Syllabi Archive

A 2012 course by Jennifer Porter at Memorial University of Newfoundland on the "portrayal and treatment of religion in popular culture."

A 2010 course by David Morgan at Duke University "examines the role of things, material practices, the body, space and performance in the study of religions."

A course by Peter Harle at Macalester College introduces "the study of religion, using food as an entry point." Topics such as "aspects of foodways such as cooking, farming, sacrifice, aesthetics, and display as they relate to myth, magic, ritual, healing, ethics, and doctrine" will be explored.

A 2003 course by Kevin Lewis at the University of South Carolina is an introduction "to the study of the pervasive mutual influence of modern (Western) culture and religion upon each other--focussing on the three religions 'of the Book.'"

A 2010 course by Seth Dowland at Duke University is a writing-intensive course that examines "the intersection of religion and popular culture."

A 1999 course by Jeffrey Carlson at DePaul University "provides an opportunity to explore a variety of forms of "religious mixing" and thereby to reflect on the nature of religious identity."

A 2009 course by Bryan Stone at Boston University School of Theology "places the Christian gospel into dialogue with various expressions of North American popular culture (film, television, art, music, entertainment, sports, etc.) in an effort to understand the complex relationship between the two."

A 2011 course by Louis Nelson at the University of Virginia covers theories of sacred spaces, places of worship, and other "more peripheral assertions of sanctity on space."

A 2007 course by Howard Culbertson at Southern Nazarene University offers an overview of religious beliefs and practices such as sorcery, totemism, shamans, voodoo, cargo cults.

A 2013 course by Kevin Dougherty at Baylor University "explores organizational aspects of religion, including organizational forms, prominent theories, and common methodologies."