RELIGION, MAGIC, AND WITCHCRAFT

Catalog description

Religion, magic, and witchcraft are uniquely human means of reaching out to the supernatural realm to effect changes in the here and now. This course introduces students to descriptions and interpretations of magico-religious beliefs and practices in a variety of cultures from an anthropological perspective, which does not attempt to judge the validity of such beliefs but to understand their origins and functions, among other things. It examines theories about religion and some of the conceptual issues regarding the interpretation of religion and related phenomena which have interested anthropologists. (HA and HA-H) PREREQ: 15 UNITS OF COURSEWORK