This course introduces three major world religions — Buddhism, Judaism, and Islam — by examining their history, beliefs, texts, and practices. Presented from a Christian perspective, it offers a comparative exploration of these traditions alongside classical Christian theology and worldview.
The course also promotes interreligious dialogue, preparing students to engage respectfully with people of other faiths through field visits and classroom instruction.
As part of the course requirements, students will participate in at least two field visits and submit a reflection paper, as well as deliver an oral presentation designed as a teaching session. Both assignments should demonstrate understanding of the religions studied and include elements of interreligious dialogue.
Through these experiences, students gain a deeper understanding of other faiths and develop skills for respectful engagement.
Teaching and Working Methods
Teaching amounts to 48 hours of classroom instruction and is mainly given through lectures and/or seminars. These sessions are designed to encourage independent reflection and critical engagement with the course material. Typically, the course includes 6 classes on theories of religion, 14 on Buddhism, 14 on Judaism, and 14 on Islam. Field visits and student presentations are integrated into the course to support experiential learning and interreligious dialogue.
Knowledge
The students have:
- knowledge of key theories of religion and their role in society.
- knowledge of the main features of Buddhism, including its history, concepts of divinity, teachings, and rituals.
- knowledge of main features of Judaism, its history, beliefs, modern Jewish religious movements and festivals.
- knowledge of the history of anti-Semitism with emphasis on the relationship between the Church and Judaism in the Middle Ages and anti-Semitism in modern times.
- knowledge of the main features of Islamic beliefs and practices with emphasis on Sunni Islam.
- knowledge of similarities and differences between Christianity and other religions (Buddhism, Judaism, and Islam).
Skills
The students can:
- find, evaluate and refer to information and academic material about theories of religions and of world religions to shed light on an issue.
- plan and conduct a teaching about world religions in different contexts.
- discuss similarities and differences between various religions in a respectful manner.
To be eligible for final assessment you must:
Attend a minimum of 70 % of the lectures (cf. chap. 5.5)
* Students who don’t complete the attendance requirement, must retake the course the next time it is offered.
* See the document “Attendance Regulations for Fjellhaug International University College” for more details.
All course requirements and exams are individual and are submitted digitally.
Course Requirements:
To receive final assessment, you must:
- Participate in at least two field trips (to a temple, synagogue, or mosque), and submit a 500-word reflection paper in Canvas.
- An oral presentation on an assigned topic, following the guidelines given. Submit your presentation to the professor via Canvas.
The deadline for submission is announced at the start of the semester; however, all requirements must be completed no later than two weeks before the exam date.
Final Assessment:
| Form of assessment | Duration | Grading scale | Comment |
| Oral exam | 20 minutes | A-F | Final assessment is based on the oral exam. |
Some readings are available digitally on the school’s learning management system (LMS) and are marked with *.
Exegetical Method
Hayes, J. H. (2022). Biblical Exegesis: A Beginner’s Handbook. Westminster John Knox Press, pp. 1-32; 55-109; 209-220.
The Old Testament:
Broyles, C. G. (1999). Psalms (NIBC), pp. 1-43; 71-73; 85-87; 217-220; 226-230; 299-305; 378-380; 479-480. (70 pp.)
Bruckner, J. K. (2008). Exodus (NIBC). Hendrickson Publishers, pp. 1-15; 38-48; 170-196. (53 pp.)
Goldingay, J. (2001). Isaiah (NIBC). Hendrickson Publishers, pp. 1-41; 58-62; 83-88; 222-229; 301-309. (65 pp.)
Hartley, John E. (2000). Genesis (NIBC). Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, pp. 1-37; 39-57; 58-77; 107-113; 128-136; 169-176; 205-214. (107 pp.)
Longman III, T. (2008). Jeremiah, Lamentations (NIBC). Hendrickson Publishers, pp. 1-26; 71-73; 210-213. (34 pp.)
The New Testament:
Stott, John (1984). The Message of Galatians (Bible Speaks Today). Downers Grove: IVP Academic, pp. 11-191. (180 pp.)
Stott, John (1990). The Message of Acts: to the ends of the earth. Leicester: IVP, pp. 165-180; 215-333. (133 pp.)
