Introduction to Religion

Religion has always been a significant element in human life and history. Why is this? What roles does religion play in peoples’ lives and societies? Are there deeper commonalities underlying various religious traditions, despite their external differences? And what is religion anyway? We will examine these questions by introducing the basic vocabulary and analytic tools of the academic study of religion—a modern discipline stemming from the ideals of the Enlightenment—and by examining multiple case studies, both Western and Asian. We will also discuss multiple ways, sympathetic or critical, that influential thinkers make sense of religion in modern times. 3 hrs. lect./disc.