CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE
COLLEGE OF EXTENDED LEARNING

PRELIMINARY COURSE OUTLINE 2001
(final outline available at first class meeting)

World Religions: Western Traditions

Thursday Evenings, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Ticket Number 200120-195
Room Location to be Announced.

To Register For This Course, Please Call (818) 677-2504 or (818) 677-CSUN

Instructor:

Amir Hussain, Department of Religious Studies
Office: Faculty Office Building, Room 234
Phone: (818) 677-2741 (or Religious Studies Dept. at 677-3392)
Fax: (818) 677-3985
Email: amir.hussain@csun.edu
Web Page: http://www.csun.edu/~ah34999/

Course Description:

The humanities are central to understanding and enriching the human experience. An integral component of the humanities is the academic study of religion. For over two centuries the role of religion has been a major source of contention in the intellectual life of the West. Modernity itself is contested and defined in relationship to the status of religion. Any description of diversity and pluralism must include religion. This is self-evident in Southern California, with the multiplicity of religious traditions that are practised here.

This course is an introduction to the academic study of religion and to the historical traditions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Primal or "oral" religions will also be studied, and contrasted with "historical" religions (The traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism are examined in a separate course, World Religions: Eastern Traditions). The course examines the historical evolution, the fundamental doctrines and beliefs, the practices, institutions, and cultural expressions of these religious traditions. The course also deals with some of the essential differences and similarities which exist among each religious tradition, and points to the uniqueness of each of them.

Goals for students enrolled in this course are 1) to develop the ability to think both empathetically and critically about conflicting religious claims, and 2) to gain knowledge of the history and culture of several major religious traditions. This course will consist of lectures, video presentations, and classroom discussions. Guest speakers and visits to local religious sites are also a possibility.

Required Text for Purchase at the Bookstore:

Huston Smith, The Illustrated World's Religions (San Francisco: HarperCollins, 1998).

Lecture Outlines Will Be Available From The Instructor. Please Bring These Outlines To Each Class Meeting.

Schedule of Lectures:

February 15: Introductory Meeting. Aims and Methods In This Course. Introduction to "Western" Religions

February 22: Judaism

March 1: Judaism Continued

March 8: Movements Within Judaism (Reform, Conservative and Orthodox). The Beginnings of Christianity

March 15: Christianity Continued

March 22: Movements Within Christianity (Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant)

March 29: The Beginnings of Islam

April 5: Islam Continued

April 12: Spring Recess, No Class

April 19: Movements Within Islam (Sunni and Shi'a). Primal Traditions

April 26: The Interaction of Religions and The Academic Study of Religion

Return to Amir Hussain's Web Page