REL 3920 Religion, Magic, and Science
We live in a world that seems, somehow, to be religious, magical, and scientific all at the same time. Alongside our iPhones, antibiotics, and drones we see cultural obsessions with the witches and wizards of Harry Potter and the dragons of Game of Thrones. In the United States, debates about the secularity of the state rage on, while over 80% of Americans believe in angels and more than two-thirds in demons. The witches and wizards; scientists and doctors; and angels and demons of our lives seem to cross the boundaries between the categories of Religion, Magic, and Science – raising the question: what are these categories? And where do they come from? This course will answer this question by following the development of these terms from the antique Greco-Roman world to the present, through varied historical and cultural contexts.
Course Types
Classical Studies elective, IGS-Europe regional concentration elective, Interreligious Studies elective
Course Outcomes
- Students will demonstrate familiarity with how the terms “religion,” “magic,” and “science,” were used at various times by Greeks, Romans, Jews, Christians, and Muslims;
- Students will examine how these terms changed over time in response to social, cultural, or political pressures;
- Students will analyze how ideas in one context or religious tradition become adopted into another.
- Students will understand how concepts like “religion,” “magic,” and “science” can serve as terms of exclusion or inclusion to justify bringing in or casting out various individuals or groups.