SYBA PHILOSOPHY Comparative Religion Applied Component 2017 181 1 Syllabus Mumbai University by munotes
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SYBA Philosophy (2017 -18)
Course Title: Comparative Religions (Applied Component)
Credits: 02
Total Lectures: 60
Marks: 100
Semester 3 (UACR - 301)
The objectives of the paper on s tudy of major world r eligions are:
1. To arrive at an informed understanding of the diversity and complexity of World
Religions
2. To develop religious sensitivity necessary to understand the contemporary world
3. Through this understanding to lay the foundations for inter -faith dialogue, necessary for
peace and harmony in the society.
Unit - 1 : Zoroastria nism (15 lectures)
Beginnings of the Prophetic and monotheistic tradition. Foundation, rise and spread
with reference to geography and cultural milieu. Fundamental belief system —Ahura
Mazda and An gra Mainyu in opposition, Spiritual and Material World, Man, Evil,
Eschatology. Practices —Ritual purity, Prayer, Worship , Rituals, Rites of Passage,
Unique disposal of the dead and Ecology. Festivals and their significance. Calendar.
Canon. Zoroastrianism in confluence and divergence with o ther World Religions.
Unit - 2 Judaism (15 lectures)
The Abrahamic tradition. Foundation, rise and spread with reference to geography
and cultural milieu. Significance of the Covenants with Abraham and Moses.
Fundamental belief system -- God, Man, Creation, Evil, Eschatology. Practices --
Prayer, Worship, Rituals, Rites of Passage, Observance of the Sabbath and Kosher.
Festivals and their significance. Calendar. Canon, Judaism in confluence and
divergence with other World Religions.
Unit - 3 Christianity (15 lectures)
Continuing the Abrahamic tradition —the new covenant . Foundation, rise and spread
with reference to geography and cultural milieu. Life and teachings of Jesus Christ,
the apostolic tradition . The d evelopme nt of Christian Theology – The c oncepts of
Trinity, Original Sin, Crucifixion and Redemption. Evil, Eschatology. Practices --Prayer,
Worship, Rituals, Sacraments , Festivals and their significance. Calenda r. Canon,
Christianity in confluence and divergence with other World Religions.
Unit - 4 Islam (15 lectures)
The place of Abraham in Islam. Socio -political conditions in Pre -Islamic Arabia and
the age of jahiliy ya. Prophethood and the continuing traditio n with other Abrahamic
faiths. The life of the Prophet. Foundation, rise and spread with reference to
geography and cultural milieu. Fundamental belief system —Tauhid, Rasul, Kutub,
Qiyamat. Practices —the five pillars of Islam, transactions: nikah, talaq, virasat,
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Mystical tradition -Sufism. Festivals and their significance. The two Jihads. Calendar.
Canon. Islam in confluence and divergence with other World Religions.
Semester End Exam Evaluation [100 marks]
1. There shall be five compulsory questions
2. First four questions shall correspon d to the four units
3. Question 5 shall be Short Notes (one from each unit and attempt any 2 of 4)
4. All questions shall contain internal choice
5. Each question shall carry a maximum of 20 marks
Semester 4 (UACR - 401)
Unit - 1 : Hinduism (15 lectures)
Debates on constructing the category “Hinduism”, Pre -Vedic r eligions, origin and
antiquity of the Vedas; Vedic Texts (Shruti and Smriti), an introduction to later Vedic
scriptures (Brahmanas and Aranyakas). , The emergence and development of the
Upanishads, fundamental concepts of Classical Hinduism: Brahman -atman, karma,
mokhsa, and samsara; Epic literature: Mahabharata and Ramayana; the place of the
Bhagwad Gita, the early and late Puranas. Classical Hindu So ciety; the Dharma
Shastras -corpus, classification an d content; varna -asharma d harma and the four
goals of life (purusharthas); the three paths to salvation. Philosophical worldviews
(darshanas) Bhakti Tradition. Religious Ex pressions (Puja, Vrata, Tirtha). Festivals and
their significance. Calendar. Hinduism in confluence and divergence with other
World Religions.
Unit - 2: Buddhism (15 lectures)
Shramanna tradition/ Nastik Darshana Genesis of Early Buddhism: Socio -historical
roots, cultural milieu of the rise of early Buddhism and ideological setting; Buddhism
as a protest movement? Spread of Buddhism and causes for its decline in India. 20th
century . Fundamental Buddhist Thoughts: The Four Noble Truths; The Eight Fold
Path (Astamârga), Dependent O rigination; philosophy of Non -self (anattâ/anâtman).
Concept of ni rvâna; Karma/kamma and rebirth and its divergence with the Jaina an d
Brahmanical notions of karma. Festivals and their significance. Canon. Buddhism in
confluence and divergence with other World Religions.
Unit - 3: Jainism (15 lectures)
Shramanna tradition/ Nastik Darshana. Genesis of Jainism: Socio -historical roots,
cultural milieu of the rise of early Jainism and ideological setting; Jainism as a protest
movement? The world, Karma and rebirth, the soul. The triratnas, mahavrattas and
anuvrattas. Special place of ahimsa. Fast, worship, pilgrimage. Festivals and their
significance. Canon. Jainism in confluence and divergence with other World
Religions
Unit 4 : Sikhism (15 lectures)
Sikhis m as a syncretic religion. Socio cultural roots. Foundation and spread. Nanak
and the Guru tradition . The practice. Simran, Seva, The formation of the Khalsa ,
Sangat, Langar Dasvandh. 5 Ks, concept of haumia, liberation, three core values:
naam japna, kirt karna, wand chakkna. The ascetic path. Festivals and their
significance. Canon. Sikhism in confluence and divergence with other World Religions
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Semester End Exam Evaluation [100 mark s]
1. There shall be five compulsory questions
2. First four questions shall correspond to the four units
3. Question 5 shall be Short Notes (one from each unit and attempt any 2 of 4)
4. All questions shall contain internal choice
5. Each question shall c arry a maximum of 20 marks
References and reading list recommended for the course.
Breuilly, Elizabeth, Joan O’Brien and Martin Palmer. Religions of the World: The Illustrated
Guide to Origins, Beliefs, Traditions & Festivals. Checkmark Books. 2005
Burke, T. Patrick. The Major Religions . Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Publishers. 1996
Eastman Roger. The Ways of Religion. Oxford 1993
Hinnells, John Red. A New Dictionary of Religions . Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Publishers.
1997
Hinnells, John Red. A New Handb ook of Living Religions . Cambridge, MA: Blackwell
Publishers. 1997
Hopfe, Lewis M. Religions of the World .(6th Ed). New York: Macmillan College Publishing.
1994
Markham, Ian S (ed.). A World Religions Reader . Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Publishers.
1996
Masi h, Y. A Comparative Study of Religion s. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. 2010
Matthews, Warren. World Religions . St. Paul, MN: West Publishing Company.1991
Muhiyaddin, M. A. A Comparative Study of the Religions of Today. Vantage Press. 1984.
Paden E., William. Religious Worlds: The Comparative Study of Religion . Beacon Press.
1994
Radhakrishnan, S. Eastern Religions and Western Thought. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
1990
Schade, Johannes P. (ch. ed). Encyclopedia of World Religions . Conco rd Publishing.2006
Smith, Huston. Forgotten Truth: The Common Vision of the World’s Reli gions. Harper -One.
2009
Smith, Huston. The World’s Religions (ed. 2) HarperCollins.2009
Tiwari, K.N. Comparative Religio n. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. 1983
Zaehner, R. C.(ed.) The Concise Encyclopedia of Living Faiths . Boston, MA: Beacon Press.
1959
A Lion Handbook - The World Religions - Lion Publishing, 1992 .
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