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Welcome to Religion and Culture
Welcome to Religion and Culture.
Religion never exists in a vacuum. It shapes the music people sing, the buildings they build, the laws they live under, the way they marry and raise children, and the way they see themselves and others. And culture, in turn, shapes religion: languages, politics, economies, and technologies change how people believe and practice.
This course draws on sociology, anthropology, and history to study these connections. You will read classic thinkers such as Clifford Geertz and Peter Berger, and the Harvard scholar Diana Eck, who has documented America’s religious diversity. You will look at hard realities too, including religious discrimination and violence, and at the opportunities of a world where neighbors of every faith now live side by side.
How This Course Works
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Prerequisite | None. Titles and degrees begin with ordination through the Ordination Orientation. |
| Pace | Self-paced. Most students finish in four to six weeks, studying about four to five hours a week. There are no deadlines. |
| Structure | Eight modules. Each module has a lesson, a reading assignment, and a ten-question quiz. |
| Book report | Read one of the books offered, pass its ten-question quiz, and write a one-paragraph summary, after Module 8. |
| Final exam | Fifteen multiple-choice questions and one essay of 1,500 to 2,000 words, taken after Module 8. |
| Credit | 3 credit hours toward further titles and degrees. |
Grading
| Part | To pass |
|---|---|
| Module quizzes (8) | Pass each with 70% or higher. Retakes allowed. |
| Book report quiz (10 questions) | Pass with 70% or higher. Retakes allowed. |
| Book report summary (one paragraph) | Approved by the school |
| Final exam, Part 1 (multiple choice) | Pass with 70% or higher. Retakes allowed. |
| Final exam, Part 2 (one essay, 1,500 to 2,000 words) | Approved by the school |
Required texts
- The Sacred Canopy, Peter L. Berger
- The Interpretation of Cultures, Clifford Geertz
- A New Religious America, Diana L. Eck
- A Quiet Revolution, Leila Ahmed
Many of these books are available from public libraries, used bookstores, and as ebooks.
What you will study
Module 1: Religion as Culture Module 2: The Sacred in Art, Architecture, and Music Module 3: Religion, Law, and Politics Module 4: Family, Gender, and Religious Change Module 5: Religion, Race, and Identity Module 6: Media, Popular Culture, and Technology Module 7: Secularization and Global Change Module 8: Faith Engaging Culture: Ministry in a Plural World
Book report choices
The Sacred Canopy, Peter L. Berger; A Quiet Revolution, Leila Ahmed
Academic honesty
All written work must be your own. You may quote and discuss the course readings and other sources, but you must say where the words and ideas came from. Submitting work written by someone else, including work generated entirely by AI tools, is not permitted.