Studying
Religion in
Culture


REL 100.001
Introduction to the Study of Religion


Professor
Dr. Steven Jacobs
Aaron Aronov Endowed Chair of Judaic Studies
sjacobs@bama.ua.edu

Student Assistant
To be announced

 

Office: 202 Manly Hall
Office Phone: 348-0473
Office Hours: TBA
Course Number: 40588
Course
: TR 12:30-1:45
Location: 30 ten Hoor

 

About Online Readings

Some course readings are placed in a "secure" folder; you can only access these PDF files (Portable Document Format, that can be opened with the free Adobe Reader) by clicking each link and then entering your Bama User Name and Password. If you have difficulty accessing these readings, contact the instructor by email.

If you have forgotten your Bama ID, but know your Campus Wide ID (CWID), then go here.

 

Description

As a general introduction to the academic study of religion, REL 100 examines the function of religion in relation to human beliefs, social practices, and culture in general. The course surveys a broad number of important debates in the history of religious studies, such as the definition of religion, the insider/outsider problem, theories on the origins of religion, the comparison of religions, religion's psychological, sociological, and political functions, and the manner in which human communities authorize systems of behavior. As a Core Humanities course, REL 100's goal is for all students to learn to define, accurately describe, and compare in a non-evaluative manner so as to discover significant similarities and differences in various forms of human behavior.

Note: Although we will examine some of the world's religious traditions, this course is not simply an introduction to world religions; rather, it is an introduction to the study of religion and its tools, in which religion is conceived as an observable aspect of human culture and history.


Syllabus

Fall 2010 Syllabus (PDF)

"Create Your Own Religion"
Group Assignments
(PDF)

Religion Group Assignments (PDF)


Tests

Tests in this course are multiple choice, using "bubble" scoring sheets. To fill in the answer sheet during the test you will need to use a pencil and you will need to know your new Campus-Wide ID (CWID) number.

Once the tests are graded, you will be able to obtain your test results over the web by visiting www.ssc.ua.edu/query and selecting "Student Grades," and then entering your CWID number and password. Note: If you incorrectly entered your CWID on the scoring sheet you will not be able to access your test grade online, since your test score will not be matched correctly to your login.


Books (required)

Nye, Malory
Religion: The Basics
ISBN: 0415263794
NY:Routledge, 2008 2nd Ed

Rodrigues, Hillary, and Harding, John S.
Introduction to the Study of Religion
ISBN: 041540889X
London & NY: Routledge, 2009

Jacobs, Steven
Current World Religions (PDF)


Readings

"The Study of Religion: An Introduction and Provocation" by Kenneth MacKendrick

Why study religion?

"What is the Academic Study of Religion?" by Russell T. McCutcheon (PDF)

"Insides, Outsides, and the Scholar of Religion" by Russell T. McCutcheon

"Theses on Method" by Bruce Lincoln

Misunderstood Concepts, by Mark Taylor

(Don't) Give Me That Old Time Religion, by Don Troop

One University, Under God, by Stanley Fish

Scholars Infuse Religion With Cultural Light, by Alan Wolfe

Religion and Culture: Views of Ten Scholars

What is Religion?, by Thomas Idinopulos

Why Religion Still Matters, by James Carroll

Toward Open Definitions of Religion, by W. Richard Comstock

Religious Studies: A Part of the Human Sciences (PDF)

The Provocations of Mark Taylor (PDF)

A Canterbury Tale (PDF)

Soul Talk (PDF)

Egypt Announces Plan to Revise Religious Studies Curricula, Removing Extremist Content and Promoting Tolerance (PDF)

The New War between Science and Religion (PDF)

God, Science, and Philanthropy (PDF)

Wrestling With One God or Another (PDF)

Religion as Something Absolutely Ordinary (PDF)

Limitations of Religious Freedom to Conform to the Standards of an Open and Democratic Society (PDF)

The Complexity of Religion and the Definition of "Religion" in International Law (PDF)

Religion in World Affairs (PDF)

God and the 21st Century (PDF)

"Covenant" The New Yorker (PDF)

Powerpoint Presentations (PDF)