Program description
Philosophy is an intellectual activity and an academic discipline that investigates, interprets and reflects on the fundamental nature of the world and human existence. Students in the Philosophy of Religion Honours B.A. program will explore religious issues in contemporary public discourse through the study of leading religious philosophers. Like the Public Ethics program also offered by the Faculty of Philosophy, the Philosophy of Religion program emphasizes the socio-economic aspects of this field of study. By helping them develop their critical abilities, the proposed B.A. program will prepare students for the job market or for further studies in philosophy, religion, ethics, and other related disciplines.
In addition to the foundational courses,* the Philosophy of Religion undergraduate program (Honours B.A. with major) offers courses on the theories and learning methodologies developed by leading thinkers in the field.
*The foundational courses are a compulsory part of every bachelor’s degree program offered at Saint Paul University.
What you’ll learn
During your studies you will explore major methodologies, issues and themes in the philosophy of religion. You will also learn to apply your theoretical knowledge to concrete issues and challenges, and to communicate your knowledge effectively. The program structure encourages independent study and critical thinking.
Why choose Saint Paul University?
Career opportunities
Click here to find out more about Admission Scholarships at Saint Paul University.
Other programs that may interest you:
A student enrolled in the Philosophy of Religion (Honours Bachelor of Arts with Major) must add a complementary major or a complementary minor, according to the student’s particular interests and requirements.
Applications: A step-by-step guide
STEP 1: Choose a program of study
STEP 2: Learn about admission requirements
STEP 3: Submit your application
STEP 4: Gather the documents needed for the assessment of your application
STEP 5: Assessment of your application
STEP 6: Accept your offer of admission
STEP 7: Choose your courses
STEP 1: CHOOSE A PROGRAM OF STUDY |
Undergraduate programs:
STEP 2: LEARN ABOUT ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS |
Ontario applicants
From secondary school
Have an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) with at least six 4U or 4M level courses, including one 4U level course in English or français.
From Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology (CAAT)
Our transfer agreements
Saint Paul University has developed a number of transfer agreements with colleges, allowing applicants to receive up to 30 equivalency credits. Find out more by consulting the tab entitled College Credit Transfer.
Quebec applicants
From secondary school
Have a Secondary School Diploma with an average of 84%, including one course in English or français at the Secondary V level.
From Cégep
Have completed 12 courses of general studies (not including physical education and refresher courses), including English (603) or français (601). Applicants who have successfully completed 12 courses of general studies may obtain up to 15 credits of advanced standing, and those who have successfully completed more than 12 courses of general studies may obtain up to 30 credits of advanced standing.
Applicants from the Atlantic and Western provinces
Have a Secondary School Diploma, including one course in English or français at the Grade 12 level.
Applicants from other universities
Applications from other Canadian or international universities will be assessed based on the applicant’s previous secondary and post-secondary studies. University equivalency credits may be granted depending on the studies completed and the program into which the person is admitted.
International applicants
Have a diploma attesting to 12 years of education equivalent to the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD). Persons who have completed a secondary diploma attesting to 13 years of education, such as the Baccalauréat de l’enseignement secondaire français, can receive up to 30 credits of advanced standing.
Mature applicants
When the applicant’s academic record does not meet normal conditions for admission, it is possible to apply as a mature applicant, provided that the person has not been enrolled in full-time studies for at least two consecutive years. In order to be considered for admission, applicants must have experience that can be considered sufficient preparation for pursuing undergraduate studies.
STEP 3: SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION |
You have two options
OPTION 1 |
If you are applying for admission to an undergraduate program at more than one Ontario university, including Saint Paul University:
IMPORTANT NOTE: Because Saint Paul University is federated with the University of Ottawa, you will find programs offered by Saint Paul University listed under the University of Ottawa.
OPTION 2 |
If you are applying for an undergraduate program at Saint Paul University only, or if you are applying for a master’s or doctoral program:
STEP 4: GATHER THE DOCUMENTS NEEDED FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF YOUR APPLICATION |
In order for us to assess your application, you must submit official transcripts for all of your previous studies (secondary, college and university). These transcripts must be sent directly from your academic institution to the following address:
Saint Paul University
Office of Admissions and Student Services
223 Main Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1S 1C4
CANADA
However, to expedite the assessment process for your application, you can scan your documents and e-mail them to the Office of Admissions at admission@ustpaul.ca and then send your official documents through the mail.
STEP 5: ASSESSMENT OF YOUR APPLICATION |
Once the Office of Admissions receives all the required documents, it will begin to assess your application. One of the following decisions will be sent to you at the email address you gave us, as well as to your postal address.
Possible decisions
STEP 6: ACCEPT YOUR OFFER OF ADMISSION |
To accept an offer of admission and a scholarship offer, if applicable, you must sign the form entitled Admission acceptance form that accompanies your offer of admission and send it to Saint Paul University by email, before the deadline, to the following address admission@ustpaul.ca or mail it to:
Saint Paul University
Office of Admissions and Student Services
223 Main Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1S 1C4
CANADA
STEP 7: CHOOSE YOUR COURSES |
With your offer of admission, you will receive all the information you will need to choose your courses. You will also receive the contact information for our academic advisors; you can meet with them one on one or during information sessions for guidance and to help you finalize your course selection.
Foundational Courses (24 credits)
Compulsory Courses: 21 credits
Optional Courses: 3 credits from
Major in Philosophy of Religion (42 credits)
Compulsory Courses: 27 credits
Optional Courses: 15 credits
9 credits from:
6 credits from:
Elective Courses (54 credits)
This course addresses multiple aspects of the evolution of western thought, from Antiquity to current times, and the impact of major events and thinkers, and the influence of other civilizations on the contemporary understanding of human nature, culture and society.
Introduction to theoretical approaches in the Humanities and to the methods that are applied to interpret the multiple expressions of human experience, particularly those expressed in important works of art and literature.
Social and ecological challenges facing humanity today, and related issues of social justice. These questions will be examined from a perspective of community building and efforts towards ecological and social transformations for a hopeful future.
This course investigates faith, justice and the common good from religious, philosophical and human science perspectives. The course draws on classic and contemporary resources, in particular those from the Christian intellectual traditions.
This course is dedicated to the improvement of writing skills in order to become an effective communicator in several contexts.
Learning the techniques of efficient public speaking. Introduction and training to personal impression making in electronic media. Development of a professional attitude and self-confidence.
Historical clashes between the media and religious traditions. Culture, religious traditions and the media. Possible divergences and convergences. Religious traditions and new technologies.
Explores the various sides of Critical Thinking: the nature of arguments, common errors in reasoning as well as evaluating evidence and information. Enables students to acquire and develop research and writing skills.
This course discusses the role of philosophy in understanding the meaning of life.
Acquiring skills for research and writing, including how to critically appraise an article; how to structure an essay; and specific methodology in philosophy and ethics. Contains an overview of different theories in epistemology.
When offered, this course would take one of the following three forms: I. Ancient and Medieval Ethics: Greek, Hellenistic, and Roman Ethics. Selection from Plato’s Dialogues, and Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics. Selection from the Epicureans, Stoics, Neoplatonists, and Aquinas. II. Early Modern Ethics: Renaissance Humanists, Hobbes, Descartes, Spinoza, Locke, and Hume. III. Post-Kantian Ethics. Selections from Hegel, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, J.S. Mill, T.H. Green. Selections from Moore, the positivists and post-modernists. Western ethics may be compared and contrasted to selected non-Western traditions.
Explores, from the perspective of social justice theories, issues such as social inequalities, poverty, refugees, war, and environmental degradation. Examines criticisms of this perspective.
Great Christian philosophers. Relationships between faith and reason. The reciprocal influence of theology and philosophy on one another.
Survey of the major ethical systems in the Western world. Relationship between philosophical and religious thinking in ethical matters. Fundamental questions facing contemporary moral consciousness.
PHI 2154 and PHI 2174 are mutually exclusive. PHI 2154 was previously under course code PHI 3183.
Study of the traditional, universalist, approach to knowledge as well as contemporary standpoint approaches, such as feminist and postmodernist.
Study of different philosophical conceptions of the human being.
Philosophers and religion. Questions raised by the scientific study of religion in the contemporary period. Contributions of linguistic analysis to the study of the expressions of religious faith.
Life, intellectual context, and philosophical thought of Thomas Aquinas. Study of selected texts.
The philosophical question of God. The problem of the existence of God. The proofs of existence of God. Divine being and divine attributes. God and History. God and Evil. God and Human Freedom.
Life, intellectual context, and philosophical thought of Augustine. Study of selected texts.
This course was previously PHI2155.
This course examines the relation of ethics, multiculturalism, and immigration, studies the questions regarding the possibility of a multicultural ethics, and addresses the issues and debates arising from cultural relativism and identity politics in the functioning of modern societies.
This course examines the philosophical foundations of various ethical and religious traditions and addresses the possibility of their convergence in modern liberal societies.
The course combines the study of the modern tradition of the critique of religion as it was developed in the course of the nineteenth and twentieth century with the study of the critical dimension present in the core of monotheistic religion.
Study of texts and topics in the domain of contemporary philosophy of religion.
The human effort to express the experience of the sacred and to name our sense of the “Beyond”. The different forms such expressions have taken: cosmic wonder and its symbols, foundations stories, ritual life. The meaning of this effort for understanding the quest of the human spirit and its attempts to build order in society and community.
The Bible: book or library, history or story? History of the Jewish people and of the culture in which the Bible was written. The Bible and its content. Interpreting the text. The Jesus event. The influence of the Bible on history and on contemporary culture.
Introduction to the world religions with an emphasis on Christian faith in interaction with other living faiths.
Introduction to major thinkers of the fifth to fourteenth centuries (Augustine to Ockham) and to some of the great questions of the era, concerning such matters as the nature of universals, of knowledge, and of the mind. Particular attention is paid to developments in epistemology and metaphysics.
Contact Us
Office of Admissions, Registrar and Student Services
Room 148
Saint Paul University
223 Main Street
Ottawa, ON
K1S 1C4
CANADA
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Telephone: 613-236-1393
Fax: 613-782-3014
admission@ustpaul.ca
Hours of Operation
Monday to Friday | 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. |
1 p.m. to 4 p.m. |
Please leave your documents in the mailbox in front of room 148 when our offices are closed.
223 Main Street
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
K1S 1C4
Toll free
1.800.637.6859
613-236-1393
613-782-3005
info@ustpaul.ca