REL220.901
Survey of Asian Religions
Distance Education Course

Courtyard of a Chinese temple
in Singapore.

Professor
Dr. Mark McCormick
cmmccormick@bama.ua.edu

Online Distance
Education REL Courses

REL limits the number of seats in its online distance education courses (REL 100, 110, 112, 220, 228; note: 900 section numbers designate distance education), so as to meet the needs primarily of off-campus students. However, on campus students can also enroll.

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Description

In this course, we will analyze critically the various ways people identify themselves and draw boundaries to separate groups from each other, using a series of case studies focusing on South Asia. While these divisions involve many elements, such as nationality, linguistic identity, gender and class, aspects of human experience commonly identified as religious frequently intersect with these divisions. Throughout the course, we will develop various theoretical reflections on issues of identity and contested boundaries based on these case studies.

Books (required)

Adler, Joseph
Chinese Religious Traditions
Prentice Hall,
ISBN 0130911631

Knott, Kim
Hinduism: A Very Short Introduction
Oxford Press
ISBN 0192853872

Mehta, Gita
A River Sutra
Vintage Press
ISBN 0679752471