Course description

Every religion includes some element of the 'sacred'. This can involve sacred rituals, experiences, sacred people, respected scriptures, and holy places. The sociology of religion has also been focussed on studying ideas of the sacred, such as the nature and function of religious beliefs, sacred objects and practices. Sociologists have asked the following questions: What exactly is the sacred? How does something like a story, a place, or even a person become sacred in the first place? How do sacred ideas influence group interactions, social connections, and societies? How do societies in turn shape ideas of the sacred? This course will explore such questions by examining notions of religion and the sacred through the lens of sociology.

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