In this course, we examine the major religious traditions in China today – Confucianism, Buddhism, Daoism, Christianity, Islam, and other religious traditions – through both historical and ethnographic case studies. By focusing on rituals and beliefs related to everyday life experiences, we gain an understanding of Chinese religions through both historical contexts and contemporary developments. We also consider what it means to be religious in East Asia in the 21st century. Students in this course are encouraged to think comparatively, to write analytically, and to learn how to discuss accounts of religious life with a sociological as well as historical imagination.
