IDS 285H Honors Compartive Religious Traditions

3.0 Credit(s) DPDS

This course is an interdisciplinary study of six major world religions—Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity—considering such issues as their moral teachings and practices; historical development; and cultural and geographical settings. The course covers how religions are responsible for significant human achievement in many areas and also a source of joining some persons together in meaning and purpose while excluding and demeaning others. Students will have continued opportunities to consider how their own cultural and religious identities are similar to, and different from, those of others we study, looking especially at how religions have played, and still play, a key role in U.S. history in defining and oppressing segments of society. The course closely and empathetically examines the experiences of those who have been oppressed by religions. In this Honors section of the course, students will conduct independent research on a topic of interest and consider how interdisciplinary thinking and research methodologies may be used to address issues in religious studies related to power dynamics and social justice.