WR-130: Introduction to the Academic Study of Religion

WR-130 is an introduction to the academic study of religion. In this context, "academic" refers both to an objective approach to course material and to the emphasis on scholars whose writings have helped shape the field of religious studies. Through the works of Kant, Otto, Feuerbach, Marx and others, students examine various ways that "religion," as a category of academic inquiry, has been defined. In addition, through the lens of critical theory, they explore the thought of contemporary scholars as it pertains to definitions of religion and the role of religion in promoting or reducing the power of given social groups.