Theories of Religion [Durham, NC]
**This course is in-person only. There is no virtual component. Participants must be age 21+
Full Tuition: $340 — Sliding-scale tuition options are available in the drop-down enrollment menu for you to self-select. To pay in installments, choose to pay with PayPal at check out.
Instructor: Charles Rousseau | 5-weeks | Sundays May 11-June 8 | 6:00-8:00 PM | In-Person, 719 N Mangum St, Durham, NC
Is religion a timeless, universal human phenomenon? Does it require a God? Aren’t all religions basically the same?
This course studies the category of religion itself. Through a combination of short readings and popular media, we’ll explore the history of the idea of religion. We’ll consider a range of scholarly definitions alongside cultural artifacts as we analyze concepts like belief, ritual, identity, secularism, the sacred, and the profane. Theoretical rather than devotional, this study of religion will encourage participants to define what you think religion is, while thinking critically about how the contested category of religion continues to shape our society and sense of self.
Readings may draw from foundational theorists such as Émile Durkheim, Sigmund Freud, Mircea Eliade, Mary Douglas, Edward Said, and Jonathan Z. Smith as well as contemporary thinkers such as Kathryn Lofton, Marilynne Robinson, Talal Asad, Cynthia Ozick, and Cornel West.
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This class will take place in person at Night School Bar in Durham. Night School requires that students refrain from attending in-person classes when sick. For more on our class policies, see our FAQ. Instructors will also follow this policy. If your instructor is sick, class may be moved to online for a session or rescheduled to the week following the final scheduled session at the instructor’s discretion.
Sliding Scale: Night School Bar pays instructors and staff a living wage. We ask that people who make above the living wage threshold for their area strongly consider choosing the full-tuition or mid-level tuition tier in order to support our own living wage program. For Durham, NC, where we are located, the living wage threshold is $49,000 for an individual. All scholarship needs are self-assessed, and we will never request or require proof of need.
Scholarships: We are currently able to offer three full scholarships per class. Our full scholarship tier is a nonrefundable offering, limited to one per student per month. Because our scholarship funding is limited, selecting multiple full scholarships in a single month will result in disenrollment from all classes. If the scholarship tier you need is sold out please email us directly, and we will add you to a waitlist and notify you if additional scholarships become available. Please see our FAQ for more information, including installment plans and refund policy.
**This course is in-person only. There is no virtual component. Participants must be age 21+
Full Tuition: $340 — Sliding-scale tuition options are available in the drop-down enrollment menu for you to self-select. To pay in installments, choose to pay with PayPal at check out.
Instructor: Charles Rousseau | 5-weeks | Sundays May 11-June 8 | 6:00-8:00 PM | In-Person, 719 N Mangum St, Durham, NC
Is religion a timeless, universal human phenomenon? Does it require a God? Aren’t all religions basically the same?
This course studies the category of religion itself. Through a combination of short readings and popular media, we’ll explore the history of the idea of religion. We’ll consider a range of scholarly definitions alongside cultural artifacts as we analyze concepts like belief, ritual, identity, secularism, the sacred, and the profane. Theoretical rather than devotional, this study of religion will encourage participants to define what you think religion is, while thinking critically about how the contested category of religion continues to shape our society and sense of self.
Readings may draw from foundational theorists such as Émile Durkheim, Sigmund Freud, Mircea Eliade, Mary Douglas, Edward Said, and Jonathan Z. Smith as well as contemporary thinkers such as Kathryn Lofton, Marilynne Robinson, Talal Asad, Cynthia Ozick, and Cornel West.
—
This class will take place in person at Night School Bar in Durham. Night School requires that students refrain from attending in-person classes when sick. For more on our class policies, see our FAQ. Instructors will also follow this policy. If your instructor is sick, class may be moved to online for a session or rescheduled to the week following the final scheduled session at the instructor’s discretion.
Sliding Scale: Night School Bar pays instructors and staff a living wage. We ask that people who make above the living wage threshold for their area strongly consider choosing the full-tuition or mid-level tuition tier in order to support our own living wage program. For Durham, NC, where we are located, the living wage threshold is $49,000 for an individual. All scholarship needs are self-assessed, and we will never request or require proof of need.
Scholarships: We are currently able to offer three full scholarships per class. Our full scholarship tier is a nonrefundable offering, limited to one per student per month. Because our scholarship funding is limited, selecting multiple full scholarships in a single month will result in disenrollment from all classes. If the scholarship tier you need is sold out please email us directly, and we will add you to a waitlist and notify you if additional scholarships become available. Please see our FAQ for more information, including installment plans and refund policy.
**This course is in-person only. There is no virtual component. Participants must be age 21+
Full Tuition: $340 — Sliding-scale tuition options are available in the drop-down enrollment menu for you to self-select. To pay in installments, choose to pay with PayPal at check out.
Instructor: Charles Rousseau | 5-weeks | Sundays May 11-June 8 | 6:00-8:00 PM | In-Person, 719 N Mangum St, Durham, NC
Is religion a timeless, universal human phenomenon? Does it require a God? Aren’t all religions basically the same?
This course studies the category of religion itself. Through a combination of short readings and popular media, we’ll explore the history of the idea of religion. We’ll consider a range of scholarly definitions alongside cultural artifacts as we analyze concepts like belief, ritual, identity, secularism, the sacred, and the profane. Theoretical rather than devotional, this study of religion will encourage participants to define what you think religion is, while thinking critically about how the contested category of religion continues to shape our society and sense of self.
Readings may draw from foundational theorists such as Émile Durkheim, Sigmund Freud, Mircea Eliade, Mary Douglas, Edward Said, and Jonathan Z. Smith as well as contemporary thinkers such as Kathryn Lofton, Marilynne Robinson, Talal Asad, Cynthia Ozick, and Cornel West.
—
This class will take place in person at Night School Bar in Durham. Night School requires that students refrain from attending in-person classes when sick. For more on our class policies, see our FAQ. Instructors will also follow this policy. If your instructor is sick, class may be moved to online for a session or rescheduled to the week following the final scheduled session at the instructor’s discretion.
Sliding Scale: Night School Bar pays instructors and staff a living wage. We ask that people who make above the living wage threshold for their area strongly consider choosing the full-tuition or mid-level tuition tier in order to support our own living wage program. For Durham, NC, where we are located, the living wage threshold is $49,000 for an individual. All scholarship needs are self-assessed, and we will never request or require proof of need.
Scholarships: We are currently able to offer three full scholarships per class. Our full scholarship tier is a nonrefundable offering, limited to one per student per month. Because our scholarship funding is limited, selecting multiple full scholarships in a single month will result in disenrollment from all classes. If the scholarship tier you need is sold out please email us directly, and we will add you to a waitlist and notify you if additional scholarships become available. Please see our FAQ for more information, including installment plans and refund policy.