RS 505 (01) - Introduction to Religion

This course provides an introduction to religion, exploring the various ways that this phenomenon has been understood, approached, practiced, and studied across human history. The course will examine the different ways that religion can be defined, drawing from a variety of humanities and other disciplines. Foundational theories explaining the origins, persistence, and continued relevance of religion will be compared and applied to different traditions. Topics include concepts of divinity, rituals, myth, mysticism and spirituality, pilgrimage, death and the afterlife, and ultimate reality.