COURSE NUMBER: | THEO 373 | |||||||||||||||
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COURSE TITLE: | Christian Theology Engages other Religions | |||||||||||||||
NAME OF INSTRUCTOR: | Dr. Doug Harink | |||||||||||||||
CREDIT WEIGHT AND WEEKLY TIME DISTRIBUTION: | credits 3 (hrs lect 3 - hrs sem 0 - hrs lab 0) | |||||||||||||||
COURSE DESCRIPTION: | What about "other religions"? This course engages issues that are
raised by the encounter of the Christian faith with other religions. We
explore biblical and theological perspectives on the reality of
multiple religions, addressing such questions as revelation, truth,
pluralism, salvation, mission, tolerance and politics. This course does not fulfill theology foundations requirements. Prerequisites: THEO 250 and PHIL 230 | |||||||||||||||
REQUIRED TEXTS: |
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MARK DISTRIBUTION IN PERCENT: |
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COURSE OBJECTIVES: | Plurality of religions has become a fact in modern western
societies, and a pervasive reality in a world of rapid travel, global
communications and mass media. Canadians are aware of the “universe
next door,” whether through contact with neighbours, friends or
classmates from different cultures and/or religions, or through
awareness of the beliefs and practices of more distant neighbours.
Canadian culture is itself an experiment in “principled pluralism,”
where (in principle) we affirm and celebrate the multitude of cultural
and religious backgrounds of our First Nations as well as those of
early and recent immigrants, rather than reject them or homogenize them
into a uniform culture. We call it multi-culturalism. This
multi-faceted pluralist context, nationally and globally, poses both
challenge and promise for Christian witness in the modern world. In this course students will be introduced to issues that the encounter with people of other cultures, “religions” and ways of life in North America and around the world raise for Christian faith. We will critically examine the very idea of “religion” itself as a western European concept. We will learn how the fact of non-Christian peoples and ways of life poses intriguing and complex theological questions, challenges, and possibilities for Christians seeking to understand and engage them. We will examine how the Christian scriptures and basic Christian doctrines enable us to engage the plurality of beliefs and ways of life. Our goal is to develop a Christian theology of religions and cultures oriented by Christian belief in the triune God of Israel and in the unique and universally normative reality and truth of Jesus Christ, as attested by the Church’s scriptures and creeds. On this basis we will shape a theology which enables us to be appreciative and critical in our study of other religions and cultures and to engage their members with openness, humility, grace, and confidence. By completing this course students may expect to gain:
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