RS 346 Theory and Method in the Study of Religion
This course which is required of all majors in Philosophy and Religious Studies, examines both classic and contemporary approaches to the study of religion. Students will begin by exploring canonical theories about the origin, nature, and function of religion, including those proposed by Marx, Weber, Durkheim, Freud, James Otto, and Eliade. Then the course turns to religious studies as a contemporary academic discipline: its formation and history, its relation to other disciplines (such as theology, psychology, sociology, anthropology, and the natural sciences), its most prominent voices, and its most vigorous current debates. Students will consistently apply the theoretical and methodological alternatives under study to concrete test cases from a variety of religious traditions.