Exploration of the differences between "folk" and "world" religions. Anthropological methods for understanding folk practices on their own terms and in relationship to other practices/perspectives is also covered.

Investigation of the historical development and core principles of Buddhism in India and Tibet. Students will analyze Buddhist scriptures and the thought of prominent thinkers such as Siddhartha Gautama, Nagarjuna, Padmasambhava and Tsongkhapa. The course will also examine Buddhism by placing it in dialogue with Christian thought.

Analysis of the historical development, core principles, and contemporary practices of Hinduism in the sociocultural and economic context of South Asia. The course also examines philosophical and theological thoughts of Hinduism in relation to Christian theology.

Introduction to Islam as a religion and investigation of what it means to be Muslim in culture, practice and ideas. Examining primary sources, secondary readings, and visual materials, students will gain a foundation in Islamic precepts and history, together with various cultural articulations. Additionally, students will analyze ways in which Muslim tradition is re/defined and applied in particular present-day socio-political contexts.

Introduction to the historical and contemporary expressions of Jewish culture through film, literature, poetry, and ethnography. Jewish religious texts, practices, and identities are examined within broader cultural and global contexts. Includes in-depth assessment of selected contemporary issues, such as Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Jewish diasporas in the Americas, discourse on “Jewishness”, and tensions between Ashkenazi, Sephardic, and Mizrahi Jews.