REL 330 - Ecology and Religion in Japan

Course unit(s): 1
Meets GAR (students beginning prior to Fall 2024): Meets general academic requirements HU, DE, and IL
Meets requirement: IEL
Prerequisite(s): Instructor permission required.
Through religious life and environmental stewardship are often understood to be mutually exclusive realms of human activity, the reality is that these land practices often influence one another in important ways. This course to Japan offers a unique opportunity to explore the intersections of sustainability and religion in the context of an industrialized Asian country. After a semester introducing students to the fundamentals of ecology and how humans rely upon and impact ecosystems processes, as well as to the history and ritual of Buddhism and indigenous Shinto, we will visit Japan. There, we will explore Japanese religious communities, businesses, schools, and secular urban spaces to gain an understanding of Japanese practices of place.