Overview of Course

In the field of Religious Studies, the religions of the world are studied as windows into the values and practices of distinct cultures. This course explores the major religions of the world that relate to the places we will visit on Semester-at-Sea: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism. We will examine the historical foundations of these religious traditions, including some of the core beliefs and practices of each one. Our aim will be to try to appreciate what draws people to each of these religious traditions, as well as understand the common critiques that have arisen in more recent years. As such, our shared exploration of cross-national religions also involves an examination of the globalization of each religion in terms of how they are expressed in their so-called “birth places” juxtaposed to their manifestations around the world, including the United States and the countries we visit as part of our Semester at Sea voyage. We will utilize largely primary sources, as well as visual learning to prepare you to appreciate the countries that we will visit during our term.