FYSP 150 - What is Religion?

FC ARHU WINT

4 credits
Religion is one of the most powerful and contested forces in the world. Attempts to understand religion have captured the attention of many (in)famous scholars in the West: Sigmund Freud, Karl Marx, Mary Douglas, and more. In this seminar, we draw upon these theorists to analyze a wide range of contemporary “religious” phenomena, including alien sightings, sports fandom, and festival attendance. We grapple with the following questions along the way: Where does religion come from? What does religion have to do with the human condition? Why does religion – in its multiple and varying forms – still persist in the modern world?