Culture - Religion and Identity

Catalog description

We live in a diverse world with global economies, internationally mobile workforces, and networked conference/call centers, as well as megachurches, cathedrals, synagogues, ashrams, mosques, and temples. In order to communicate effectively with people from a variety of religious backgrounds, you must be knowledgeable about the origins and belief systems of the main contemporary religions. This course will provide a journey into the philosophical, historical, and sociological elements of religions that have both influenced and have been influenced by cultures. Through historical accounts, stories, virtual field trips, and philosophical readings, you will discover the values and meaning that religions provide to individual people, and thus the common threads that should allow effective communication.