An interesting example of the hegemony from the finale of the TV series Lost. Compare this attempt to treat Christian symbolism as a universal — and thus non-Christian — symbolism to Voltaire’s unnamed “Jesus” figure in the Philosophical Dictionary’s entry, “Religion.”

To contextualize, it might be worth knowing that, despite the diversity of the religious symbolism and iconography, the action is taking place inside a Catholic church; and the man explaining the Truth goes by the name, Christian Shephard.

Finally, I apologize for the advertisements. This clip was not available on youtube, and hulu won’t work without the junk. Let it be known, I do not endorse Hot Pockets, Juicy Juice, Stouffer’s Turkey Gobs, or any of the other processed food-products advertised here.

As seen in class:

Another commercial that is useful for thinking about the relationship between signifiers and signifieds. We did not talk about this one in class, but it has its charms.

RELI 110A meets on Tuesday & Thursday from 2:00-3:20 in Warren Lecture Hall 2209.

This course presents an intellectual history of the category “religion.” It poses questions such as: What do scholars do when they study religion? What questions do they ask themselves? How do they identify the objects of their study? How do they analyze those objects into component parts, developing categories special to the field of religious studies? Why do scholars study religion and what are their goals?

The class exams the category “religion” in two ways. The first six weeks attend to the history of the term, focusing upon the development of religion’s contemporary significance within the Protestant Reformation and Enlightenment. Here we will also question what it means to be “modern.” Our readings during this section of the class will draw from theology, philosophy, political theory, and post-colonial critique.

The last three weeks then focus on the play of religion in contemporary America. Here, the questions to be asked are:

1. Does Proposition 8 violate the Constitution of the United States of America by violating the separation of church and state?
2. Does it matter whether a “religious experience” occurs naturally or is deliberately induced through chemical or electrochemical means?
3. Did the framers of the Constitution intend the United States of America to be a “Christian nation”? Should the Texas Board of Education revise the state’s history textbooks to present the USA as constitutively Christian?
4. Create a religion. Study that religion.

There are no prerequisites for RELI 110A. However, because this course is required for the major and minor in the Program for the Study of Religion, PSR students will receive preferential admission to the class.