Asian Religions: An Introduction
Learn about the Religions of India, China, and Japan from a University Professor
Asian Religions: An Introduction udemy course
Learn about the Religions of India, China, and Japan from a University Professor
Asia is the largest continent in the world, and it has some of the oldest religious and philosophical traditions. There are several reasons why American students need to study Asia. Historically, Asian cultures such as those in India and China provide the longest sustainable examples of pluralistic cultures, potentially a useful model for the USA and the world. Secondly, for the last two centuries, Americans have embraced many Asian cultural elements, such as Emerson, the Beatles, Dr. Martin Luther King, Yoga, Vegetarianism, and new words such as guru, mantra, pundit, karma, and nirvana, are some examples of these connections. Thirdly, today’s economic and political globalization demands that Americans better understand cultures that provide many products and services. Fourthly, Asian people are not just located in the “far east” but can now be found in almost every corporation, college, and corner across American cities. And finally, studying Asian (or any non-Western) cultures can provide new ways to study the Western cultures in terms of the latest ways of defining long accepted categories such as “god”, “religion”, “philosophy”, “secular”, “culture”, “science”, and “history”. Asia can also potentially serve as a resource for alternative technologies beyond the scope of this course! This course endeavors to provide an insight into the worldviews by studying the major Asian philosophical and religious traditions (APRT) such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Daoism, Confucianism, Shinto, and Zen. The class discussions will frequently challenge the categories to study the APRT. Please note that for this class, we are limiting our focus to only the indigenous traditions of Asia.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN (LEARNING OBJECTIVES)
The primary objectives of this course are to provide:
1. A comprehensive sample of the literature in APRT
2. A survey of concepts, issues, and theories in APRT
3. An overview of the methods and practices in APRT
4. A historical understanding of APRT (Asian Philosophical and Religious Traditions)
