Unit I

Nature of Religion: Religious Pluralism, Science, Religion and Pluralism.

Unit II

Theories of the Origin of Religion
Origin of the Idea of God: The Idea of God and Gods, Concept of Iswara in Indian Philosophy.

Unit III

Religious Experience and Religious Consciousness
Arguments: For the Existence of God and Against the Existence of God.

Unit IV

Concepts: Evidentialism, Foundationalism and Rational Belief. Transcendence and Immanence: God and the Absolute, Deism, Theism, Pantheism and Panentheism.

Unit V

Concepts of Secularism

This elective course intends to discuss the meaning and nature of religion. This includes the analyses of religious concepts, beliefs, terms, arguments, and practices of religious adherents. The focus here will be limited to (1) religious language and belief, (2) religious diversity, (3) Religion and Science (4) concepts of God / Ultimate Reality, (5) arguments for and against the existence of God, (6) Secularism

1. To familiarise the Origin, Nature and Metaphysics of Religion
2. Understand concepts like Consciousness, Experience and Transcendence
3. Understand the Secularism perspective

CO 1. Understand the fundamental concepts of Religion
CO 2. Comprehend various concepts of religious experience
CO 3. Instigate rational thinking

1. Prior understanding of Epistemology and Metaphysics in Indian Philosophy

1, N. Smart. The Religious Experience of Mankind. London: Prentice Hall, 1996. English.
2, R C Zaehner. The Concise Encyclopaedia of Living Faiths. Boston: Beacon Press, 1959. English.
3, S Radhakrishnan. The Idealist View of Life. Virginia: Allen & Unwin, 1957. English.
4, N K Brahma. Philosophy of Hindu Sadhana. London, 1932. English.
5, Swami Vivekananda. Complete Works. Calcutta: Advaita Ashrama, 1951. English.
6, M M Shankhadher. Secularism :English.

3 – strong, 2 – moderate, 1 – weak