World Religions
Description
This course aims to provide an introduction to the history of religion and spirituality, along with a sampling of the history, beliefs and practices of the world's four largest religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity and Islam.
The course does not espouse any particular point of view, either secular or that of any individual religion. The readings represent the perspectives of a variety of authors, from academics to devout practitioners, as well as a small number of original religious texts. In these readings, students will find both commonalities and contradictions.
The books chosen for the first month of the course present a broad overview of religion and spiritual practice, one academic and one from a syncretic practitioner. Thereafter, one month each is spent on the four major religions in chronological order.
The goal of the course is to induce students to appreciate the value of religion and spiritual practice, and to gain a better understanding of their own spiritual tradition as well as others.
Course components
God: A Human History
By Reza Aslan
The Untethered Soul
By Michael A. Singer
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