ANTH 1130

In this course, we will survey the anthropology of religion, involving the study of human beliefs and rituals concerning the supernatural among cultures in the past and present. Students will examine the holistic nature of the anthropological approach towards the diverse belief systems and practices of the world. We will explore the variability of religion through numerous facets, including mythology, sacrifice, ritual, and magic. We also will examine how religious beliefs and ideologies form a central aspect of any human culture, structuring how people relate to other species in their natural environment, to other humans in their society and without in the social environment, and to non-human actors inhabiting this world or other realms of existence. In the process, students will assess how religions help people adapt to their environment, or aid them as they face new events and circumstances, as well as provide a framework of meaning for understanding the nature of the world and their placement within it.