• Select a movie, TV show, or magazine article that depicts one of the religions we have
covered throughout the semester, and critically analyze the presentation. The cultural im-
age you select should be powerful enough to generalize about its impact on the broader
cultural understanding of adherents to that religious tradition; provocative enough to stir
controversy; interesting enough to merit critical analysis.
• Discuss a historical event that encapsulates our conversation this semester on religion and violence: say, the first crusade, or a terrorist attack, critically analyze the degree to which one can say the event was religious or not. Draw on main tenets of the religious tradition and debate whether the actions align or contradict those main teachings.
• Consider a religious movement in the U.S. and weigh its influence on the broader political and social life. How would such a movement respond to arguments regarding the triumph of secularism and the irrelevancy of religion in our lives today?
*Every paper should use one of the theorists of religion that we read through the semester: Mary
Douglas, Phyllis Tribble, Charles Long, or Catherine Bell. Use their theories to help you analyze
this example of religion.
