AP/ANTH 3320 6.00 The Anthropology of Ritual & Religion
Religion has long been a topic of interest to anthropologists, preoccupying the earliest anthropological theories of culture and society. Today, the topic of religion is seeing growing attention across the world. As religion becomes variously encountered with fascination and devotion by some, or fear and hostility by others, questions about the nature and place of religion in the world today are being asked at accelerated rates.
This course explores the anthropology of religion. Key to the anthropological study of religion is an emphasis on understanding religion in terms of its lived and experienced forms, and the sociocultural contexts that shape religious beliefs and practices. Anthropology has often focused on religion as something performed and practiced socially, as well as on the social and cultural construction of systems of meaning. With this in mind, this course considers religion in terms of the socio-cultural contexts within which its dynamic forms and expressions are shaped. In doing so, we will look at the history of anthropological theories of religion, as well as a selection of topics relating to a wide and diverse range of religious forms, expressions, and traditions. Topics here include the rise of new religious movements, the relationship between religion and state politics, the transformation of religion through modern media technologies, issues of multiculturalism and secularism, and questions of belief and healing.
Course Director: A. Chaudhuri - akc@yorku.ca