can discuss and explore those topics in an atmosphere of intellectual freedom and without disrespecting others or getting personal. Course Schedule: WEEK 1: Introduction 1/26 Tuesday Course Intro and Syllabus Overview 1/28 Thursday Religion and Hermeneutics MOVIE: “Oh My God” Write a one page response and bring to class to turn in and for discussion WEEK 2: Studying “Religion” 2/2 Tuesday Encountering Religion, Ch 1: Studying Religion: Issues in Definition and Method p. 1-21 Miner. Body Ritual Among The Nacirema (Moodle) 2/4 Thursday Death is a Problem: Gilgamesh (Moodle) Team Presentation Group 1 on Gilgamesh reading WEEK 3: Religion and Sociology 2/9 Tuesday Encountering Religion, Ch 2: Religion and Sociology p. 21-44 2/11 Thursday Robert N. Bellah, Civil Religion in America. (Moodle) Team Presentation 2 on Bellah reading QUIZ 1 – Religion and Anthropology/Sociology WEEK 4: Religion and Psychology 2/16 Tuesday Encountering Religion, Ch 3: Religion and Psychology p. 44-68 2/18 Thursday Luhrmann et al. Learning to Hear God (Moodle) Team Presentation Group 3 on Luhrmann reading WEEK 5: Cognitive and Evolutionary Approaches 2/23 Tuesday Boyer. Religion: Bound to believe? (Moodle) Why “belief” is hard work: Implications of Tanya Luhrmann’s When God talks back (Moodle) 2/25 Thursday Gervais. Perceiving Minds and Gods: How Mind Perception Enables, Constrains, and Is Triggered by Belief in Gods (Moodle) Barret. Why Claus is Not a God (Moodle) Team Presentation Group 4 on Barret reading QUIZ 2 – On Psych and Cognitive Approaches WEEK 6: Religion, Scripture, and Myth 3/1 Tuesday Encountering Religion, Ch 4: Religion and Scripture p.68-96 3/3 Thursday Wendy Doniger O’flaherty. Other Peoples' Myths - Ch. 2 (Moodle) Team Presentation Group 5 on Doniger reading
WEEK 7: Religion, Ritual, and Culture 3/8 Tuesday Encountering Religion, Ch 5: Religion, Ritual, and Culture p. 96-117 3/10 Thursday Victor Turner. Betwixt and Between Team Presentation Group 6 on Turner reading MOVIE: “Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti “ Movie response due Friday WEEK 8: Religion and the Arts 3/15 Tuesday MIDTERM EXAM 3/17 Thursday Encountering Religion, Ch 6: Religion and the Arts p. 117-139 WEEK 9: Secular Humanism 3/22 Tuesday Encountering Religion, Ch 7: Secular Humanism p. 139-162 3/24 Thursday A World Religions Reader, CH 14: Secular Humanism p. 273-301 Team Presentation Group 7 on Secular Humanism primary reading MOVIE: “Secular Believers” Movie response due Friday WEEK 10: Indigenous Religions 3/29 Tuesday A Religions Reader, CH 2 Indigenous Religions p. 13-31 MOVIE: “Brujo (Shaman)” Movie response due Friday 3/31 Thursday NO CLASS: Holiday – Cesar Chavez Day 2016 QUIZ 3: Take home quiz on Secular Humanism and Indigenous Religion WEEK 11: Hinduism and Jainism 4/5 Tuesday Encountering Religion, Ch 8: Hinduism p. 163-190 A World Religions Reader, CH 3 Hinduism p. 32-54 MOVIE: “Hindu Nectar: Spiritual Wanderings in India” Movie response due Friday 4/7 Thursday A World Religions Reader, CH 4 Jainism p. 67-77 Team Presentation Group 8 on Hindu/Jain primary readings WEEK 12: Buddhism 4/12 Tuesday Encountering Religion, Ch 9: Buddhism p. 190-215 4/14 Thursday A World Religions Reader, CH 5 Buddhism p. 77-105 Team Presentation Group 9 on Buddhist primary readings QUIZ 4 – On Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism