This course will introduce us to religions that are both complex and deep, both social and personal. Concentrating on these three paths will give us a real sense of their depth, but we'll also set them in the larger landscape of other world religions, including Hinduism, Judaism, and Christianity. Doing comparative religion we study religions from an academic perspective. This means that in this course we will look at religions not from a personal religious perspective, but from a view that honors all religious experience. Even if you were not raised with a religion, it's fine.
Comparative religion is basically about being open minded and clear eyed.
So just keep an open mind and the course will introduce this new way of seeing and knowing religion. By the end of the quarter, you'll know something of the different dimensions of Lakota religion, Islam, and Buddhism. But you'll also be able to recognize these dimensions in other religions, including your own. In this course we'll read three books I love. They take us through journeys of religious discovery.