2012-2013 Academic Year Calendar - Marianopolis

Creative Arts, Literature and Languages: Religious Studies - SpanishEarly Modern Philosophy340-LCD-MS (3-0-3) 2 creditsThis course offers a survey of themajor figures in Western philosophyduring the 17th and 18th centuries, aperiod which marked the transitionfrom the medieval to the modernapproach in both philosophy andscience. After a general survey of theperiod itself, we focus on some of thecentral issues in philosophy duringthis period: epistemology (what canwe know?), metaphysics (what is thenature of reality?) and ethics (howshould we act?). In examining thework of Descartes, Hume and othermodern thinkers students will discovertheories that have shaped thedevelopment of both philosophyand science in the modern world.Religious Studies (370)The study of religion is crucial ifwe want to gain an in-depth understandingof ourselves and our world.Religious Studies explores variousreligious traditions from theperspective of scripture, ritual, oraltradition, and more.On the Track of the Gods: AnIntroduction to World ReligionsThrough the Theme of Death andDying370-LEB-MS (3-0-3) 2 creditsNo matter where you come from, whoyou are or what you believe in, onething is certain: you will die. On this,everyone agrees. What we don’t agreeon is, at what moment does deathactually occur? What do we do withthe body once it has occurred? Howis the community expected to respondto death? And what do we believehappens after? All of these questionsare dealt with in one form or anotherby religion. This course exploresthese questions from both a secularperspective and through the lens offive of the great religions of the world– namely, Judaism, Christianity,Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism.Judaism, Christianity and Islam:An Introduction to Jewish,Christian and Muslim Scriptures370-LEA-MS (3-0-3) 2 creditsThe purpose of this course is tointroduce students to the scriptures ofthe three great monotheistic religionsof the West. The course is subdividedinto three units of study. Studentsbegin with Judaism and the Hebrewscriptures, proceed to Christianity andthe New Testament, and concludewith Islam and the Qur’an. In eachcase, students explore a few foundingscriptural passages and somesubsequent interpretations of them.Eastern Religions: An Introductionto Hinduism and Buddhism370-LFA-MS (3-0-3) 2 creditsThis course has as its main objectiveto introduce students to Hinduism andBuddhism. The first half of the courseis devoted to Hinduism, with a specialemphasis on doctrine and mythology,and the second half is devoted toBuddhism, as it is practiced primarilyin the Theravâda tradition.Varieties of Religious Experience:Mysticism & Spiritual Experiences370-LCB-MS (3-0-3) 2 creditsMysticism and spiritual experiencescan be studied in a number of ways.The first part of this course considersthe subject in the context of thevarious religious traditions (e.g.Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism,Christianity). The second part of thecourse explores the subject in thecontext of the modern world with anemphasis on drugs and mysticism,meditation and altered states ofconsciousness, and the psychologyof religious experiences.Spanish (607)Learning a new language is the key toopening a door to a whole newUniverse.Canadians share a continent withmore than 400 million Spanishspeakingpeople. Spanish is the firstlanguage of 45 million U.S. citizens.With the North American Free TradeAgreement, links between Canadaand Mexico are becoming moreimportant. Spain is a full-fledgedmember of the European Community.As Canadians undertake businessexpansion abroad, knowledge of theSpanish language and culture canprovide a wealth of opportunities.Students with some knowledgeof Spanish wishing to take aSpanish course should consultthe Marianopolis Spanish WebPage or a Spanish teacher todetermine their level.Spanish I607-LEA-MS (3-0-3) 2 creditsFrom day one, beginner students useSpanish to communicate. Following anaudio-lingual communicative method,they acquire basic language structuresand vocabulary and learn to functionin everyday situations. Creative use oflanguage acquisition is activelyencouraged. Vocabulary and grammarare also reinforced through exercises.Spanish I students are required to reada short story in Spanish.87