Religious Studies (B.Th.) (120 credits)
Offered by: Religious Studies (Faculty of Arts)
Degree: Bachelor of Theology
Program credit weight: 120
Program Description
The Bachelor of Theology (B.Th.) degree requires 120 credits. Many students enter the program with advanced standing, and their credit requirement for the degree is adjusted accordingly. All students must discuss their course selection with their program adviser.
Students admitted on the basis of a bachelor degree will have advanced standing and should consult their program adviser to determine any course equivalencies completed during their first degree and how these affect their program requirements for the Bachelor of Theology.
The Bachelor of Theology degree serves three types of students: those seeking a classically oriented undergraduate program in the humanities that allows them to focus eventually on theology and related disciplines (90/120 credits); those who already have a degree but desire to add this competency, whether out of personal interest or with a view to graduate research in a theological discipline (60 credits); and those who not only desire but require it for the sake of a subsequent professional degree such as the Master of Divinity.
The Bachelor of Theology engages students in some of life’s biggest questions and some of the world’s most influential literature. Those doing 90 or more credits can (schedules permitting) add a Minor Concentration program in some other desired discipline or field; those who enter the program at Year 0 can add two Minor Concentrations offered by the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Science.
The normal course load in the degree for full-time students is 15 credits per term, five 3-credit courses. By permission of the Chair of the B.Th. Committee, students may also enroll for courses at any university in the province of Quebec. For further information, see Quebec Inter-University Transfer Agreement: McGill Students.
Professional and vocational courses (e.g., leading to ordination) are available through the In-Ministry Year (Master of Divinity (M.Div.)) upon the completion of the B.Th. degree.
Degree Requirements — B.Th. students
To be eligible for a B.Th. degree, a student must fulfil all School and program requirements as indicated below:
- The B.Th. is either a 120-credit program (if you were admitted from outside Quebec and without a prior bachelor's degree), a 90-credit program (if you were admitted on the basis of a Quebec DCS/DEC or equivalent), or a 60-credit program (if you were admitted on the basis of a recognized bachelor's degree).
- Qualification for the degree must include Satisfactory Standing (a grade of C or better) in all required courses and the complementary courses specified in Year 3, and the accumulation of enough acceptable credits to make a total of either 60, 90, or 120 credits. It should be noted that if you take the B.Th. program as part of the M.Div. program, you need to maintain a minimum CGPA of 2.5 to be eligible for the M.Div. degree.
- Normally, the program credits must be earned within five years from the date of entrance.
Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please refer to Visual Schedule Builder. A technical issue is causing the "Terms offered" field to incorrectly report "this course is not currently offered" for many courses in the Course Catalogue.
Required Courses (33 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| RELG 302 | Literature of Ancient Israel 1. | 3 |
Literature of Ancient Israel 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to the literature of Ancient Israel in English translation. Reading and interpreting representative selections. | ||
| RELG 303 | Literature of Ancient Israel 2. | 3 |
Literature of Ancient Israel 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Approaches to historical-critical scholarship and to the historical background of the Old Testament. Part of the course will be an examination of methods of biblical analysis through the use of learning cells. | ||
| RELG 309 | World Religions and Cultures They Create.. | 3 |
World Religions and Cultures They Create.. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The constitution and mutual entanglements of selected religions and cultures originating and thriving in varied regional contexts. Focus on highlighting the symbolic (visual, aural) expressivity of religions via ritual, myth, and rational speculation and its impact on high and popular cultures. | ||
| RELG 311 | Formation of the New Testament. | 3 |
Formation of the New Testament. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to the formation and interpretation of the New Testament, excluding the Gospels. | ||
| RELG 312 | The Gospels. | 3 |
The Gospels. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to the critical study of the Gospels. | ||
| RELG 322 | Church and Empire to 1300 . | 3 |
Church and Empire to 1300 . Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A survey of major institutional developments in the history of Western Christianity in Church and Empire from the end of the apostolic age to 1300. | ||
| RELG 323 | Church and State since 1300. | 3 |
Church and State since 1300. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Significant events and persons in the history of Western Christendom from 1300 to the present. | ||
| RELG 333 | Principles of Theology. | 3 |
Principles of Theology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to the central questions, claims, and categories of Christian thought, considered in their narrative and credal context, with discussion of the nature of theology and the relation between faith and reason. | ||
| RELG 341 | Introduction: Philosophy of Religion. | 3 |
Introduction: Philosophy of Religion. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to the subject. Faith and reason, theistic arguments, values and destiny, the problem of evil, religious language. | ||
| RELG 434 | Advanced Theology. | 3 |
Advanced Theology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Examination of the nature of theology, and particular theological loci, through readings in major theologians. The Lord’s Prayer is added to the Nicene Creed as a second lens for theological study. | ||
| RELG 470 | Theological Ethics. | 3 |
Theological Ethics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Examines ancient and modern sources of Christian moral thought against a backdrop of contemporary alternatives. | ||
Complementary Courses (12-51 Credits)
Students with advanced standing take the minimum number of complementary credits, which must be at the 300 level or above from the following.
Philosophy
0-6 credits from:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHIL 200 | Introduction to Philosophy 1. | 3 |
Introduction to Philosophy 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A course treating some of the central problems of philosophy: the mind-body problem, freedom, scepticism and certainty, fate, time, and the existence of God. | ||
| PHIL 230 | Introduction to Moral Philosophy 1. | 3 |
Introduction to Moral Philosophy 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A survey of a number of historically important and influential theories. Philosophers to be discussed may include Aristotle, Hume, Kant, Bentham, Mill, and Moore. | ||
| RELG 321 | Western Intellectual Tradition. | 3 |
Western Intellectual Tradition. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduces essential sources in western philosophy and theology; examines the interdependence of these disciplines in their historical development; exposes students to the means and methods of argumentation that will allow them to compare and contrast these sources, and to develop and defend their own positions with respect to them. | ||
| RELG 380 | Religion, Philosophy, Modernity. | 3 |
Religion, Philosophy, Modernity. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Through primary source readings, this class will examine the intellectual history of this change, will identify the agents of this change, both philosophical and theological, and will consider the significance and implications of inhabiting a 'modernity' that is, and understands itself as, 'secular.' Charles Taylor's recent book, A Secular Age, narrates a historical development, from a 'pre-modern' condition, in which it was 'virtually impossible not to believe in and encounter God,' to a modern and contemporary situation in which 'faith is an embattled option.' Within the 'context of our self-understanding,' 'secularism' has become a 'default option.' | ||
Theology
3-6 credits from:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CATH 310 | Catholic Intellectual Traditions. | 3 |
Catholic Intellectual Traditions. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course examines Catholic intellectual perspectives, schools of thought, and major thinkers, with focus on topics such as God, faith and reason, the human person, history, culture and community. Will also examine the interaction between Catholicism and other perspectives and traditions. | ||
| RELG 211 | Theology through Fiction. | 3 |
Theology through Fiction. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Fiction of Christian provenance, in a variety of subgenres, including famous works by the likes of Dostoevsky, Undset, Chesterton, Mauriac, Lewis, Tolkien, Waugh, Greene, Percy, and O’Connor, is both theologically informed and theologically informative. Works selected from such literature will be read and discussed with a view to probing the notions of redemption in play. | ||
| RELG 334 | Theology of History. | 3 |
Theology of History. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A study of Christian readings of history, and especially of the present age, including apocalyptic literature and political theology. | ||
| RELG 336 | Contemporary Theological Issues. | 3 |
Contemporary Theological Issues. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A study of contemporary theological issues. Topic varies by year. | ||
Bible (Old Testament)
3-6 credits from:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| RELG 201 | Religions of the Ancient Near East. | 3 |
Religions of the Ancient Near East. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to the religions of Mesopotamia, Egypt and Syria-Palestine (excluding Israelite religion) from the fourth to first millennium B.C.E. Themes that will be discussed include: gods and goddesses, divine kingship, deification of kings, temple cult, death and afterlife, magic, piety, oracles, prayer, lament, myth and epic. | ||
| RELG 202 | Religion of Ancient Israel. | 3 |
Religion of Ancient Israel. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An examination of the religion of Ancient Israel by a study of selected texts (narratives, laws, prophetic sayings, wisdom traditions, and psalms) from the Hebrew Scriptures/Old Testament in translation. | ||
| RELG 407 | The Writings. | 3 |
The Writings. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A study of Job with some attention to Proverbs and Ecclesiastes (in English translation). | ||
| RELG 408 | The Prophets. | 3 |
The Prophets. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A study of significant texts selected from the prophetic tradition in the Old Testament. | ||
| RELG 491 | Biblical Hebrew Narratives. | 3 |
Biblical Hebrew Narratives. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Exegesis and translation of certain narratives from the Masoretic text of the Hebrew Bible. | ||
| RELG 492 | Biblical Hebrew Poetry. | 3 |
Biblical Hebrew Poetry. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Translation and exegesis of certain poetic passages of the Masoretic Hebrew Bible and or Qumran corpus. | ||
Bible (New Testament)
3-6 credits from:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CLAS 220 | Introductory Ancient Greek 1. | 3 |
Introductory Ancient Greek 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A course designed for beginners with little or no background in ancient Greek. Introduction to basic grammar, vocabulary, morphology. Reading of simple sentences and connected passages. | ||
| CLAS 222 | Introductory Ancient Greek 2. | 3 |
Introductory Ancient Greek 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Continued introduction to ancient Greek grammar, vocabulary, and morphology. Reading of more complex sentences and longer connected passages. | ||
| RELG 210 | Jesus of Nazareth. | 3 |
Jesus of Nazareth. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A critical study of selected ancient and modern accounts of the aims and person of Jesus. Attention will be given also to the question of the historical sources and to the relationship between faith and history. | ||
| RELG 279 | New Testament Greek 1. | 3 |
New Testament Greek 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to the basic morphology, grammar, and syntax of New Testament Greek. Analysis of simple sentences from the New Testament and Septuagint. | ||
| RELG 326 | Christians in the Roman World. | 3 |
Christians in the Roman World. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A social-historical examination of Christians within the complex cultural, political, ethnic and religious contexts of later Greco-Roman antiquity, focusing on changing relations among different varieties of Christian, as well as on interactions and conflicts among Christians, Jews and polytheists. Other topics to be considered include martyrdom, orthodoxy and heresy, and Gnosticism. | ||
| RELG 381 | Advanced New Testament Greek. | 3 |
Advanced New Testament Greek. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A review of grammar and syntax with an emphasis on rapid reading of sections chosen from different parts of the New Testament. | ||
| RELG 410 | Paul and His Legacy. | 3 |
Paul and His Legacy. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An in-depth study of Paul and his letters in their primary historical context, and the legacy of both in the early history of Christianity. Exegesis of the authentic epistles in conversation with relevant scholarship; Pauline letter collections; Pauline influence in/on New Testament andother early Christian literature; early competition over Paul; and interpretive problems and defining hermeneutics in the reception of the Pauline Epistles. | ||
| RELG 411 | New Testament Exegesis. | 3 |
New Testament Exegesis. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A seminar in exegesis on the basis of representative passages chosen from different parts of the New Testament in English. | ||
| RELG 482 | Exegesis of Greek New Testament. | 3 |
Exegesis of Greek New Testament. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An intensive seminar in exegesis on the basis of representative passages chosen from different parts of the New Testament. | ||
Church History
3-6 credits from:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CATH 330 | Catholicism in a Global Context. | 3 |
Catholicism in a Global Context. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An exploration of Catholicism as a global phenomenon through case studies of its multiple expressions in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Topics include transnational Catholic movements and interreligious engagement. | ||
| RELG 310 | Canadian Church History. | 3 |
Canadian Church History. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A survey of the major Christian traditions in Canada from the settlement of New France to the present. Lectures and seminars with use, where possible, of primary source materials. | ||
| RELG 338 | Women and the Christian Tradition. | 3 |
Women and the Christian Tradition. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Survey of women's involvement in the Christian tradition. Topics include feminist interpretation of scripture, ideas of virginity, marriage and motherhood, mysticism, asceticisms, European witchhunts, contemporary women's liberation theories. | ||
| RELG 399 | Christian Spirituality. | 3 |
Christian Spirituality. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Seminar exploring the phenomena of internal religious experience in their relation to received formularies of Christian thought and practice. | ||
| RELG 423 | Reformation Thought. | 3 |
Reformation Thought. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An examination of issues and persons in Europe and the British Isles that contributed to ecclesiastical and social change during the 16th and early 17th centuries. | ||
| RELG 498 | Special Studies. | 3 |
Special Studies. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Special studies in Religious Studies. Topic varies by year. | ||
Comparative Religion
0-6 credits from:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ISLA 200 | Islamic Civilization. | 3 |
Islamic Civilization. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to, and survey of, the religious, literary, artistic, legal, philosophical and scientific traditions that constituted Islamic civilization from the 7th Century until the mid-19th Century. | ||
| ISLA 370 | The Qur’an: History and Interpretation. | 3 |
The Qur’an: History and Interpretation. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. It examines the history of the codification of the text, its form, and modes of interpretation in both the modern and pre-modern periods. Presentation of different schools of Qur’anic exegesis, including traditional hermeneutical approaches, and modern approaches such as feminist interpretations of the Qur’ān. | ||
| ISLA 380 | Islamic Philosophy and Theology. | 3 |
Islamic Philosophy and Theology. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A survey of the most important philosophers and theologians in Islamic intellectual history, with a focus on the theories they articulated and the movements they engendered. The impact of European thought on 19th and 20th century Islamic intellectual history is also examined. | ||
| JWST 382 | Jews, Judaism and Social Justice. | 3 |
Jews, Judaism and Social Justice. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A study of North American Jewish activists, thinkers and organizations whose social justice work is deeply rooted in Jewish text and in the lessons of Jewish historical experience. | ||
| RELG 204 | Judaism, Christianity and Islam. | 3 |
Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to the beliefs, practices, and religious institutions of these three world religions. | ||
| RELG 207 | Introduction to the Study of Religions. | 3 |
Introduction to the Study of Religions. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course is an introduction to classic and contemporary approaches to the academic study of religions. This includes perspectives from philosophy, theology, anthropology, sociology, psychology, phenomenology, and feminism. Students are also exposed to applications of these perspectives from visiting scholars who treat some aspect of a religious tradition in light of current-day interests and events. The primary objective is to introduce students to the principal theories and methods that have shaped our understanding of religion, its various meanings as well as its roles and functions in society. | ||
| RELG 252 | Hinduism and Buddhism. | 3 |
Hinduism and Buddhism. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The interaction of Hinduism and Buddhism in India with special reference to the law of Karma, caste, women, ritual, death, yoga, and liberation. Determination of interpretative principles for understanding the religious psychology of Hindus and Buddhists. | ||
| RELG 253 | Religions of East Asia. | 3 |
Religions of East Asia. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course introduces East Asia's major religions comparatively by addressing the continuous exchange of ideas and practices between traditions. Rather than adopting a mere chronological approach, Buddhism, Daoism, and Confucianism will be discussed thematically, taking in to account topics such as gender constructs, the secular and the sacred, material culture, and the apparent contrast between doctrine and practice. | ||
| RELG 288 | Introduction to Sikhism. | 3 |
Introduction to Sikhism. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to the historical and religious contexts relevant to understanding Sikh religious traditions, including its principal doctrines, practices and institutions and its evolution from its origins in South Asia to the present, with particular attention to Sikh-Canadian transnational connections. | ||
| RELG 348 | Classical Hinduism. | 3 |
Classical Hinduism. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Surveys classical Hinduism through Sanskrit learning traditions. Topics include: Vedic literature, fables, ethics, statecraft, erotics, liberation, and epic literature. | ||
| RELG 352 | Japanese Religions: History and Thought. | 3 |
Japanese Religions: History and Thought. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course provides an in-depth introduction to the religious traditions of Japan from the emerging of the Japanese state to the role of religion in contemporary Japan. Kami worship, the Buddhist tradition, Yin Yang divination, Confucianism, and the modern construct of Shinto are addressed in an interdisciplinary approach, taking into account insights from the fields of History, Literature, and Art. | ||
| RELG 353 | Gandhi: His Life and Thought. | 3 |
Gandhi: His Life and Thought. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A study of the life and thought of Gandhi. | ||
| RELG 354 | Chinese Religions. | 3 |
Chinese Religions. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to the diverse religiosities in the Chinese cultural sphere. Examination of the everyday practice of ancestor worship, longevity practices, morality, rituals, and the veneration of deities and spirits. | ||
Ethics
0-3 credits from:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CATH 340 | Catholicism and Public Policy. | 3 |
Catholicism and Public Policy. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An examination of Catholic social thought, including intellectual and institutional engagement with a wide range of key public policy issues in spheres such as politics, law, economics, diplomacy, and international development. | ||
| CATH 370 | Topics in Catholic Studies. | 3 |
Topics in Catholic Studies. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A review of selected topics in Catholica studies. Topics vary by year. | ||
| RELG 370 | Religion and Human Rights. | 3 |
Religion and Human Rights. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Social justice and human rights issues as key aspects of modem religious ethics. Topics include: the relationship of religion to the modem human rights movement; religious perspectives on the universality of human rights; the scope and limits of religious freedom; conflicts between religion and rights. | ||
| RELG 371 | Ethics of Violence/Non-Violence. | 3 |
Ethics of Violence/Non-Violence. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Forms of violence and the reaction of religious groups are assessed both for their effectiveness and for their fidelity to their professed beliefs. Different traditions, ranging from the wholesale adoption of violent methods (e.g., the Crusades) to repudiation (e.g., Gandhi; the Peace Churches). | ||
| RELG 373 | Christian Ethics of Love. | 3 |
Christian Ethics of Love. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course will focus on the philosophical sources of love and on their uses by Christian authors. By comparing both their premises and methods, we will see how different authors in a particular tradition (Christianity) offer various answers to the themes of love, friendship and charity. | ||
| RELG 376 | Religious Ethics. | 3 |
Religious Ethics. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A discussion of ethical theory will provide the background for an analysis of the relationship between religious world views and moral reason. Attention will be given to the way in which the dominant religious traditions view the exemplars of religious virtue, and to how the virtues exemplified are related to and justified by the faith tradition in which they operate. | ||
0-12 credits of undergraduate RELG or CATH courses (for students who do not have advanced standing that enter program at Year 0).
Elective Courses (15-36)
15-36 credits chosen from Arts or Science disciplines.
Students with advanced standing take the minimum number of elective credits.
Elective credits may be applied to any Minor Concentration available in Arts or Science other than Religious Studies (see specific Minor Concentration regulations)