Anthropology of Religion: Beliefs, Rituals and Cosmologies

Introduction to basic definitions of religion and explanations of key anthropological concepts in the study of religion.

Discussions on questions that concern the first class.

Introduction to an important problem in anthropological research: the emic/etic issue (inside/outside perspectives) in the study of religion. How to understand another culture, or in this case, another religion, if you are an “outsider” to the religion, and people who are “insiders” have a different understanding of the religion.

The lesson discusses and analyses the lecture topic “Internal/External: emic and ethical approaches and challenges.”

Theories of the meaning and function of myths and symbols in religion, with attention to Clifford Geertz’s understanding of religion as a complex social and cultural phenomenon requiring “thick description” and ethnographic studies of symbols and myths in particular cultural and religious contexts.

Discussion on the topics of the lecture "Symbol, Myth and Interpretation".

The lecture will address ritual as a key component of religion, present theories on the meaning and function of ritual behaviour, and examine ethnographic studies of ritual in specific religious and cultural contexts. The lecture will also explore how sacrifice is a major sub-category of ritual activity.

The seminar addresses the themes of the “Ritual & Sacrifice” lecture.

The lecture will address the different types of religious “professionals” or specialists, with special attention to priests, prophets, and shamans and examine ethnographic studies of these specialists in particular religious and cultural contexts.

Discussions on the topics and ethnographic examples of the lecture “Specialists”.

Lecture will examine “altered states of consciousness” involving trances, possession, spiritual intoxication, and other unusual states of mind that are important aspects of many religions. The lecture will also address the meaning and function of altered state experiences in traditional religion and in contemporary society, including the use of “mind-altering” substances such as LSD, psylocibin and ayahuasca as part of the “New Age” and “wellness” movements.

Discussions on topics and literature introduced in the lecture “Altered States”.

The lecture will address the relationship between different cultures’ understandings of health, disease, and healing and religious beliefs and practices by examining theories and case studies, and will also examine the modern “wellness” movement and its connections to Eastern Religions and “New Age” spirituality.

Discussions on the subjects and literature of the lecture “Healing and Disease”.

The lecture will examine the different meanings and functions of “witchcraft” as an immense, widespread and multi-dimensional phenomenon, looking at theories of witchcraft as well as historical and ethnographic studies of witchcraft in particular cultural and religious contexts.

Discussions on topics and literature of the lecture “Witchcraft, Sorcery and Magic”.

The lecture will examining three overlapping forms of identity: gender (Male-Female-Other; often including sexual behavior/identity defined as heterosexual, homosexual, or other); nation (belonging to a group with a certain social-cultural-historical-political identity); and religion (belonging to or following this or that religion), with attention to theories of identity and ethnographic studies, to consider how religion interacts with identity in different cultural contexts.

Discussions on topics and literature introduced in the lecture “Identities: Gender, Nation and Religion.”

The lecture will consider beliefs and rituals pertaining to death and the afterlife in particular cultural contexts, surveying ideas and concepts used to explain and relate to the process of death and the question of any further existence, and an ethnographic study of ritual behaviour, such as funerary and commemorative rites.

Discussions on topics and literature discussed in the lecture “Death”.

The lecture will address the phenomenon of “New Religious Movements” (NRMs), new forms of religion which appear in response to changing social conditions and new cultural influences. Drawing on theories of the formation and dynamics of NRMs and their social impacts, this analysis will consider particular cases of NRMs across cultural contexts.

Discussions on topics covered in the lecture “New Religious Movements in a Changing World”.

Class will meet for open, supportive discussion of students’ “works in progress” research projects, focusing on difficulties encountered in research, with the professor providing advice on how to navigate obstacles and locate resources.

Students present their final research projects, followed by questions and comments from other students and the professor.