The purpose of the course is for students to develop ways to
understanding the religions of the West (Christianity, Judaism, and
Islam) in the context of Western (American) society and culture. To
do this, the course will focus on three aspects of Western religion:
notions of God, scripture, and ritual. We will approach these
phenomena from a comparative perspective, meaning that we will be
interested in looking at both the similarities between the religions
of the West as well as those differences that mark each as
distinctive. A major component of our approach to religion will be
examining how each tradition is treated in popular American culture,
media, and literature. We will use various animated series, such as
The Simpsons, Futurama, and King of the Hill as our guide to each of
the topics covered in the course. We will also read three novels
that will exemplify the aspects of Western religion discussed in
class. Fiction is particularly important in helping us gain
appreciations for religious meaning since it allows us to “walk in
the shoes” of other people –to see the world through eyes different
than our own. Requirements: Attendance is required. There will be
weekly reaction papers to assigned readings, three exams, and a
comparative final using the novels as a way to bring together the
different themes of the course. Required Text: Corrigan, Denney,et
al. Jews, Christians, Muslims: A Comparative Introduction to
Monotheistic Religions, eds.; Stephen R. Lawhead, City of Dreams
(Hero!);Umm Zakiyyah, If I Should Speak; Chaim Potok, The Chosen.