ASIAN 4449 - History and Methods of the Academic Study of Religion

(crosslisted) RELST 4449
(HB) (KCM-AS)

Spring. 4 credits. Student option grading.

Prerequisite: two courses in religious studies or permission of instructor.

D. Boucher.

This seminar will explore the development of and variety in the academic discipline of Religious Studies. We will consider the emergence of secular approaches to the study of religion arising out of the European Enlightenment, and more particularly, the methods in the academic study of religion based upon different theoretical approaches. We will be particularly concerned to reflect upon the category of religious experience in modern discourses from historical, social, hermeneutical, neurobiological points of view. (RL)