Anthropology of Religion, Magic, and Witchcraft

Catalog description

This course examines religion anthropologically, focusing on the societal and cultural mechanisms that shape religious beliefs in human societies. The basic concepts of anthropology are introduced, including the concept of culture as defined by cultural anthropologists. Also discussed are the various anthropological theories used to explain religious beliefs, particularly functionalist theory and Geertzian interpretive theory. Universal aspects of religion, such as belief in supernatural forces and beings, are examined, as is the ubiquity of myth in shaping religious beliefs. Aspects of religious belief in specific cultures are also discussed, including belief in magic for healing in shamanism and the use of magic to inflict harm through sorcery. The manifestation of witchcraft is examined through the lens of anthropological theory, both as an explanation of misfortune and as a form of social control. Revitalization movements are examined through the lens of cultural responses to societal pressures and crises such as colonialism.