Welcome to the Contemporary Religious Movements Course Page

This course provides an introduction to some of the increasingly popular contemporary spiritual religious movements in North America.   The course will survey a variety of spiritual paths, including Paganism (Wicca, Druidry, Ásatrú,),   The New Age Movement (Mother Earth Spirituality and Channeling), and UFO Spirituality (Close Encounters of 3rd and 4th kinds, UFO Spiritual Contactee Groups, the Raelian Movement).   The course will explore the mainstreaming of these faiths in popular culture through an examination of films such as The Craft and James Cameron's Avatar.

Click here to download a copy of the Introduction to Contemporary Religious Movements (Religious Studies 2811) course syllabus in .pdf format.



Click the links below for primary source readings connected to the content of our course.

 



During semesters when this course is offered on campus, class powerpoints may be posted below.