Introduction to concepts central to the academic study of religion, exploring various relevant methodologies. Provides a framework for understanding the many ways in which humans experience the phenomenon of the sacred through symbol, ritual, doctrine, and engagement, in a variety of religious traditions and cultures. Presents case studies in Ancient (Greek, Mesopotamian, and Egyptian), Abrahamic (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), and secular (post-) religions. Breadth-Humanities.

In-depth investigation of a specific aspect of religious history and tradition. Religions will be studied through the cultural and historical contexts that pervade and structure religious meaning and expression. May be repeated for credit when a different topic is taught. Prerequisite: 45 units. Recommended: HUM 130. Breadth-Humanities.

Charts the emergence and changes in the expression of human religious behavior. It covers the earliest rituals of the Palaeolithic, the importance of fertility cults, ancestor cults, alliance rituals, shamans, witchcraft, and monotheism. Breadth-Humanities/Social Sciences.

This course offers a broad survey of the development of classical Islamic civilization. It begins with an examination of the origins of Islam in seventh century Arabia and concludes with the break-up of the Abbasid Caliphate of Baghdad in the 13th century. Emphasis will be place on gaining an understanding of the doctrines of Islam, the significance of the rise and fall of the early Arab-Islamic empires, and the role of Islam in world history. Breadth-Humanities.

A survey of the cultural patterns, social and political forces, and historical contexts that have shaped the Islamic period of Indian history. Special attention will be directed toward the Mughal empire and its decline. Breadth-Humanities.

A survey of the history of Christianity from its origins to 1500. Breadth-Humanities. Breadth-Humanities.

An advanced examination of the complex history and patterns of the Religious Reformation in sixteenth century Europe. Emphasis will be placed on the religious thought of the period, and on its social and political context. Prerequisite: 45 units, including six units of lower division history. Strongly recommended: HIST 220 or 223.

The intellectual and social history of greater Iran from the Safavids to the twentieth century. Emphasis will be on the relationship between religion and politics. Prerequisite: 45 units, including six units of lower division history. Recommended: one of HIST 151, 249.

An advanced examination into the concepts and methodology of the history of religion. Content may vary from offering to offering; see course outline for further information. HIST 468W may be repeated for credit only when a different topic is taught. Prerequisite: 45 units, including nine units of lower division history. Writing.

Advanced analysis of specific problems in Islamic social and intellectual history, with an emphasis on traditional patterns and on their transformation in the modern world. Prerequisite: 45 units including nine units of lower division history. Recommended: one of HIST 249 or 352.

Introduction to the interdisciplinary field of religious studies, exploring basic methods for the academic study of religion. Provides a framework for understanding how religion is engaged in human cultures and societies and presents case studies in Indigenous, South Asian, and East Asian cultural contexts. Breadth-Humanities.

Study of key works influencing major religious traditions. Primary texts illustrate core elements in the religious understanding of human life and its relationship to the sacred. May be repeated once for credit when a different topic is taught. Prerequisite: HUM 130 is recommended. Breadth-Humanities.

Introduces the religions of ancient Greece and Rome. Archaeological materials, ancient texts and art are used to examine Graeco-Roman religions within their historical framework and understand how ancient peoples experienced religion. Examines the extent to which specific social, political and cultural developments impacted the religious landscape. Students with credit for HS 232 or HUM 216 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities.

Detailed interdisciplinary analysis of a selected topic, issue, or figure in the Middle Ages. May be repeated for credit when a different topic is taught. Prerequisite: 45 units. Breadth-Humanities.

Study of the humanistic, scientific, political, and ideological discourses deriving from concerns with the natural environment. Uses classic and contemporary sources to examine the interaction of humans with the non-human world, and includes such topics as human communities and nature, the immersion of the individual in nature, animal worlds, nature and the human habitat. May be repeated for credit when a different topic is taught. Prerequisite: 45 units. Breadth-Humanities.

In-depth investigation of a specific aspect of religious history and tradition. Religions will be studied through the cultural and historical contexts that pervade and structure religious meaning and expression. May be repeated for credit when a different topic is taught. Prerequisite: 45 units. Recommended: HUM 130. Breadth-Humanities.

Studies a specific Asian religious tradition through the cultural and historical contexts that structure religious meaning. May be repeated for credit when a different topic is taught. Prerequisite: 45 units. Breadth-Humanities.

Examines how religious beliefs, cultural expressions, and social structures interact to shape identities and public life. Through an interdisciplinary approach, students critically analyze historical and contemporary influences to uncover the profound impact of faith and culture on societal change. May be repeated for credit when a different topic is taught. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students with credit for HUM 360 under the title "Islam and Muslims in the West" may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities.

Interdisciplinary study of a selected theme that has made a lasting contribution to the humanistic tradition in more than one field of endeavour (e.g., philosophy, politics, literature, economics, religion). May be repeated once for credit when a different topic is taught. Prerequisite: 45 units. Students who have credit for a course with this content under another Humanities course may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities.

Special topic in the humanities to be offered by the Woodsworth chair. Prerequisite: 45 units.

Introduces the nature and goals of Indigenous Studies as an academic discipline that emphasizes cultures and homelands of First Peoples. Students with credit for FNST 101 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Humanities/Social Sciences.

An examination of fact and ideology in history and historic events involving contact between Indigenous and European peoples. The course will also address questions of research methodologies in studying Indigenous/European relations, such as the evaluation of oral history and written ethnohistoric sources. An additional focus will be on gender as it influences perspectives. Students with credit for FNST 201W may not take this course for further credit. Writing/Breadth-Social Sci.

Study of Indigenous peoples of BC and effects of historical and political processes on their livelihoods and homelands. Overview of indigeneity and connection to urbanization. Examines linguistic diversity and endangered state of BC First Nations languages; Indigenous ethnography; land rights movement; traditional cultural practices/beliefs; and social, educational and economic disparity. Prerequisite: Recommended: INDG 101. Students with credit for FNST 286 or SA 286 may not take this course for further credit.

Examines the social, political and legal forces that structure contemporary relationships between Indigenous peoples, settlers, and the state. Topics include anti-Indigenous racism; colonialism and knowledge production; sovereignty and nationhood; law and property; fiscal and economic relations; gender and race; and decolonization and solidarity. Students who have taken SA 442 under the title "Sociology of Indigenous-Settler Relations" in Fall 2021, Fall 2022, or Fall 2023 may not take this course for further credit. Breadth-Social Sciences.

An examination of the relations between religion and the social environment. Consideration will be given to classical theoretical debates in the anthropology and sociology of religion. Specific topics vary from year to year, and may include: religion in personhood and communities; religion, gender, ethnicity and social class; secularization and secularism; the role of religion in political mobilizations; interreligious relations; religious freedom and citizenship. Prerequisite: SA 101 or 150 or 201W.