Maricopa Community Colleges  ASB214   19936-19995 
Official Course Description:   MCCCD Approval:  04/27/93  
ASB214      19936-19995 LEC 3 Credit(s) 3 Period(s)
Magic, Witchcraft and Healing: An Introduction to Comparative Religion
Origins, elements, forms and symbolism of religion; a comparative survey of religious beliefs, myths, rituals and symbolism; the place of religion in the total culture. Prerequisites: None.
 
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MCCCD Official Course Competencies:
 
ASB214   19936-19995 Magic, Witchcraft and Healing: An Introduction to Comparative Religion
1. Distinguish between major theories of the origin of religion. (I)
2. Contrast the major characteristics of tribal religion with those of world religions. (I)
3. Define myth, rituals, and symbols and describe their functions to the individual and the social group. (II)
4. Classify types of religious action. (II)
5. Define and differentiate between the major types of religious practitioners. (III)
6. Classify categories of altered states of consciousness and describe their social and psychological functions. (IV)
7. Define the major classifications of evil forces. (V)
8. Analyze attitudes about evil in the context of social control and social harmony. (V)
9. Describe the functions of funerals and death ceremonies. (VI)
10. Distinguish between various attitudes/beliefs concerning life after death. (VI)
11. Identify the major forces of religious change and innovation. (VII)
12. Analyze the occurrence of nontraditional beliefs in western society. (VIII)
13. Identify characteristics of belief in the occult. (VIII)
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MCCCD Official Course Outline:
 
ASB214   19936-19995 Magic, Witchcraft and Healing: An Introduction to Comparative Religion
    I. The Antrhopological Study of Religion
        A. Religion as a Part of Culture
        B. Religious Origins and Social Evolution in Historical Perspective
        C. Tribal Religions versus World Religions
      II. Myth, Ritual, Symbolism
          A. The Role of Myth in Society
            1. Sacred Time and Place
            2. The Mythic Hero
          B. Ritual as Action and Behavior
            1. Rites of Passage
            2. Healing Ritual
            3. Theoritical Approaches to Understanding Ritual Action
          C. Symbolism
            1. Taboo
            2. Art, Architecture and Design
            3. Anomaly
        III. Religious Practitioners
            A. Shamans and Healers
            B. Mediums and Priests
            C. Prophets
          IV. Altered States of Consciousness
              A. Visions Quests
              B. Hallucinogenic Drugs and Religious Ecstasy
              C. Psychotherapy of Religious Healing
            V. Witchcraft, Socery and Forces of Evil
                A. Witchcraft in Cross-cultural Perspective
                  1. Examples of Witchcraft in Specific Societies
                  2. Witchcraft as a Means of Social Control
                  3. Witchcraft as a Leveling Device
                B. Sorcery
                C. Demons, Exorcism and Magic
                  1. Psychosocial Aspects of Exorcism
                  2. Divination
                  3. Magic
                  4. Illness
              VI. The Afterlife
                  A. Ghosts, Souls and Ancestors
                  B. Death and Cosmology, Transformation and Regeneration
                  C. Sacrifice and Cannibalism
                VII. Religion and Social Change
                    A. Revitalization Movements
                    B. Cargo Cults
                    C. Nativistic Movements
                  VIII. The Occult
                      A. The Occult in the Scientific World
                      B. Mysticism
                      C. New Age Religion
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