WITCHES AND WIZARDS: FROM HECATE TO HARRY POTTER
Consider tales of witchcraft and wizardry, examining how they tap into concerns and debates about religion and the supernatural. Debate historic representations of witchcraft and wizardry, especially from sixteenth- and seventeenth-century England, asking the questions, "What is religion?" and "What is magic?" Consider contemporary depictions of witchcraft and wizardry in children's stories and young-adult fiction, and discuss issues concerning religion, science, language and the nature of "reality".
Prerequisites & course information
Requisites: None Course Designation: Core GenEd - Communication & Literacy Comm QR - Communication B Breadth - Literature Level - Elementary L&S Credit - L&S Liberal Arts and Science Repeatable for Credit: No Last Taught: Spring 2026 Learning Outcomes: 1. Compare diverse systems of religious belief in a variety of contexts, developing a strong trans-historical understanding of the ways in which magic and religion (especially western religions) interact Audience: Undergraduate 2. Analyze written texts about magic and witchcraft, especially through the lens of religious studies Audience: Undergraduate 3. Utilize a variety of resources and methods of research across disciplinary lines, including, especially, the disciplines of religious studies, and literary and historical research Audience: Undergraduate 4. Demonstrate knowledge of major forms, techniques, social conditions, values, and genres that shaped the representation of magic in the English-speaking world Audience: Undergraduate 5. Compare contradictory critical perspectives Audience: Undergraduate 6. Question critical assumptions Audience: Undergraduate 7. Write original, coherent, and compelling arguments that push beyond summary to analysis and independent and critical thinking in clear prose that meets expectations for grammatical correctness Audience: Undergraduate Learning Outcomes: 1. Compare diverse systems of religious belief in a variety of contexts, developing a strong trans-historical understanding of the ways in which magic and religion (especially western religions) interact Audience: Undergraduate 2. Analyze written texts about magic and witchcraft, especially through the lens of religious studies Audience: Undergraduate 3. Utilize a variety of resources and methods of research across disciplinary lines, including, especially, the disciplines of religious studies, and literary and historical research Audience: Undergraduate 4. Demonstrate knowledge of major forms, techniques, social conditions, values, and genres that shaped the representation of magic in the English-speaking world Audience: Undergraduate 5. Compare contradictory critical perspectives Audience: Undergraduate 6. Question critical assumptions Audience: Undergraduate 7. Write original, coherent, and compelling arguments that push beyond summary to analysis and independent and critical thinking in clear prose that meets expectations for grammatical correctness Audience: Undergraduate
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026-2027