Department of Religion
Dunton Tower 2121
Telephone: 520-2100
The Department
Chair of the Department: J.G. Ramisch
Supervisor of Graduate Studies: J.P. Dourley
The Department of Religion offers programs of study leading to
the degree of the Master of Arts.
Master of Arts
Admission Requirements
The minimum requirement for admission to the master's program
is an honours bachelor's degree in religion (or the equivalent)
with at least high honours standing.
Applicants who do not hold an honours degree in religion (or the
equivalent) will be required to register in a qualifying-year
program before proceeding to the master's program.
The regulations governing the qualifying year are outlined in
the General Regulations section of this Calendar.
Program Requirements
The student will choose a program of study concentrating on one
of the following major areas: comparative religion, with special
emphasis on one of the major traditions; biblical and ancient
near eastern studies; and modern religious thought and culture.
Candidates must follow either a thesis or non-thesis program.
The specific requirements are as follows:
Thesis Program
- Seminars equivalent to 1.0 credit in major area
- Seminars equivalent to 1.0 credit, selected from one or both
of the other areas
- Tutorial in major area for 1.0 credit
- Thesis (equivalent to 2.0 credits) on a topic in major area,
which must be defended at an oral examination
Non-Thesis Program
- Seminars equivalent to 3.0 credits; of these, at least 1.0
credit (or the equivalent) of seminar courses must be from the
major area, at least 1.0 credit from a second area, and at least
1.0 credit from the remaining area
- Comprehensive reading course in major area
- 1.0 additional credit in major area
The student's program will be worked out in consultation with,
and with the approval of, the department's supervisor of graduate
studies and its committee on graduate studies. The prescribed
program will take into account the student's background and special
interests, as well as the research interests and competence of
the staff.
Deadlines
Thesis Proposal
In the case of the thesis program, full-time students will normally
submit their thesis proposal to the thesis proposal board by the
end of the first month of their second term in the master's program.
Thesis
Regulations governing requirements for the master's thesis, including
deadlines for submission, are outlined in the General Regulations
section of this Calendar, Section 12.
Guidelines for Completion of Master's Degree
Full-time students in the master's program are normally expected
to complete all requirements within two years of entry into the
program. Part-time students normally complete all requirements
within five years of the date of entry into the program.
Language Requirements
The student will be required to acquire, or to demonstrate that
he/she already has, a reading knowledge of whatever language is
essential to his/her research.
Students are advised to consult the departmental handbook for
further regulations.
Graduate Courses*
- Religion 34.512T2, S2
Tutorial in Comparative Religion
- Religion 34.513F1, W1, S1
Directed Studies in Comparative Religion
Seminar for additional study in this area.
- Religion 34.520F1
Seminar in Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies
Topic for 1996-97: Critical Theory and the Bible
An exploration of trends in biblical scholarship influenced by
current literary theory and the philosophy of language. Selected
biblical texts from Deuteronomy through 2 Kings are interpreted
according to these new approaches.
Also offered at the undergraduate level, with different requirements,
as 34.486, for which additional credit is precluded.
(Also offered as Comparative Literary Studies 17.582)
- Religion 34.522T2,S2
Tutorial in Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies
- Religion 34.523F1, W1, S1
Directed Studies in Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies
Seminar for additional study in this area.
- Religion 34.530F1
Seminar in Modern Religious Thought and Culture
Topic for 1996-97: Jung and Mystical Experience
The seminar examines Jung's hermeneutic of mystical experience
and his treatment of such specific mystics as Mechthilde of Magdeburg
(extended to Hadejwich of Antwerp), Meister Eckhart, and Jacob
Boehme.
- Religion 34.531W1
Seminar in Modern Religious Thought and Culture
Topic for 1996-97: The Impact of Feminist Research on the Study
of Religion
The seminar explores the diverse contributions feminist theory
and practice have made to the study of religion during the past
two decades. From early questions about content and focus, to
later more fundamental paradigm shifts in method and theory, feminist
work is examined, and the impact it has had upon the sub-disciplines
of religious studies is assessed.
- Religion 34.532T2, S2
Tutorial in Modern Religious Thought and Culture
- Religion 34.533F1, W1, S1
Directed Studies in Modern Religious Thought and Culture
Seminar for additional study in this area.
- Religion 34.543F1 or W1
The Anthropology of Signs and Symbols
This course will examine various theoretical and methodological
approaches to the anthropology of signs and symbols, their internal
workings, and their relationship to other aspects of social life.
These approaches may include structural and post-structural semiotics,
psychoanalysis, feminism, critical anthropology, neuroanthropology,
hermeneutics, and phenomenology. Discussions are grounded through
illustrative analyses of concrete case studies and exemplary cases
of possible interpretive strategies.
Prerequisite: Permission of the Department.
(Also offered as Anthropology 54.543)
- Religion 34.590T2, S2
M.A. Comprehensive Reading
Not open to students pursuing a thesis program.
- Religion 34.599F4, W4, S4
M.A. Thesis
Courses Not Offered in 1996-97
- 34.510 Seminar in Comparative Religion
- 34.511 Seminar in Comparative Religion
- 34.521 Seminar in Biblical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies