Tutorial - Sophomore Year
RELIGION 97
Subject & Catalog Number
Course Information
Description
The course introduces students to theories and methods in the academic study of religion, including significant themes and arguments that have defined the field over time. Students will examine some key works that helped to shape the discipline as it emerged in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and also consider recent work drawing on various disciplines that scholars have used in the study of religion, including philosophy, psychology, sociology, anthropology, and history. The course will take up questions such as these: What does it mean to call something “religious”? Is the category of “religion” a universal feature in human life, or more historically specific? What is at stake in defining this category in one way or another? How do claims about religion relate to claims about politics, economics, culture, and society? The course will also enable students to evaluate the choices that scholars make about what to privilege in their investigations. The course emphasizes critical reading and thinking skills, as well as thoughtful participation in discussion and the refinement of students’ academic writing.
Course Notes
Required of all concentrators, and recommended for Secondary Field students. Enrollment open to other students with instructors’ permission.
Available for Harvard Cross Registration
