RELI 490: Comparative Study of Religions

RELI 490-001: Compar Study of Religion
(Fall 2014)

04:30 PM to 07:10 PM M

Section Information for Fall 2014

What is religion? Is it a set of beliefs about a God or gods? Is it a personal experience or does it tell us something about our world and/or a sacred reality? Is religion a system of ethics or a guide to political life or a form of magic? And how should we study a subject as complex as religion? Should we learn about religion from believers or scholars or both? Do we seek evidence of a higher reality and/or study sacred texts and their accounts of religious experience? This course examines various intellectual approaches used to analyze and understand the unique and diverse human phenomenon of religion.

Course Information from the University Catalog

Credits: 3

Cross-cultural examination of comparative aspects of religious phenomena. Examines significance of religious phenomena from diverse religious and cultural perspectives, and investigates patterns of religious phenomena that have appeared in world cultures and civilizations. Limited to three attempts.
Mason Core: Synthesis
Specialized Designation: Topic Varies, Non-Western Culture
Recommended Prerequisite: 9 credits in religious studies including RELI 211 and RELI 212, or permission of instructor.
Schedule Type: Lecture
Grading:
This course is graded on the Undergraduate Regular scale.

The University Catalog is the authoritative source for information on courses. The Schedule of Classes is the authoritative source for information on classes scheduled for this semester. See the Schedule for the most up-to-date information and see Patriot web to register for classes.