World Religions (Ontario
Course Profile for HRT 3M)
|
Unit
1: We Encounter Mystery |
|
Cluster |
Focus |
Links |
| 1
Who Are We? |
An
introduction to religious belief as the human response to an
encounter with Mystery, and our inevitable quest for meaning.
|
|
| 2
Tools
for Studying Religion |
Continued
analysis of the rationale for studying world religions as well
as the application of tools for studying world religions including
study resources, a cursory geographic and historical overview
of world religions as well as an analytic model for exploring
religions. |
|
|
3
Aboriginal Spirituality |
An
overview of Aboriginal
Spirituality as a response to mystery. This includes a summary
of different tribes beliefs about the sacred, sacred stories
and rituals, values and beliefs. There is an exploration of
Aboriginal-Christian relations. |
|
Unit
2: We Listen |
|
Cluster |
Focus |
Links |
4
“Hear O Israel” – Revelation and the Jewish Story |
An
introduction to the Jewish story of God’s intervention in their
history with an emphasis on the struggle for survival. |
Timeline
of the history of the Judaism. http://www.usisrael.org/jsource/History/timeline.html.
The
following web site is an excellent source for teachers to gain
some background information on the history of Judaism. The site
includes a detailed timeline of the major events in Judaism.
When logging onto the web site, click on "Judaism after
the Babylonian exile" icon – information included on the
web page includes details on the second temple built, Diaspora
Hellenism, the Macabbean revolt, and other details of this era.--Emilio
Belmonte
An
Overview of Israelite and Jewish History http://catholic-resources.org/Bible/History-Israelite&Jewish.htm
by Felix Just, S.J., Ph.D. A Timeline with hyperlinks to relevant
websites describing the events in more detail.
Judeo-Christian
History: Study Guide http://catholic-resources.org/Bible/Judeo-Xn-History-StudyGuide.htm
Several
series of questions to help students learn the above material
more easily--Fr Felix Just
Second Temple Judaism: A Brief Historical Outline
www.westmont.edu/~fisk/Articles/jewhista.htm
Another
annotated timeline by Prof. Bruce N. Fisk, Westmont College
|
| 5
Judaism Today Practice And Worship |
The
Jewish people’s practice of their faith in worship and in family
life |
Jewish
frequently asked questions. http://www.jewfaq.org/toc.htm.
Religious
symbols for various world religions are examined in each unit
of study in the grade 11 world religions course. Religious symbols
are an outward representation of God. Symbols help individuals
strengthen their relationship with God. Moreover, the web site
offers background information specifically on symbols related
to Judaism. When logging on the site click on "signs and
symbols" icon.--Emilio Belmonte |
| 6
Jewish-Christian Relations |
Contemporary
Jewish- Christian relationships and the struggle for harmony
set in the context of centuries of Jewish persecution.
|
Jewish
Christian Relations www.jcrelations.net/en/
WELCOME
to jcrelations.net, which is devoted to fostering mutual respect
and understanding between Christians and Jews around the world.
Here you will find articles, reviews, reports, official statements,
and study resources on Jewish-Christian relations, as well as
links to many related organizations. Please click on Contact
to offer feedback or propose additions to the site.-website |
|
7
“In your hearing...” Revelation
and the Church 30-500 |
The
Jewish people find meaning out of revelation. The emergence
of the Christian Church as a participant in the same struggle
to find meaning. |
A
Page of Babylonian Talmud www.ucalgary.ca/~elsegal/TalmudPage.html
This site
shows a typical page of the Talmud in which one form of text
wraps around another, written in different scripts. Each paragraph
of the main text contains references to the Bible and to rabbinic
interpretations of the law; the framing commentary, which also
appears on each page, contains references to legal codes, related
citations and conflicting opinions. Each page of the Talmud
is an intricate conversation, linked by connections to a sacred
text.
Early
Christian Studies Resource Page http://moses.creighton.edu/NAPS/napslinks/index.htm
An extensive
page of links to sites in Early Church History. Quite academic.
|
|
| Unit
3: We Surrender |
|
Cluster |
Focus |
Links |
8
The Story of Islam |
Introduction
to the story of Islam as an endeavour to attain peace through
surrender. Students
explore history of Islam including the life of the prophet Muhammad,
and other significant historical Muslim figures. |
History
of Islam
http://www.barkati.net/english/
This
site helps to outline the history of Islam, as well as the spread
of this religion to various parts of the world. A detailed chronology
is provided. There are also brief discriptions of the revival
of Islam and outlines of various reform organizations around
the world. The education and science systems are discussed as
well as the spread of Islamic scientific beliefs to other parts
of the world.
|
| 9
Islam Today |
An
introduction to Islam’s contemporary expression, its beliefs,
practices, ritual, symbols, sacred writings, sacred spaces,
art and artifacts; A focus on Muslim moral principles and the
impact of religious belief on family life and gender roles today. |
|
| 10
Islam and The Church 500-1000 |
An
analysis of Muslim- Christian relationships and interfaith dialogue.
Early Christianity’s surrender to the mystery with an emphasis
on the Monastic tradition and the Muslim tradition of Sufism. |
|
|
Unit 4: We Believe |
|
|
Cluster |
Focus |
Links |
|
11
The Story of Christianity |
The
story of Christianity continues from 1000 until 1600. The causes,
events and consequences of the Great Schism and the Reformation
are traced. |
|
| 12
Protestant and Orthodox Churches Today |
The
contemporary characteristics of Orthodox and Protestant denominations
are explored. |
|
| 13
Sacramentality |
An
examination of how the principle of Sacramentality has shaped
the Roman Catholic Church. |
|
|
Unit
5: We Search |
|
Cluster
|
Focus |
Links |
| 14
Hinduism |
An
introduction to the religions of the East; An exploration of
the various paths of salvation found in Hinduism (worship, knowledge,
prayer and action). |
Yoga
Basics www.yogabasics.com
In the Hinduism section of Unit 5 we focus on the Paths of Salvation
also called the 4 types of yoga. Raja yoga specifically practicing
hatha yoga (physical postures) for a week in the chapel (or
even throughout the rest of the semester) is a fun and highly
beneficial way to help students understand the concept of mind,
body, spirit balance. This website provides very specific information
on how to perform yoga and meditation. Start with the New users
section on the homepage and click on yoga for some general information
on history and types of yoga. Go back to the homepage and click
on yoga for beginners under the New users section. This section
starts with as lesson on breathing, then moves into how to practice
basic meditation, then provides a small picture but detailed
step by step description of how to perform a few basic postures,
and ends with a relaxation exercise. This section also provides
general guidelines such as when not to practice, modifying postures,
intensity and duration of practice etc. The section also includes
lists of recommended books, DVDs and videos, and music CDs.
--Katherine Anderson
Hindu
Kids Universe http://www.hindukids.org
An
introduction to the religions of the East; An exploration of
the various paths of salvation found in Hinduism (worship, knowledge,
prayer and action). At first glance, this interactive webpage
may seem elementary for high school students. However, since
the content is written in the children’s language (the page
is probably intended for children Hindu children), it makes
it easy for students to learn about the religion. It is highly
interactive. For example, when one clicks on ‘prayer’, a multimedia
pray book opens up. Not only can users flips through its pages,
some prayers and hymns can be played through the computer speakers.
Another section shows an animated version of the traditional
festivals. It is like a watching a cartoon movie, while still
learning about the origin / rationale of the festival. Students
can definitely learn and have some fun here! -- Kenny Ho |
| 15
Buddhism |
An
examination of Buddhism using the “Three Jewels” of Buddhism -- The Buddha; the Dharma (teaching)
and the Sangha (the community) -- as a framework. |
An
Introduction to Buddhism
www.ship.edu/~cgboeree/buddhaintro.html
The website was written for a course in Buddhist
philosophy and thus covers philosophical (8 fold path) rather
than theological content (heaven, hell, gods, demons, ghosts…).
The information is laid out in a clear table of contents with
straight forward headings (sub topics). The information within
each sub topic is thorough and accurate and supported by visuals
and quotes. Some of the sub topics that were particularly relevant
to the grade 11 course include The Life of Siddhartha Gautama,
A map of Buddha’s world that helps students see where Buddhism
began and where it spread (map can be easily printed out and
transferred to overhead), The history of Buddhism which outlines
the difference between the Theravada and Mahayana traditions,
Buddhism Hymns and Prayers to begin class, Buddhist Philosophy
including the 4 Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, and samsara,
and Buddhist Morality. All sub topics are very well organized,
thorough, concise and highly relevant to the course expectations.
--Katherine Anderson
Friends
of the Western Buddhist Order (FWBO) http://www.fwbo.org/buddhism.html
An
examination of Buddhism using the “Three Jewels” of Buddhism
-- The Buddha; the Dharma (teaching) and the Sangha (the community)
-- as a framework. This website tells a brief philosophy of
Buddhism, its teachings, its practices, and its festival. The
focus of the website is on the teachings of Buddhism (the “four
noble truths”, “the threefold way”, “the three jewels”). A section
of this website contains articles explaining the relevance of
its teachings to our daily lives. Some articles answer frequently
asked questions of its teachings and practices. (i.e. What happens
when we die? How do we live in harmony with nature?) Other articles
are personal stories and testimonials of how individuals have
lived their lives following the teachings of Buddhism. Teachers
can definitely use / assign this website for students to explore
and self discover the philosophies and the teachings of this
religion.--Kenny Ho
Buddhanet.net
http://www.buddhanet.net
This website is one of the most comprehensive
websites about Buddhism. Every fathomable topic is covered.
For those students that are visual or auditable learns there
are sections that contain multimedia presentations of chants
and discussions. Most importantly there is a section with a
syllabus for both Elementary and Secondary teacher , for teaching
our students about their religion (http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/buddhism/index.htm)--Greg
Bolton
|
| 16
Sikhism |
An
independent study of Sikhism applying the analytic model of
religion studied earlier in the course. |
The
Sikhism Home Page http://www.sikhs.org/
This site discusses the origin and development
of Sikhism, as well as giving a general introduction to the
philosophy and scriptures of this religion. This site extensively
talks about the way of life that the believers adopt. Finally,
it has a page dealing with several various resources, from Sikh
names to essays on specific aspects of Sikhism.
|
17
Christian West meets Religions of the East |
An
outline of Church history from 1600 to 1900 with a particular
concentration on the challenges of evangelization. An analysis
of the points of connection between Christian and Eastern religions
in church documents, and the stories of historical encounters. |
|
18
Prayer and Spirituality |
A
prayer experience which integrates various media and a reflection
upon the place of prayer in our studies. |
|
|
Unit
6: We Continue in Faith |
|
Cluster
|
Focus |
Links |
| 19
The Church 1900- to the present |
Introduction
to contemporary challenges faced by individuals and groups in
the continued quest for meaning. Emphasis will be placed on
the role of faith in this quest for meaning |
|
| 20
Secularism |
An
analysis of secularism in the quest for meaning. The critical
challenges to belief are explored. The role of the media is
examined. |
|
| 21
Sects and Cults |
An
analysis of sects and cults in the quest for meaning. |
|
