Humanities

This interdisciplinary humanities course explores the ancient world through the provocative and revealing lenses of sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll (music). From Mesopotamia to Rome, from Egypt to India, students will investigate how these three elements shaped religious rituals, social norms, artistic expression, and political authority. Topics include sacred sexuality and fertility cults, intoxicants in religious and medical practice, and the roles of music in ceremony, labor, war, and entertainment. Drawing on ancient texts, art, and musical instruments, as well as contemporary scholarly interpretations, the course will interrogate how ancient civilizations viewed the body, altered consciousness, and cultivated sound—and how these practices resonate or differ from modern assumptions. Students will gain a nuanced understanding of the complexities of ancient life and its enduring cultural legacies.

This interdisciplinary humanities course explores the complex landscape of religious beliefs, practices, and worldviews, with an emphasis on contemporary expressions and lived experiences. Students will examine the core tenets, rituals, and cultural roles of major world religions while also engaging with indigenous spiritualities, syncretic movements, and new religious formations often labeled as "cults" or "alternative spiritualities."

Through a critical and respectful lens, the course will consider how religion intersects with arts, culture, politics, identity, colonialism, globalization, and resistance in the modern world. Topics include revitalization movements, diaspora and hybrid faith practices, gender and sexuality in religion, the commodification of spirituality, and the cultural politics of labeling groups as "cults" or "sects." Students will engage with a variety of sources, including ethnographic accounts, sacred texts, visual and material culture, and contemporary media.

This course encourages students to develop a nuanced understanding of religion as a dynamic force in the contemporary world and fosters critical thinking, cultural literacy, and ethical analysis.