Overview
Religious Studies explores the many ways in which religion shapes culture and history, forms values, and authorizes human action.
The study of religion deals with the deepest and most basic questions of human existence: the meaning and purpose of life, relations with a divine presence and power, interpersonal relations and ultimate human destiny.
At a Glance
Curriculum
Why study religious studies at Mount Allison?
The religious studies program at Mount Allison involves the academic study of religion and the ongoing role it plays in shaping cultural experience, thought and practice, and human self-understanding.
The program considers how spiritualities bring the deepest and most basic questions of human existence to bear on our most significant contemporary challenges and achievements.
It is open to students from all backgrounds, secular and religious.
Profoundly interdisciplinary, the research and teaching in our department intersect with history, philosophy, environmental studies, critical theory, art and creative practice, and community engaged learning, to explore such areas as the following:
- War and conflict
- Gender and sexuality
- Ecology and the climate crisis
- Secular and post-secular phenomena
- Material culture
- Cultural traditions and practices
- Philosophy and religious thought
- Spiritual expression
- Archival legacies and futures
Religious Studies is available as:
- BA major (60 credits)
- BA honours (72 credits)
- Minor in any degree (24 credits)
Not sure about the difference between a major, a minor, an honours, and a certificate
Program highlights
Experiential learning
Religious Studies students have many opportunities to extend their learning outside the classrooms, including paid internships, research, teaching assistants, summer work, and field trips.
Arthur J. Ebbutt Memorial Trust for Religious Studies
The Department of Religious Studies benefits from the Arthur J. Ebbutt Memorial Trust, which sponsors:
- Ebbutt Reading Room — houses Religious Studies library resources
- Visiting lecturers
- Scholarships for upper-year students in Religious Studies
- Field trips
Courses in Religious Studies at Mount Allison are divided into three streams:
- Eastern traditions — Hinduism, Buddhism, East Asian religions
- Western traditions — Judaism, Christianity, Islam
- Religion and culture
In Religious Studies you'll examine important texts, practices, cultural phenomena, and ideas, looking at them from the perspective of history, literature, philosophy, and culture.
Introductory courses lay the foundation for focused study of particular traditions and for upper-year courses that explore how religion relates to themes in the wider culture, such as in the arts, gender issues, and ethics.
Given the program’s interdisciplinary nature, you may also explore the connections between religion and subjects like:
- science
- film and media studies
- contemporary politics
- literature, music, and art
- gender issues
- ethics
- the environment
RELG 1621 — Death and the Afterlife in Asian Religions
This course examines the practices and beliefs concerning death and the afterlife in six religious traditions: Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, 'folk' or 'popular' religion, Shinto, and Hinduism. It compares beliefs and practices related to death and the afterlife in these traditions and examines the diversity that exists both between and within these religions.
RELG 1661 — Religion and Popular Culture
This course examines various points at which religion and culture collide. It utilizes various media (film, music, fashion, literature) in order to interpret some of the complex relationships that form and maintain contemporary Western identity. Topics include cultural uses of religious symbolism and story, the power of popular piety, and the Western tendency towards consumption and commodification of religious traditions.
RELG 2521 — Food Practice and East Asian Religions
This course examines the practices and beliefs associated with food in five East Asian religious traditions: Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, 'folk' or 'popular' religion, and Shinto. It introduces religious prescriptions and prohibitions related to food cultivation, storage, distribution, preparation, and consumption. Topics include connections between food practices and hierarchy and the roles that food plays in creating and sustaining relationships such as those between humans, living and dead, and non-humans.
RELG 2841 — The Apocalyptic Consciousness
This course studies the apocalyptic consciousness in ancient documents and in modern thought, particularly with reference to ideas about the Day of Judgment and Second Coming. In addition to biblical and non-biblical texts, it reflects on contemporary portrayals of the apocalyptic image in art, literature and film, and explores the apocalyptic cult with specific reference to cults of expectation.
RELG 3481 — Religious and Spiritual Traditions in Canada
This course surveys the history of early religious and spiritual traditions in Canada from before the early global era to the mid twentieth century. It focuses on Indigenous, Christian, and Jewish traditions, but others are also included. Topics include influential individuals, writings, and institutions in relation to the state and public life, as well as newer themes from cultural and social history.
RELG 3911 — Contemporary Ethical Issues in Western Religions
This course considers the nature of ethics and explores some of the most prominent contemporary ethical issues, such as abortion, euthanasia, ecology, gay rights, racism, and sexism.
RELG 4611 — Reinventing the Sacred: Christianity in the Post-Secular West
This course considers the relationship between the Christian tradition and contemporary Western culture and looks at contemporary re-articulations of Christian beliefs, practices, and understandings. It examines from a cultural- critical perspective how thinkers have been forced to reformulate and modify traditional positions and beliefs in order to accommodate what are often vastly differing or at least unpredictable circumstances. This course considers how such innovations may reveal new ways forward in terms that are social, political, ethical, spiritual, and possibly even conventional. Ultimately it invites students to reflect on how these perspectives might enable the West to re-imagine its future possibilities in ways that are challenging and transformative for both the Christian tradition and Western identity.
Faculty Spotlight
Dr. Andrew Wilson
Professor, Religious Studies
What can I do with a religious studies degree?
Through experiential learning opportunities, faculty-supervised research, and close mentorship, students develop practical skills and critical thinking abilities valued by employers and graduate programs.
Recognized by Maclean's as Canada's top undergraduate university, Mount Allison's strong academic reputation helps graduates stand out as they pursue diverse career paths.
Many go on to top graduate and professional programs in religious studies, law, and education, while others move directly into careers in community development and beyond.
Popular career paths for Religious Studies graduates include:
- archivist
- art dealer
- human resources specialist
- archeologist
- mediator
- community development officer
- human rights advocate
- international development/aid worker
- foreign affairs specialist
- religious education administrator
Alumni Spotlight
David Spence ('19)
Bachelor of Arts, Religious Studies and Political Science
Anti-Corruption Specialist, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
» David Spence (’19) shares his journey from high school dropout to working for the UN
What is it like to study at Mount Allison?
A degree in Religious Studies teaches you about how people around the globe interact with our world; it helps you understand the 'how' and 'why' many of our systems are the way they are. From my studies I consider my understanding of the world as well as my critical thinking and communication skills to be some of my best assets as I enter the workforce.
It wasn’t only the opportunity to challenge my previously held beliefs about religion, and either justify them or change them in the face of new and overwhelming evidence that drew me to the [Religious Studies] program, but the opportunity to learn from dedicated, passionate, and experienced academics in the field.
/current-students/department-religious-studies
What are my admission requirements?
What other programs are related to religious studies?
Philosophy
Philosophy helps challenge our own beliefs, consider others’ points of view, and ultimately better know the world around us.
Community Engaged Learning
Community Engaged Learning integrates academic learning with community service, connecting course-based learning with real-world experiences with community partners.
History
History fosters knowledge and understanding of the institutions, ideas, groups, and individuals which have shaped the political, social, and cultural world of humankind.