Sprtlty/Religious Quest in Am

Catalog description

Taught by JST. This course is essentially a sociological exploration of spirituality in the contemporary United States. In other words, we will attempt to analyze how Americans discern meaning and experience transcendence in their everyday lives in ways that both connect them to "official" religious institutions and in ways that distance them. Among the topics to be addressed are: patterns of religious belief and belonging; contemporary understandings of the self; new institutions for spirituality; changes in spirituality across the lifespan and among generational cohorts; research methods for interrogating spirituality in everyday life; and the connection between spirituality and wider socio-cultural changes within the United States and beyond. Format: each class session will incorporate both lecture and class discussion. Requirements: classroom participation, and a choice between multiple shorter papers or one longer paper.[20 max enrollment; Auditors with Faculty permission]