Introductory Statement T his course assumes no previous coursework in anthropology. It is an introductory course in the topic of belief systems meant to teach you how anthropologists study religion and what they have said about it. Although an introductory course, it operates at junior level because of the difficulty of the material, and the maturity necessary to deal with it.
Anthropology takes a special view of religion that is non-judgmental and broadly comparative.
This perspective allows us to generalize about the place of religion in human society from a less biased position. It also allows the documentation and preservation of rich and interesting belief systems that would be ignored or even slandered by other kinds of students of religion who work from within particular religious traditions. The course will examine belief systems from every continent and from societies at every level of complexity, including our own. The course will ask questions about the nature of all religions, and about the role of religions and religious movements in society. It will be broadly comparative.