Religion and Society

Undergraduate

This course investigates religion as a social institution, examining beliefs, symbols, relations and practices. Central theories and methods are reviewed in light of historical and cross-cultural variations. Interactions with culture, education, family, community, the economy, and politics are considered. Topics may include: the sacred and the profane, secularization, myth, totemism, cults, 276 Winter 2027 Undergraduate Calendar fundamentalisms, integration, exclusion, violence, new religions and/or new age movements. (Prerequisites: third semester standing.)