Religious Education (RE)

Religious Education Online Course Overview

Course Title: Introduction to Religious Education
Delivery Mode: Fully Online
Course Duration: 6–12 weeks (Flexible, self-paced or instructor-led)
Target Audience: Secondary school students, adult learners, or teacher trainees
Prerequisites: None
Assessment Methods: Quizzes, discussion posts, short essays, and final project/presentation

Course Objectives

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

1. Understand key beliefs and practices of major world religions.

2. Explore the historical and cultural contexts of different faiths.

3. Analyze religious texts and their interpretations.

4. Reflect on ethical and moral questions from various religious perspectives.

5. Foster respect for religious diversity and interfaith dialogue.

Course Content & Weekly Breakdown

Module 1: Introduction to Religion and Religious Education

• What is religion?

• The purpose and scope of Religious Education

• Faith vs. belief vs. spirituality

• Secular and religious worldviews

Module 2: Overview of Major World Religions

• Christianity: Key beliefs, Bible, Jesus, denominations

• Islam: Five Pillars, Qur’an, Muhammad, Sunni/Shia

• Judaism: Torah, covenant, festivals, modern movements

• Hinduism: Dharma, karma, gods/goddesses, texts

• Buddhism: Four Noble Truths, Eightfold Path, types of Buddhism

• Sikhism: Guru Granth Sahib, 5 Ks, community (sangat)

• Optional: Indigenous religions, Jainism, Bahá’í Faith

Module 3: Sacred Texts and Stories

• Nature and role of sacred texts

• Interpretation across traditions

• Stories with moral/ethical lessons

Module 4: Worship, Rituals, and Festivals

• Places of worship

• Prayer, meditation, sacraments

• Major religious festivals and their meanings

Module 5: Religion, Ethics, and Society

• Religious perspectives on ethics and morality

• Religion and human rights

• Religion and the environment

• Religion and social justice

Module 6: Interfaith Dialogue and Religious Pluralism

• Importance of dialogue and tolerance

• Case studies in religious cooperation and conflict

• Religion in a multicultural society

Module 7: Religion in the Modern World

• Religion and science

• Media portrayal of religion

• Religion and politics

Module 8: Capstone Project / Final Assessment

• Choose a topic: e.g., in-depth study of one religion, interfaith issues, religious response to a modern ethical issue

• Presentation or essay

Learning Methods

• Interactive videos and lectures

• Discussion boards

• Quizzes and knowledge checks

• Downloadable readings

• Virtual site visits (e.g., mosques, churches, temples via 360° tours)

Optional Add-Ons

• Certification of completion

• Live Q&A or webinars with religious leaders or academics

• Group projects (in instructor-led formats)