The course is taught by Sawada. This course is a thematic exploration of Chinese popular religious beliefs and practices. Themes include gods and goddesses, spirits and ghosts, local cults, hells and paradises, cults of immortality, savior figures, and rites of passage. Students discuss some of the methodological issues involved in the study of popular religion, such as the problematic distinction between elite and folk traditions, and the dynamics of religious syncretism. The course is taught by Adamek.
Students conceptualize the issue and explore a number of specific examples from religious history.
Each student undertakes a project which brings the concept to bear upon a topic in an area of concentration. The course is taught by Bozeman.