REL 1.09 Religion and Drugs

Virtually no religious tradition is indifferent towards psychoactive substances. Wine is a sacrament in Christianity, as is cannabis in Rastafarianism. In the colonial Americas, the Catholic Church spent centuries attempting to suppress the use of indigenous crops like coca, which it perceived as diabolical. Ancient societies often deified alcohol and other mind-altering substances; Ninkasi, for example, was the Mesopotamian goddess of beer. Psychoactives (i.e. drugs) therefore offer a fascinating comparative lens from which to examine religion.

Instructor

Wilkinson

Degree Requirement Attributes

Dist:SOC

The Timetable of Class Meetings contains the most up-to-date information about a course. It includes not only the meeting time and instructor, but also its official distributive and/or world culture designation. This information supersedes any information you may see elsewhere, to include what may appear in this ORC/Catalog or on a department/program website. Note that course attributes may change term to term therefore those in effect are those (only) during the term in which you enroll in the course.

Offered

• Winter