ANT-262 Magic and Religion

WC (Global Awareness: World Cultures)
This course focuses on how people from cultures around the world, but primarily from Asia, Africa, or Latin America, conceptualize the spiritual realm, and how such conceptualizations are shaped by the values and social relations of the cultures in which they occur. Of particular concern is the relationship between magic and religion. We will examine the diverse ways in which humans attempt to communicate and intervene with the divine as well as ritually mark crucial moments such as birth, death, illness, and change. 4 credits.