We are pleased to share that Dr. Dachille will be offering her graduate course, Theories and Methods of Religious Studies, again next semester, Fall 2025. This course provides essential training for engagement with the larger field of religious studies, and was specifically designed to fill a gap in the existing training of graduate students. The course is offered only once every two years!
Graduate Course: Graduate Readings in Theories and Methods for the Study of Religion
Course Number: RELI 550
Instructor: Dr. Rae Dachille
Meeting time Fall 2025: Tu/Th 11-12:15
Location: LSB 107
The course provides graduate training in the theories and methods of religious studies and guides students in contextualizing their own work within this discourse. It is an opportunity to learn how religion became an object of study, to explore the approaches of key theorists, and to assess the efficacy of these approaches. Controversies surrounding ritual, canon, culture, power, translation, and "experience" will inform our conversations. Students will develop a more nuanced understanding of the relationship of religious studies and area studies, in terms of historical and continuously-evolving dynamics. Finally, this course challenges students to evaluate the broader role of religious studies in the humanities and to set goals for their professional contributions to this discourse.