World Religions

AY2014/2015 Semester 2

Religion is one of the most powerful forces shaping human life and history, often having a decisive effect on all aspects of cultures, from ethics to art, familial structures to political institutions. Understanding religion is essential for understanding culture, and grasping religious diversity is crucial for living in a globalized and multicultural world. HY9303 Comparative Religion will consist of a systematic study of religious traditions that have had a major impact on the world, traditions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The course will focus primarily on belief systems in these different traditions, although it will necessarily include some discussion of concrete religious rituals, institutions, and structures. We will also take advantage of the religious diversity in Singapore ? each student will be required to visit sites from at least two different religions. While each religion will be approached as a coherent whole, the orientation of the course will be comparative, attempting to show what religions share and where they commonly disagree (disputing the common claim that ?all religions say the same thing?). Our goal is not to evaluate these religious but rather to understand their different perspectives and implications.