit into the above categories.		Other Category 10 - 20%
Class participation, group discussions

Representative Textbooks and Materials:

Invitation to World Religions (4th). Brodd, Jeffrey and Little, Layne and Nystrom, Brad. Oxford University Press: 2021

A Concise Introduction to World Religions (3rd). Edited by Oxtoby, Willard G. and Amore, Roy C. and Hyssain, Amir. Oxford University Press: 2015 (classic)

Religions of the World (13th). Hopfe, Lewis M. and Hendrickson, Brett R. Pearson: 2015 (classic)

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