REL 3465: Religion and the Meaning of Life

Together, we shall go on an existential journey to discover religion’s role in the meaning of life. The red thread of this course that we will continue returning to is the following question: What makes life worth living? We shall evaluate different answers to this question and also investigate spiritual practices that support those answers. Additionally, we will discuss practical approaches to respectful collaboration with peers across a diverse range of belief paradigms. Students will gain the skill sets necessary to think critically, evaluatecontroversial arguments, and engage in theoretical discussions pertaining to respect for religious/spiritual beliefs.Students should be able to demonstrate an understanding of their own values in addition to the values of others, and they should be willing to discuss their values with peers who may not share them. Moreover, students will be provided with opportunities to collaborate with their peers about critical moments/experiences in the human lifecycle and the meaning to be found therein (i.e., Death, Obstacles,Boredom, Suffering, etc.).