RELIGION 313 - Mormonism as a New Religious Movement

This course uses Mormonism (the collection of religious movements that trace their origins to the prophetic career of Joseph Smith, Jr) as a case study for exploring the phenomenon of new religious movements, a term used in the study of religions to refer to movements of modern origin that often find themselves on the periphery of the society in which they emerge. The course will examine a number of questions new religious movements raise: how have modern people defined “religion”? What makes something a legitimate “religion”? How do new religious movements seek to legitimate themselves? What sorts of practical challenges do these movements pose - legally, economically, and culturally? This course will introduce students to the study of Mormonism while using the tradition to engage with a number of these questions.
Units: 4
Course Type: Seminar