Instructor: Grant Potts, Ph.D.
Class Meetings: None
Although the status of contemporary Paganism as an indigenous religion is contested, many practitioners claim at least some resonance between their own spirituality and that of living indigenous traditions throughout the world. This course offers students of Pagan ministry a survey of indigenous traditions throughout the world. The course opens with an examination of the category of “indigenous” and then explores indigenous religion and spirituality in specific contexts. Although the course opens the question of what counts as “indigenous religion,” it will emphasize the diversity of practices and beliefs of peoples throughout the world. Students will be asked to complete assignments exploring a specific indigenous religion with their own, examining a specific aspect of indigenous religion, and discussing the role of an indigenous spirituality in the world today. This course does not have a meeting chat time, and so students are expected to be very active on course discussion boards.
In the case of low enrollment (3 students or fewer), this class will run in a directed study format. Students should be able to confidently conduct independent research with instructor guidance. Contact the instructor for additional details.
Fulfills the Area I requirement for a course in a regional or place-based traditions. Required for all Theology and Religious History majors.
- Lawson, E. Thomas. Religions of Africa: Traditions in Transformation. Waveland, 1998.
- Brown, Joseph Epes. Teaching Spirits: Understanding Native American Religious Traditions. Oxford, 2010.
- Kasulis, Thomas P. Shinto: The Way Home. University of Hawaii Press, 2004.