Course Description
Created by Katrina Jones and Ron Robinson of Wofford College, this syllabus explores the civic, theological, and philosophical challenges and opportunities of religious pluralism through academic texts, case studies, and a travel seminar to Washington DC. The course asks: What does it mean for groups with different religious commitments to share the same civic space? What might it mean to move beyond religious tolerance toward civic engagement among people of many faiths and those of no faith?
We will also consider more overarching questions related to the field of religious studies. For example: What does it mean to study “religion”? What does it mean to study one particular religious tradition? What is the difference between studying religion (or pluralism) in an academic context, as opposed to a faith-based context, as opposed to the context of the civic sphere? What is the difference between “religious studies” and “theology”? Does it matter? Is human flourishing affected by interreligious and/or interfaith engagement?
