Magic, Witchcraft & Religion
Anthro 10

Brief Course Description
All humans, in all places, at all times, have pondered unanswerable questions. Why do we die? What is disease and why does it strike some and not others? Why do young, innocent infants and children sometimes suffer unspeakable pain and hardship? What is "special" about humans, that is, how do we differ from other life forms on (or off) the planet? Do we really have any "free will" to affect our lives, or are we nothing more than semi-conscious pin balls being played on some cosmic board game? If so, who controls the buttons: gods, ghosts, ancestors, demons, shamans, angels, witches, priests, devils, prophets...?

This is a journey class. We will all hopefully have an extraordinary adventure this semester. For that reason, I am asking everyone to maintain spiritual awareness during the semester. Spend some time reflecting on your thoughts, hopes, dreams, and fears as you experience the reading, the lectures, the supplementary media, and the guest speakers, all designed to provide an anthropological study of the supernatural. Members of the class will set out on this journey having already attained some level of spiritual understanding. Be aware that most spiritual systems, especially the more orthodox ones, insist they have a monopoly on the truth, that other philosophies or theologies are wrong, misinformed, erroneous, misled, or downright evil, wicked, even heretical! Please try to see beyond this prejudice. Hopefully this course will provide the knowledge and experience for each of us to achieve a better understanding of the world of the supernatural. In the process, we should all strive to become more tolerant of spiritual beliefs different from our own.

In order to successfully achieve an anthropological understanding, we will all have to adopt, at least while we are part of the class, an open-mindedness and genuine curiosity regarding alternate belief systems. If, for any reason, you find this an unreasonable prerequisite for the class, I advise you to drop the course immediately as your attendance is not likely to do you, or the rest of the class, any good at all.

Part of one's college education should be a healthy curiosity. In this course, I will ask that you develop a curiosity regarding the range of beliefs that constitute human cultural understanding of the supernatural world both past and present, and in all places on Earth. The spirit world takes many forms. The purpose of this course is to survey at least some of these forms. In the process, we will all become more aware of the diversity of beliefs, behaviors, and realities different people maintain in their spiritual lives. I hope you find this journey both enlightening and enjoyable!