Religion in Dungeons and Dragons
RELI 295
Spring 2026
| Section:
01
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| Crosslisting:
CJST 295 |
As a fantasy roleplaying game, Dungeons & Dragons has been prevalent for over 40 years. In this game, players partake in fantastical journeys, slaying beasts, completing quests, and interacting with divine beings. Though not often discussed, religion has played an important role in Dungeons & Dragons since its creation: clerics pray to their gods and invoke physical changes in the world, strange cults organize and perform perverse rites, summoning ancient beings for evil. There have been many different editions of Dungeons & Dragons, and each treats these religious elements in a different way. This course answers the questions, "What role does religion play within Dungeons & Dragons and how does the presentation of religion within Dungeons & Dragons map onto scholarly trends within Religious Studies?" |
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
SBS RELI |
| Course Format: Discussion | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: None |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (Religion Minor)(Religion) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: 75% - 89% |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
All readings will be available online via Moodle.
Selections from:
The various editions of Dungeons & Dragons
Gerog Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
Tomoko Masuzawa
Longinus, Concerning Sublimity
Iamblichus, Regarding the Egyptian Mysteries
Sigmund Freud, Totem and Taboo
Clifford Geertz, The Interpretation of Cultures
Emile Durkheim, The Elemental Forms of Religious Life
Levi-Strauss, Structuralism and Social Theory
Joseph Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces
Friedrich Nietzsche
Jacques Derrida
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Examinations and Assignments:
3 Reading Responses (1 Page Each)
An In-class Midterm
A Short Presentation (10 minutes)
A Final Paper (12-15 pages) or Project |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
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This course counts toward the "Method & Theory" requirement for the Religion major |
| Instructor(s): Walker,Tanner Ethan Times: .M.W... 10:50AM-12:10PM; Location: TBA |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 19 | | SR major: 5 | JR major: 9 | | |
| Seats Available: 19 | GRAD: X | SR non-major: 0 | JR non-major: 5 | SO: 0 | FR: 0 |
| 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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