Introduction to the Study of Religion (170-0-21)
Instructors
Ashley Helen-Louise King
Meeting Info
University Hall 122: Mon, Wed 12:30PM - 1:50PM
Overview of class
This course will guide students through a series of case studies that highlight the practical, ethical, and material dimensions of religions around the world. These case studies dramatize how religions are lived with and against the grain of established doctrine, so that students will gain a richer understanding of the ways religious customs have shaped the world around them. We will focus on three interrelated areas where religion has had a significant impact: (1) sexuality and gender, (2) health and medicine, and (3) law and politics.
The course also serves to introduce students to the basic methods scholars employ to study religion, including history, ethnography, textual analysis, ritual theory, phenomenology, and comparison—tools through which students will formulate their own accounts of religious phenomena. Course readings comprise primary and secondary sources, including sacred stories and ritual performances drawn from multiple traditions, major problems and debates in religious studies scholarship, and religious representations in literature and film.
Learning Objectives
1. Analyze the beliefs and practices of multiple religious traditions, with a thematic focus on the areas of sexuality and gender, health and medicine, and law and politics.
2. Attain basic grounding in the intellectual history, problems, debates, and central figures in the academic study of religion.
3. Critically reflect upon the values and presuppositions scholars of religion bring to their research.
4. Develop analytical, critical, and interpretive skills vital to liberal arts education and professional development.
Teaching Method
Class Materials (Required)
All course readings will be made available on Canvas or through links printed on the syllabus.
Class Attributes
Ethical and Evaluative Thinking Foundational Disci
Ethics & Values Distro Area
Associated Classes
DIS - Kresge Centennial Hall 2-329: Thurs 9:00AM - 9:50AM
DIS - University Library 5722: Thurs 11:00AM - 11:50AM
DIS - University Library 5722: Thurs 12:00PM - 12:50PM