Honours BA Christianity, Interfaith Dialogue, and Community Engagement

The purpose of the Honours BA in Christianity, Interfaith Dialogue, and Community Engagement is to educate, inspire, and support students seeking greater critical consciousness, humility, and faithfulness. This program achieves its purpose by creating learning spaces that nurture spiritual and theological reflection (Christianity), fruitful conversation among diversity (interfaith dialogue), and culturally attuned social action (community engagement).

We understand critical consciousness as the ongoing questioning and challenging of principles, learnings, and biases in the service of actively embracing diversity, engaging difference, and including marginalized realities and viewpoints. As we seek to understand life’s meaning and purpose, critical consciousness provides a deeper awareness of the world and one’s place in it by considering the widest breadth of voices and perspectives.

We understand humility as a genuine and visceral appreciation for and dependence on others and the earth. Humility is expressed through an active love for self, others, and the world, orienting individuals to hold themselves and the common good in sacred trust. A humble person is engaged in the world, lives for others, and acts with compassion for all creation.

We understand faithfulness as an existential orientation towards the sacred. Faithfulness is expressed in practices grounded in the hope that is within, rooted in one’s faith tradition, spiritual practice, or ethical system. In the context of Christianity, this is expressed in the love of God, self, and one’s neighbour.

The Honours Christianity, Interfaith Dialogue, and Community Engagement program consists of 20.0 credits, of which not more than 6.0 may be at the 100 level. The program must include at least 10.0 but no more than 12.0 credits in Christianity, Interfaith Dialogue, and Community Engagement.

Required Courses:
GC101, GC102
GC201, GC202
GC203, GC204
GC302, GC303
GC304, GC401*

Other Requirements:
4.5 credits in GC courses at the 200 level or above;

Language Credit Requirement (1.0 credit):
In addition to the Christianity, Interfaith Dialogue, and Community Engagement course requirements above, students must also complete 1.0 credit in non-English language study. Language courses may be taken (a) at WLU, (b) at other recognized universities in Canada on a letter of permission, or (c) abroad on a letter of permission and with the prior written consent of the Christianity, Interfaith Dialogue, and Community Engagement Program Director. Courses taught in English may not be counted as a substitute for this requirement. Christianity, Interfaith Dialogue, and Community Engagement Majors may count up to 1.0 credit of senior language study toward the senior Christianity, Interfaith Dialogue, and Community Engagement credit requirements for the degree. For Christianity, Interfaith Dialogue, and Community Engagement Majors who take 100 level language courses during Year 2, Year 3 or Year 4, and who have already accumulated 6.0 junior credits, these courses (up to a maximum of 1.0 credit) will not be counted toward the maximum 6.0 limit on 100 level credits. Students who are actively in the process of learning English as a second language in the course of their studies at Laurier may apply to have this language credit waived by the Christianity, Interfaith Dialogue, and Community Engagement Department.

Of the credits taken outside the Christianity, Interfaith Dialogue, and Community Engagement program at least 7.0 credits must be taken in courses from departments within the Faculty of Arts. At least 3.0 of these credits must be from courses at the 200 level or above which focus on understanding the student's own social and cultural context (for example, Canadian students must takes courses studying Canadian history, literature, politics, etc.). These courses should be selected in consultation with the program director after completing a statement of learning goals. The student is responsible for fulfilling all prerequisites for selected courses.

In addition, 2.0 additional credits may be taken in Christianity, Interfaith Dialogue, and Community Engagement or any other discipline. These courses should be selected in consultation with the program director.

Recommendation:
It is recommended that each student undertake a Community Engagement Experience in a context other than the student's own native context. To apply for the GCE and enroll in GC398, students must be in either the honours or combined honours program, have completed at least 2.0 GC credits at the 200 level, and have attained at least a 7.00 (B-) average in their GC courses. Students who complete the GCE are expected to enroll in GC399, "Post-Placement," in the following fall term.