Glossary

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World Religions - GENL1021

Faculty: Faculty of Law

School: Faculty of Law

Course Outline: See below

Campus: Sydney

Career: Undergraduate

Units of Credit: 6

EFTSL: 0.12500 (more info)

Indicative Contact Hours per Week: 3

CSS Contribution Charge: 1 (more info)

Tuition Fee: See Tuition Fee Schedule

Further Information: See Class Timetable

Available for General Education: Yes (more info)

View course information for previous years.

Description

This course offers students a general introduction to five of the world’s major religions with a special focus on the way in which their specific laws and customs impact upon the behaviour of their adherents. The religions studied are Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Each week a specific practical theme will be traced across the five religions. The themes include sacred images; scriptural texts; ethics; the three life-cycle rituals of birth, death and marriage; food and clothing customs; the calendar; religious architecture and popular places of pilgrimage. An objective, comparative approach will be taken and little prior knowledge of any religious tradition is required. A major focus of the course is the social relevance of religion in today’s society. Its aim is to deepen the student’s appreciation of the rich mosaic, which characterises the practical and legal dimensions of the world’s great religions.

Recommended Prior Knowledge

None

Course Objectives

An objective, comparative approach will be taken and little prior knowledge of any religious tradition is required. The overall aim is to deepen the student's appreciation of the rich mosaic, which characterises the practical and legal dimensions of the world's great religions. More specifically the course aims at facilitating the student's ability to:

Understand the historical origins and early development of each religion
Describe the various sources of their laws and customs
Outline the salient practical-legal features of each religion
Identify points of similarity and difference between the religions
Appreciate the inherent value and distinctive identity of each religious tradition

Main Topics

Sacred images and texts: ethics; life-cycle rituals; food and clothing; holy days and annual calendars; buildings and pilgrimage traditions.

Assessment

3000 word essay - 50%

Short mid-semester test - 10%

90 minute final test - 30%

Seminar Question - 5%

Class attendance - 5%

Course Texts

Prescribed

Paul Gwynne, World Religions in Practice: A Comparative Introduction (Wiley-Blackwell, 2008)

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Recommended:

A bibliography will be supplied.