REL 29.01 Religion in the Modern World

As late as the 1970s, academics were convinced that religion was dying, and that it was less and less relevant to the contemporary world. Then came the Iranian Revolution, the Rise of the Religious Conservatives in the US, the settler movement in Israel, the appearance of militant Buddhists in Sri Lanka, and then of course 9/11. In this introductory, reading and discussion-based course we will first try to understand what we mean by the term “modernity” and what features are characteristic of it. Then we will consider and discuss a series of topics related to modernity and religion. Readings are designed to include both topical cases and classic works in the study of religion and modernity. Open to all. 

Instructor

Reinhart

Degree Requirement Attributes

Dist:INT or TMV

The Timetable of Class Meetings contains the most up-to-date information about a course. It includes not only the meeting time and instructor, but also its official distributive and/or world culture designation. This information supersedes any information you may see elsewhere, to include what may appear in this ORC/Catalog or on a department/program website. Note that course attributes may change term to term therefore those in effect are those (only) during the term in which you enroll in the course.

Offered

• Summer