MnTC #07-137R

Revised CCO

November 17, 2007

COMMON COURSE OUTLINE

ANTHROPOLOGY  1188:

MAGIC, WITCHCRAFT, AND RELIGION: THE ANTHROPOLOGY OF RELIGION

3 credits            Prerequisites: The student should have tested out of developmental reading.

CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION: 3 CR.This course offers a systematic comparison of the many religions practiced in human cultures, from simple to complex.  We explore not only belief, mythology, and ritual, but also sacred space, symbols, personnel and organization, and how religion relates to other aspects of culture, such as language and politics.  Includes 1 or more field trips. MNTC  Goals 2, 5, 8.

TEXTS: At the discretion of the instructor. Typically the course uses two or three texts and some additional readings placed on reserve or provided as handouts. Texts used in the past include:

                Lehman and Meyers, ed.     Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion

                Neihardt                               Black Elk Speaks          

                Kinsley                                 Hinduism: An Anthropological Perspective 

TOPICS: At the discretion of the instructor. Most of the following topics will be covered, but different instructors emphasize some more than others.

1.         culture defined; religion defined

2.         myth and sacred narratives

3.         belief systems

4.         symbolism and meaning

5.         sacred places and sacred landscapes

6.         different types of ritual

7.         shamans, sorcerers, and witches

8.         magic

9.         world religions

10.        religious movements: “cults,” etc.

11.        functions of religion

12.        drugs and altered states

13.        archaeology of religion

14.        religious leadership and membership

15.        women and religion; men and religion

COURSE OBJECTIVES. The student taking this course will be able to:

            1. Develop a working knowledge of the anthropological terms and concepts that will make it possible to think about and talk about religion in our society and others. (MNTC 2a, 5bc, 8b)

            2. Identify and interpret different components of religion--myth, symbol system, ritual, belief system, organization of personnel, and so on. (MNTC  2ab, 5bc, 8b)

            3. Trace evolutionary trends in the history of religion. (MNTC 2abd, 5bc, 8ab)

             4. Describe and interpret one or two of the great world religions and how they function in society. (MNTC 2abd, 5bcd, 8abc)

            5. Identify the way religion functions in society in the life of the individual and in the life of the community. (MNTC 2abd, 5bcd, 8bc)

            6. Identify the many ways religion interacts negatively as well as positively with other aspects of culture, even with areas not usually associated with religion, such as nutrition or politics. (MNTC 2abd, 5bcd, 8abc)

             7. Analyze the relationship between religion and change. (MNTC 2ab, 5bcd, 8abc)

EVALUATION: At the discretion of the instructor, evaluation will be based on quizzes, short descriptive and interpretive essays, and attendance at a religious event outside the student’s own religious background.

APPENDICES I and II.

This course meets requirements for

       MNTC Goal 5: b, c, and d and

       MNTC Goal 8: a, b, and c, and

       MNTC Goal 2: a, b, and d.