REL 271 Religion as a Social Force

Whether we like it or not, religion colors the world around us, the way we live socially. Even in the secular, "post-religious" West, religion makes its presence felt, sometimes in unexpected ways. Because religious belief and practice goes to the core of what it means to be human, what we hold most precious, it necessarily affects the way we live together - it is a social force. Conversely, the way we live together affects the shape of religious belief and practice. If we want to live together with understanding, we need to account for the role of religion. How are we to understand the relationship between religion and society, religion and culture?