The University of Manitoba

Faculty of Arts
Department of Religion

RLGN 1324 D01 Introduction to Western Religion

RLGN 1324 Fall 2025 / Credit Hrs. 3 / CRN 21369

Distance Learning: Asynchronous

Dr. Nicole Goulet

Office: 318 Fletcher Argue
**Email: [email protected]
Office Hours: Tuesday/Thursday 4:00-5:30pm
**I typically respond to emails within 24 hours on weekdays, between 9am-5pm

Course Description:
This course provides a general introduction to the origins, central teachings and practice, key
developments and contemporary expressions of Western Traditions, which include Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam.

Additional Description:
This course also provides a general introduction to the academic study of religion, Indigenous
Traditions, and new religious movements.

Learning Objectives:
• Define Key terms and concepts in western and related religious traditions
• Describe historical developments in western and related religious traditions
• Relate knowledge of the academic study of religion as well as western and related
religious traditions to contemporary events or contexts
• Write critical responses to our course content

Required Reading:
Molloy, Michael. Experiencing the World’s Religions: Tradition, Challenge, and Change (8th
edition). McGraw and Hill Education, New York, 2021.
Options include the ISE (International Student’s Ed.): ISBN 9781260570687, or at a
digital option: ISBN 9781264561803 (180 day subscription) at an even lower price.
Please note that you make use of the 5th edition or newer with minimal adaptations needed.

Additional course notes posted on the course website.

Additional web pages and readings posted on the course website.

Required Technology:
• Reliable access to the internet. Please note that your computer or device, and
Internet connection must meet the UM minimum requirements found here:
https://umanitoba.ca/sites/default/files/2021-08/student-connectivity-
recommendations.pdf

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 • UMLearn: you can access all assignment folders, handouts, and reading info
here
• Zoom (if you’d like to meet me virtually)
• Email: UofM email will be our official means of communicating with each
other during this course. Please check it regularly.

Respectful Workplace Environment:

Vision for the University Community
2.2 The University wishes to promote and support a community which embraces diversity and
inclusion, provides for equality of opportunity, and recognizes the dignity of all people.
2.3 Members of the University Community, including every student and employee, are entitled
to a respectful work and learning environment that is:
(a) Free from Discrimination and provides for Reasonable Accommodation;
(b) Free from Harassment; and
(c) Collegial and conducive to early resolution of conflict between members of the University
Community.

Respectful Work and Learning Environment Policy (PDF)

Traditional Territories Acknowledgement:

The University of Manitoba campuses and research spaces are located on original lands of
Anishinaabeg, Ininiwak, Anisininewuk, Dakota Oyate, Dene and Inuit, and on the National
Homeland of the Red River Métis.

We respect the Treaties that were made on these territories, we acknowledge the harms and
mistakes of the past, and we dedicate ourselves to move forward in partnership with Indigenous
communities in a spirit of Reconciliation and collaboration.

For more information: http://umanitoba.ca/indigenous/

Policy on Late Submissions: Late submissions may be accepted on a case-by-case basis for
medical or family emergencies (see below).

Policy on Extensions: A short extension may be granted by the instructor upon submission of a
written request received at least one week prior to the due date. Only substantial reasons will be
accepted as grounds for an extension. Because of the implicit advantage of having extended time
all assignments granted an extension will receive a full letter grade penalty (from “B” to “C”).

Policy on Unclaimed Term Work: Any term work that has not been claimed by students will be
held for four months from the end of the final examination period for the term in which they
work was assigned. At the conclusion of this time, all unclaimed term work will become
property of the Faculty of Arts and be destroyed according to FIPPA guidelines and using
confidential measures of disposal.

Policy on Medical Notes:

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The Self-Declaration for Brief and Temporary Absences Procedure and Policy is in effect
September 2022 and therefore students may submit a form in lieu of a medical note to seek
academic accommodations for term work. That said, the instructor may forward your
declaration form to the Dean of Arts office if the Self-Declaration form is being misused or
improperly filled out.

Students still must apply for a deferred final exam through their Faculty's Academic Advising
Office. Medical notes and other documentation are no longer required as evidence for a
legitimate absence under extenuating circumstances (stated in 2.1b of the policy) of 72 hours
which can result in a student missing classes or assessments. Medical and other documentation
may be requested for absences of more than 72 hours.

Regardless of the situation and whether you fill out the Temporary Absence form, please contact
your instructor by email as soon as possible so that proper arrangements can be made to
accommodate you.

Referencing Preferences: Chicago or MLA; please see the following web pages for guidelines:
Chicago:
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/chicago_manual_17th_edition/cmos_formattin
g_and_style_guide/chicago_manual_of_style_17th_edition.html
MLA:
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/ml
a_formatting_and_style_guide.html

Academic Integrity:
Students should acquaint themselves with the University’s policy on plagiarism, cheating, exam
personation, and duplicate submissions by reading documentation provided at the Arts Student
Resources web site at www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/arts/student.index.html. This page is also
posted in our UMLearn course site in the “Start Here!” module, sub-module “Student
Resources.”

All University policies concerning plagiarism and academic dishonesty will be strictly enforced.
It is your responsibility to know these policies. If you have any questions or concerns, ask. See
Section 8 “Student Discipline Bylaw” of the Undergraduate Calendar for details. See also
Section 1200 Policy 1202 of the University of Manitoba Governance by-laws regarding
disciplinary procedures and penalties for additional details pertaining to the consequences of
plagiarism, cheating, or impersonation Please know that cheating and plagiarism are serious
academic offenses.
Using AI: Generating text-based assignments using AI is unacceptable and is viewed by
the university as a type of plagiarism. Also, AI generated papers are really boring to read and
lack nuance. While you may use AI to spell check, you cannot use it to create new content for
course requirements.

Copyright and ownership of course content: This material is copyrighted by Distance

Education, University of Manitoba. No recording of this material, lectures, or presentations is
allowed in any format, openly or surreptitiously, in whole or in part without permission of the

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university. Course materials (both paper and digital) are for the participant’s private study and
research and must not be shared—this includes online sharing sites such as Course Hero.
Violation of these and other Academic Integrity principles, will lead to serious disciplinary
action.

Writing and Study Skills Support:

The Academic Learning Centre (ALC) offers services that may be helpful to you as you fulfill
the requirements for this course. Through the ALC, you may meet with a study skills specialist
to discuss concerns such as time management, reading and note-taking strategies, and test-taking
strategies. You may also meet one-on-one with a writing tutor who can give you feedback at any
stage of the writing process, whether you are just beginning to work on a written assignment or
already have a draft. Writing tutors can also give you feedback if you submit a draft of your
paper online. All Academic Learning Centre services are free for UofM students. For more
information, please visit the Academic Learning Centre website. This site can also be accessed
on our UMLearn course site, in the “Start Here!” module located under the Content tab in the
navbar. You can also talk to a member of the Academic Learning staff by calling (204) 480-
1481.

Percentage-letter Grade Relation:

0-49.99% 50-55.99% 56-69.99% 70-74.99% 75-84.99% 85-89.99% 90-94.99% 95-100%

F D C C+ B B+ A A+

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
All written assignments will be graded for content, structure, style, grammar and punctuation. It
is your responsibility to retain a copy of all assignments. Due dates for all requirements are
listed in the timeline below.

Please use the UMLearn grade book to monitor one’s progress and grades and contact me if there
are any discrepancies or if you have questions about any scores. This can be found under the
“Assessments” tab in the navbar, sub-tab “Grades.” UMLearn records as they stand on the last
day of class will be used to calculate the semester grade according to the following formula:

1) Participation: 20% (2 parts @ 10% each)

This participation grade includes Discussion Topics and Quick Quizzes outlined in each unit and
noted in our timeline beginning on page 6. These exercises not only help you to study the
material and engage in critical thinking, but also create an engaged online community.

These are pass/fail exercises, each with their specific guidelines. You are not expected to
participate in every assigned activity but are expected to complete at least 5 Discussion Topics
and 5 Quick Quizzes per part to achieve full points in participation. Of course, you are welcome
and encouraged to complete more than this minimum, as they will help you think and learn our
materials.

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Please note: all participation activities have a closing time of 11:59pm on specifically assigned
due dates (see the timeline or UMLearn Calendar). Because you have multiple opportunities to
gain full points for participation, late or extended deadlines will not be granted. I strongly
recommend that you work on these activities early and often so that you don’t miss out due to
unexpected emergencies or illness.

Participation 1: Sept. 3-Oct. 17 (10%)

- You have 26 opportunities of which you need to complete 10 or more activities for 10%

Participation 2: Oct. 18-Dec. 8 (10%)

- You have 21 opportunities of which you need to complete 10 or more activities for 10%

More on Discussion Topics:

For each Discussion Topic, you will be assigned set materials and questions to explore. A
passing Discussion Topic must be a minimum of 5 sentences long, follow the specific guidelines
for that topic, and answer the question(s) by engaging in our assigned course materials. While
minor spelling and grammatical errors for this kind of exercise are acceptable, the instructor still
needs to be able to understand what you are trying to say in order for a post to count toward this
participation grade. Using AI, Wikipedia, or other sources outside of our assigned course
materials are not acceptable.

Contributing multiple posts in a single Discussion Topic does not mean more points toward
participation. In all Discussion Topics, you create your own post first before you have access to
what others have written. Discussion Topics have set opening and closing dates, which are
timed to keep with their related course content. If you miss a deadline, you cannot submit a post
at a later date, as posts are meant to be shared and read by others. Some questions from these
discussions may be used in our tests and final exam. Each successful discussion is worth 1 point.

More on Quick Quizzes:

There are various multiple-choice quizzes pertaining to specific content outlined in each unit.
They vary in length, both in terms of the number of questions asked and the amount of time
allowed to take them. Each quiz can be taken up to three times, with the idea that you are not
only working toward your participation grade by taking the quiz, but you are also learning and
studying our content at the same time. The precise grade you achieve for each quiz does not
matter, as these quizzes are pass/fail when counted toward participation. However, you must
achieve 70% or higher by the closing of a quiz for it to count toward your participation grade.
Each passing quiz is worth 1 point (you do not get more than one point per quiz, even if you take
it multiple times). Some questions from these quizzes may also be used in our tests and final
exam.

2) Group Work: 2 projects @ 10% each, totaling 20%

For this course requirement, students are randomly arranged in groups of 4-6 members; your
assigned group will remain the same for each project. While each group work assignment will
vary in content, the basic structure will remain the same for both. This includes:
• A write-up that answers specific questions and fulfills the guidelines for that
specific group work assignment

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 • An accompanying presentation in PowerPoint or Prezzi
• A self-assessment of your work as a group
Specific details for each project can be found in the “Assignment Instructions” module under our
UMLearn Content tab. Once your group work is complete, please have one member of the group
upload your documents to the “Group Work 1” or “Group Work 2” assignment folders, located
under the Assessments tab, sub-tab Assignments.

The due dates for Group Work are as follows:

Group Work 1: Oct. 20th by 11:59pm CST

Group Work 2: Dec. 1st by 11:59pm CST

General Guidelines for Group Work: The written component for each group work must be
double-spaced pages in Times New Roman in 12 font, and address all questions outlined in the
specific guidelines located in the “Assignment Instructions” module. Some citations may be
needed, in which case you must use Chicago or MLA formatting. The presentation component
of your group work should align with your written component and include images and some text
for context. Images used should be cited as well. And finally, the self-assessment should be
filled out in its’ entirety (a template is provided in “Assignment Instructions”) for it to be
considered complete.

Please note: your Group Work will be graded according to clarity (grammar, spelling), whether
you followed the guidelines, and engagement with our assigned course materials. A more
precise rubric called “Group Work Rubric” is located on our UMLearn site, under the
Assessment tab, sub-tab Rubrics.

3) Tests: 2 tests @ 15% each, totaling 30%

Each test consists of the same structure, while addressing different content. They may include
multiple choice, short or long answer questions, or matching definitions. These tests are taken
online through UMLearn. You have a 24-hour window to take each test, with the consistency
and length of the tests as yet to be determined. More details will be made available closer to the
test dates. The test dates and topics are as follows:

Test 1: Understanding Religion, Indigenous Traditions, and Judaism: Mon. Oct. 14

Test 2: Christianity and Islam: Mon. Nov. 24

4) Final Exam: 30% (during the exam period)

This cumulative three-hour exam may include multiple choice, matching definitions, short
answer questions, and/or long answer questions. Additional details will be provided, closer to
the exam period. This is an in-person exam. For those living outside of the Winnipeg area,
please contact Distance Education to make the appropriate arrangements.

Important Dates
Sept 3 First day of classes.
Nov 10 – Nov 14 Fall Term Break.

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Nov 18 Voluntary Withdrawal deadline for Fall term classes.
Dec 8 Last day of classes.
Dec 9-19 Fall Term Final Exam period

Holidays and Closures during Fall Term

Sept 30 Orange Shirt Day
October 13 Thanksgiving Day
November 11 Remembrance Day (observed)

Timeline

Weeks 1-2: Sept. 3-12: UNIT 1: Understanding Religion

Introduction to the Study of the Religion: Molloy Chapter 1
• Week 1: What is Religion?
• Week 2: What are the Patterns of Religion?

Participation Due Dates:

**all participation options close at 11:59pm on the stated due date
Discussion Topics Quick Quizzes
Sept 10 PEW Quiz and Findings
Sept 11 What is Religion?
Sept 12 Beliefs and Practices What is Religion?
Views of Male and Female What are the Patterns of
Religion?
Sept 15 What Do You Now Know?

Weeks 3-4: Sept. 15-26: UNIT 2: Indigenous Traditions

Indigenous Religions: Molloy Chapter 2
• Week 3: Studying Indigenous Traditions
• Week 4: Sacred Practices in Indigenous Traditions

Participation Due Dates:

**all participation options close at 11:59pm on the stated due date
Discussion Topics Quick Quizzes
Sept 16 Studying Indigenous Traditions
Sept 18 Studying Indigenous Traditions Themes in Indigenous
Traditions

Sept 19 Indigenous Traditions and Climate Dreamtime

Change
Sept 23 Life-Cycle Rituals
Sept 25 Shamanism
Sept 26 Critically Thinking about
Indigenous Traditions

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Weeks 5-6: Sept. 29-Oct. 10: UNIT 3: Judaism
Judaism: Molloy Chapter 8
• Week 5: Intro to Judaism: Textual Sources and Early History
• Week 6: Historical Developments from the 6th C. Onward
• No Class Sept 30: Orange Shirt Day
• No Class Oct 13: Thanksgiving
• Test 1: Understanding Religion, Indigenous Traditions, and Judaism: Oct 14
by 11:59pm
• Upcoming: Group Work 1: The Holocaust and Religion: Oct. 20 by
11:59pm

Participation Due Dates:

**all participation options close at 11:59pm on the stated due date
Discussion Topics Quick Quizzes
Oct 1 What is Judaism? What is Judaism?
Oct 3 Second Temple Era Second Temple Era
Oct 8 Rabbinical Judaism
Oct 9 Shabbot Branches of Judaism
Oct 10 Critically Thinking About Judaism

Test 1: Understanding Religion, Indigenous Traditions, and Judaism: Oct 14 by 11:59pm

Weeks 7-9: Oct. 15-31: UNIT 4: Christianity

Christianity: Molloy Chapter 9
• Week 7: Introduction to Christianity and Early Developments
• Week 8: From the End of the Roman Empire to the Protestant Reformation
• Week 9: Christianity in the Modern World: Practices, Art, and Contemporary
Issues
• Participation 1 ends: Friday, October 17 by 11:59pm
• Group Work 1 due: Monday, October 20 by 11:59pm

Participation Due Dates:

**all participation options close at 11:59pm on the stated due date
Discussion Topics Quick Quizzes
Oct 15 What do You Know about Who is Jesus?
Christianity?
Oct 17 Identify the Gospel Early Christian Beliefs and
History
Participation 1 ends; Participation 2 begins
Oct 22 Developments in the Eastern
Orthodox Church
Oct 23 The Orthodox Church

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 Oct 24 Christian Middle Ages and
Protestant Reformation
Oct 29 Christian Practices Christian Practice
Oct 31 Critically Thinking about Christian Art
Christianity

Group Work 1 due Monday, October 20 by 11:59pm

Weeks 10-11: Nov. 3-21: UNIT 5: Islam

Islam: Molloy, Chapter 10
• Week 10: Introduction to Islam
• Fall Break: No Classes Nov. 10-14
• Week 11: Islam in the Modern World
• Test 2: Christianity and Islam: Monday, November 24

Participation Due Dates:

**all participation options close at 11:59pm on the stated due date
Discussion Topics Quick Quizzes
Nov 4 What do you Know about Islam?
Nov 5 The Five Pillars
Nov 6 Comparing Suras
Nov 7 Sufism Historical Developments and
Divisions in Islam
Nov 18 Sharia
Nov 19 Islamic Art and Architecture Islamic Art and Architecture
Nov 20 Islam in the Modern World
Nov 21 Critically Thinking About Islam

Test 2: Christianity and Islam: Monday, November 24 by 11:59pm

Weeks 12-13: Nov. 25-Dec. 8: UNIT 6: Alternative Paths (New Religious Movements)
Alternative Paths: Molloy, Chapter 11
• Week 1: Understanding New Religious Movements Part 1
• Week 2: Understanding New Religious Movements Part 2
• Group Work 2: New Religious Movements: Monday, Dec. 1

Participation Due Dates:

**all participation options close at 11:59pm on the stated due date
Discussion Topics Quick Quizzes
Nov 28 What is a New Religious Understanding New Religious
Movement? Movements
Dec 3 From Scientology to Baha’i
Dec 5 Scientology

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 Dec 8 Critically Thinking about New
Religious Movements

Group Work 2 due Monday, Dec. 1 by 11:59pm

Final Exam to take place during the official exam period: Dec. 9-19
• This exam will take place in person; arrangements will have to be made
through Distance Education if you live outside of the Winnipeg region.
• Self-declaration notes cannot be used to excuse oneself from a final exam; you
must fill out proper paperwork with your associated Faculty. If you are not
yet part of a specific Faculty, you must apply through the Faculty of Arts.

Plagiarism, cheating, and examination impersonation:

You should acquaint yourself with the University’s policy on plagiarism, cheating, and
examination impersonation as detailed in the General Academic Regulations and Policy section
of the University of Manitoba Undergraduate Calendar. Note: These policies are also located in
your Distance and Online Education Student Handbook or you may refer to Student Affairs at
https://umanitoba.ca/student-supports/academic-supports/academic-integrity.

Distance and Online Education (DE) Student Resources:

In your course website there are links for the following:
• Contact Distance and Online Education Staff
• Distance and Online Student Handbook
• Distance and Online Education Website

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