Ritual, Performance, and Religion

Exposes students to theories of ritual and performance (Turner, Schechner, Grimes, Geertz, Paden) in religious and non-religious contexts; compares contexts as a way of understanding common structures and what differentiates the religious/non-religious. Guest lecturers (from religion, dance, theater, psychology, English, visual and media studies, cultural anthropology) expose students to a range of approaches to specific kinds of ritual and performance. Possibly involves both class and individual trips to local religious events and performances for field work exercises.