This class examines what religion is, the many ways scholars have sought to understand and study it, and the various methodological approaches they have chosen.

By studying major religious traditions of the world, students will consider how religious traditions guide the way people live their lives in an ever-increasingly diverse and religiously pluralistic world. Investigations will include both historical studies and the writings of religious traditions.

Exploration of religion in America from the pre-colonial era to the present. Emphases will vary, drawing from a variety of religious communities (including Puritan, Native American, Muslim, Buddhist, African American, Hindu, Evangelical, Catholic, and Neo-Pagan) and issues (such as civil rights, "cults", church/state, gender, race, and ethnicity).

This course analyzes the inter-connectedness of religion and popular culture and what it can tell us about the nature of religion in America.