COURSE TITLE: COMPARATIVE RELIGION. (COURSE OUTLINE)

COURSE TITLE: COMPARATIVE RELIGION (2^ND YEAR - 2^ND SEMESTER)

COURSE CODE: REL 221

CREDIT HOURS: 3 HRS PER WEEK

1. AIM:

§ To give students a comparative knowledge of the World major religions i.e. African Traditional Religion, Islam and Christianity.

2. OBJECTIVES:

§ To give students basic understanding of ATR.

§ To give students an understanding of the basic Islamic beliefs and practices.

§ To give students an understanding of the basic Christian beliefs and practices.

§ To enable students compare and contrast ATR, Islam & Christianity.

3. LEARNING OUTCOMES:

On successful completion of this course, students should be able to:

§ Appreciate the role of religion in everyday life.

§ Recognize and appreciate the practical implications of following a given religion.

§ Develop empathy and sensitivity when dealing with divergent views and pluralism of belief.

§ Explain the basic beliefs and practices of ATR, Islam and Christianity.

§ Compare and contrast ATR, Islam and Christianity.

4. COURSE ASSESSMENT:

Continuous assessment tests, term papers, class presentations, Quiz (40%) and end of semester exams (60%).

COURSE OUTLINE:

1. General introduction to religion:

·         The meaning of Comparative Religion.

·         Reasons for studying Comparative Religion.

·         Functions of religion.

·         Dimensions/Themes of religion.

2. African Traditional Religion (ATR):

(i) Meaning of ATR.

(ii) Origin of ATR:

·         Characteristics

·         Misconceptions about ATR.

(iii) Where ATR is found

(iv) African belief in mystical powers

(v) Belief in God:

·         The concept of God in ATR

·         African names of God

·         The nature of God

·         Worship of God

·         Separation between God and man (the concept of the origin of evil)

(vi) Rites of passage (Events of life):

·         Birth

·         Initiation

·         Marriage

·         Death

3. Islam:

(i) Meaning of Islam

(ii) The historical background of Islam:

·         Pre-Islamic life situation

·         The Prophet Muhammad and the beginning of Islam

(iii) Sources of Islamic Doctrines (sharia):

·         The Holy Qur’an

·         The Hadith/Sunna

·         I’jma

·         Qiyas

(iv) The Fundamental articles of Islamic faith

(v) The five pillars of Islam:

·         Shahada (Kalimah)

·         Salat

·         Zakat

·         Sawm

·         Hajj

(vi) The duties of human relationship:

·         Moral values

·         The family

·         Marriage in Islamic law

·         The position of women in Islam

·         Crime and punishment

·         Jihad in Islam

(vii) The unity and diversity among Muslims:

·         The Umma

·         The nature of Islamic unity

·         Diversity within the Umma (the Sunni, Shia, Sufi)

(viii) Islam and the modern world:

·         Islamic view of Christian beliefs

·         The Christian view of Islamic beliefs

·         Reconciliation and dialogue

4. Christianity:

(i)Meaning of Christianity

(ii)Historical background

·         Judaism and Christianity

·         Jesus and Judaism

·         Jesus Christ

·         His life and teaching

(iii) Founding and growth of the church

·         The four gospels

·         The early Church

·         Problems faced by the early Church

(iv) The Christian beliefs and teachings:

·         The Holy Bible

·         The Trinity

·         The communion of saints and forgiveness of sins

·         Heaven, purgatory, hell.

·         The last judgment

·         The creeds

(v) The major divisions in Christianity

·         The great schism

·         The Roman Catholic tradition

·         The Orthodox tradition

·         Protestantism (Martin Luther & John Calvin)

·         The Church of England/Anglican Church

·         The Nonconformist or Free Churches

(vi) Challenges of Christianity today

·         Ecumenism

·         Enculturation

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

1. Huston Smith (1991): The World religions, Harper San Francisco.

2. Jeffrey Brodd (1997): World Religions (A voyage of Discovery). St. Mary’s Press, Minnesota.

3. Magesa Laurent 2002): African Religion, Paulines Publications, Nairobi.

4. Mbiti John S. (1991): Introduction to African Religion, 2^nd revised edition East African Educational publishers Ltd. Nairobi/Kampala.

5. Ibid (1998): African Religions and Philosophy, Heineman Educational Books Ltd London.

5. Mugambi J. N. K (1993): Comparative study of Religion, Nairobi University Press.

6. Nigosian S. A (1990):  World Faiths. St. Martin’s Press, New York.

7. Ray Colledge (1999): Mastering World Religions. Macmillan Press Ltd, Hong Kong.

8. The New Jerusalem Bible

9. The Noble Qur’an