In addition to the books listed below, articles in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion are recommended. Schedule of Readings Readings must be completed by the dates listed. Groups of students will lead some class discussions on required readings and related topics. Lectures are not necessarily based on the readings of the day. Sometimes there will be special topics, reviews of past readings, or orientations for future reading.
Required readings are source materials for midterm and final exams, as well as for group projects.
All class members select, describe and discuss their major interests in the field of identity and religion. The class as a whole, and subsequently small groups, refine the wide range of individual topics by identifying central questions to be researched. Projects may include fieldwork as well as library research. A theoretical orientation is articulated, as well as three research methodologies. Historical or cross-cultural examples of trends in religion are used to illustrate group topics.