“I often say that if I headed back to college today, I would major in comparative religions rather than political science … because religious actors and institutions are playing an influential role in every region of the world.” John Kerry, former United States Secretary of State.
This course is an introduction to the religious traditions of Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Taoism, Christianity and Islam. The course examines the historical evolution, fundamental doctrines and beliefs, practices, institutions and cultural expressions of these religious traditions.
How do people in each tradition articulate the central symbols, tenets, and practices of their faith in the context of the questions and challenges of the modern world? How do people in each tradition think about their own faith in the light of the diversity of other religious traditions? Is religious diversity and difference a problem? What is the spectrum of religious perspectives within each tradition? The course also deals with some of the essential differences and similarities which exist among each religious tradition, and points to the uniqueness of each of them.