This course is designed to introduce students to the study of religion in current times and its dynamic intersections with contemporary society in a globalizing world. The course instructor presents theoretical and empirical works, reviews major methodological approaches in the sociology of religion, and draws on engaging case studies from diverse global contexts including Japan, East Asia, Europe, the Philippines, Latin America, and Africa. The course is organized into three modules: foundational theories of religion (Module 1); religion's influence on public life including politics, conflict, gender, migration, and the family (Module 2); and contemporary trends including the rise of the religiously unaffiliated, new religious movements, and digital religion (Module 3).
- Teacher: Cherry Amor Dugtong Yap