What is Religion? Kool-Aid, Sacred Space, and the "God-Emperor"
RELI 151
Fall 2026
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01
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This course will introduce students to the academic study of religion. It will not offer a survey of "world religions"; rather, it will call upon a set of case studies to help us explore various theoretical issues in the study of religion. These include theories of religious experience, the interpretation of religious texts, the relationship between thought and practice, and the intersections of religion with law, culture, race, gender, and national identity. Perhaps most importantly, we will examine some of the historical, social, and political processes that have produced "religion" as a category in the first place. Together, these discussions will offer us a set of descriptive and analytical tools for understanding the role of religion in social, economic, and political life in both premodern and contemporary settings. |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
SBS RELI |
| Course Format: Lecture / Discussion | Grading Mode: Student Option |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (Caribbean Studies Minor)(Muslim Studies Minor)(Religion Minor)(Religion)(Science and Technology Studies) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: 50% - 74% |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
Talal Asad, GENEALOGIES OF RELIGION
Liz Buccar, STEALING MY RELIGION
David Chidester, SALVATION AND SUICIDE
Jennifer Cousineau, "The Urban Practice of Jewish Space"
Emile Durkheim, ELEMENTARY FORMS OF RELIGIOUS LIFE
Mayanthi Fernando, "Reconfiguring Freedom: Muslim piety and the limits of secular law and public discourse in France"
Clifford Geertz, THE INTERPRETATION OF CULTURES
Anne-Caroline Rendu Loisel, "Beyond the Five Senses: Human Senses according to Akkadian Cuneiform Texts"
Tomoko Masuzawa, THE INVENTION OF WORLD RELIGIONS
Valerio Moccia, "God-Emperors and Their Mankind: Warhammer 40K, Dune and Power Imaginaries in Modern Sci-Fi"
Christine Elizabeth Palmer, "The Jerusalem Temple: A Sensory Encounter with the Sacred"
Jonathan Z. Smith, "Religion, Religions, Religious"
Vladimir Sazonov, "Some Remarks Concerning the Development of the Theology of War in Ancient Mesopotamia"
Edward Soja, THIRDSPACE: JOURNEYS TO LOS ANGELES AND OTHER REAL-AND-IMAGINED PLACES
Thomas Tweed, CROSSING AND DWELLING: A THEORY OF RELIGION
Tisa Wenger, "We Are Guaranteed Freedom: Pueblo Indians and the Category of Religion in the 1920s"
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Examinations and Assignments:
Active class participation
Three response papers
Midterm exam
10-12 page final paper |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
Attendance and participation are required. Students considering majoring or minoring in Religion should register for a letter grade. Students choosing Cr/U must submit all course assignments and pass the final paper to receive credit. |
| Instructor(s): Quintman,Andrew H Walker,Tanner Ethan Times: ..T.R.. 01:20PM-02:40PM; Location: TBA |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 40 | | SR major: 0 | JR major: 4 | | |
| Seats Available: 40 | GRAD: X | SR non-major: 4 | JR non-major: 4 | SO: 14 | FR: 14 |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 0 | 1st Ranked: 0 | 2nd Ranked: 0 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 0 | Unranked: 0 |
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