Aztec Priestly Activities: Burning Incense, Playing Drums, Studying the Stars.
Codex Mendoza, c. 1541-42. Bodelian Library, Oxford.
HRS ///
Witchcraft, Oracles, and Magic:
The Anthropological Study of Religion
Sources and Methods Proposal
Fr. Raymond Bucko, S.J.
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course takes its title from E. E. Evans-Pritchard's classic monograph on religion among the
Azande of East Africa. We will study the variety of ways in which anthropology describes and
interprets religious phenomena. Our focus is on the phenomenon of religion within the context of
specific human social groups, primarily those which are sometimes referred to as "local" in that
they are contiguous with specific cultural groups and are not part of the proselytizing religions.
We begin the course with examining anthropological theories about religion, discuss how these
theories apply to specific religious phenomena, and end with an intensive case study of the
Azande of East Africa, critically applying what we have learned to Evans-Pritchard's field data
and analysis.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
Through using a core text book and an ethnography of a religious phenomenon (the traditional
belief system of the Azande of East Africa) and by writing a a research/application paper in
which the student interprets a religions phenomenon according to a chosen theoretical viewpoint,
this course seeks to fulfill these goals:
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Students will be able to explain the implications of social and cultural
diversity for the human experience from a social science perspective
Students will be able to explain relationships between beliefs, values and
behaviors
Students will use social theory to interpret cultural phenomina
Students will identify and apply multiple theoretical perspectives of
anthropology to cultural realities through the seminar presentations and a
seminar paper
Students will be able to debate issues in social science such as the role of
individual vs group and universal rights vs Western liberalism,
Students will be able to explain the importance of reducing structured
social inequality.
Students will be able to analyze social problems and questions of equity
and justice cross-culturally.
SEMINAR FORMAT
The seminar relies on student based learning and discussion. The first half of the course looks at
the development of social theory concerning religion while the second half looks at the
application of a theory to a specific culture (the Azande). Students are required to read and host
each seminar while the instructor acts as a facilitator. Hosts prepare reading discussion and
questions ahead of time and animate the class during the seminar. Each student presents his/her
seminar paper to be critiqued by the class and mentor before their final submission.
COURSE
REQUIREMENTS:
 Attendance: Students are required to attend all seminar meetings..
 ACTIVE Class participation: You are required to read the texts and answer pertinent
questions if posed by the seminar host BEFORE each class.
Participation includes the following:
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speaking in class,
adding relevant background information to blueline between seminars
initiating discussions, responding to comments, or posting items of interest
to blueline
using the academic resources of the college such as writing center and
office hours which the professor holds.
NOTE: Attendance, deep thought, attentiveness, and interest are all vital
to your success in class but represent passive participation. Active
participation enhances the educational experience for everyone in the
class. You will be asked to evaluate our own participation performance
twice during the semester. It pays to examine the self-evaluation form
ahead of time to see the criteria for evaluation. The professor will take
your own evaluation into consideration when formulating your
participation grade.
 Seminar Paper: Each student will prepare a 10-15 page research paper. The paper will utilize
some element of anthropological theory learned during the semester in order to explain or
understand some aspect of a non-western religion (this excludes Christianity, Islam, and
Z
GRADING:
The total grade will
be determined thusly:
Participation
30%
Hosting
20%
Seminar paper 50%
Letter Grades are
Awarded as Follows:
A
100 - 90
B+ 89.9 - 85
B
84.9 - 80
C+ 79.9 - 75
C
74.9 - 70
D
69.9 - 65
F
Below 65
COURSE TEXTS:
All required texts can be obtained
through the bookstore:
Evans-Prichard, E. E., Witchcraft,
Oracles and Magic among the
Azande
Lessa, William, and Vogt, Evon,
Reader in Comparative Religion
CLASS
CANCELLATION:
If a class has to be
cancelled with short
term notice the
professor will send
the class an e-mail on
the course listserv
informing you of the
situation as soon as
possible. Pam Yenko
our Administrative
Assistant will also
post a notice on the
classroom door with
a phone number to
verify the class
cancellation. Note
that in the past
students have faked
cancelled classes so it
pays to be cautious. If
you are at the
classroom have one
of you use a cell
phone to call the
confirmation number!
If there is no number
and no signature with
Mrs. Yenko ’s name
on the notice then
don’t trust the sign at
all!
SPECIAL
NEEDS:
If you have any
special learning needs
or are in
circumstances which
necessitate special
consideration, please
contact me at the
beginning of the
semester. If you have
a documented
disability and wish to
discuss academic
accommodations,
please contact me
within the first week
of class and also
contact Denise Le
Clair, Assistant
Director of the Office
of Disability
Accommodations
(280-2166). Students
who believe that they
have a disability that
may influence their
academic
performance, but who
have not yet had the
disability
documented, should
immediately
contact the Center for
Health and
Counseling at 2802735. The Center for
Health and
Counseling is located
in the Harper Center
Room 1034.
GENERAL
INFORMATION:
Office:
Administration
Building 433
Office Hours:
by appointment
Phone:
OFFICE EX 3587
HOME EX 3115
CELL 402 301-8605
E-mail Address:
bucko@creighton.edu
Skype: rabucko
ACADEMIC
INTEGRITY:
Students are required
to adhere to the
requirements of
integrity as outlined
in the Creighton
University Creighton
College of Arts &
Sciences Committee
on Academic Policy,
Discipline, and
Appeals. Students are
expected to interact
with each other in a
way which will
enhance the learning
experience of all and
which is never
destructive of other
pesons. Because of
the importance of
acknowledged
collaboration,
students are required
to cite all assistance,
including that gained
from peers. Students
must never plagiarize
or cheat on quizzes or
exams. The professor
maintains an audit
policy for this course
to both reward
extraordinary
performance and to
guard against misuse
of sources.
Infringements of
academic integrity
will result in your
failing the class and
the incident being
reported to the
academic dean.
Students discovered
in any form of
cheating will be
subject to penalties
up to and inclucing
an F grade for the
course.
PAPER
SUBMISSIONS:
You are required to
submit a digital copy
of your seminar paper
to the proper dropbox
on blueline. If you
have any difficulty
you need to send me
an email with the
time you logged on to
blueline so I can
check the log and a
precise description of
your problem.
CLASS
LECTURES AND
READING
ASSIGNMENTS
Please refer to the
course schedule for
the complete
schedule of lecture,
reading, quiz, exam
and paper
assignments.
NOTE: Additions and
subtractions to this
syllabus will not be
made without prior
class discussion and
announcement.
Corrections and
clarifications will be
made as necessary to
make the on line
course page more
effective. All changes
will be announced
through the course
discussion list. If you
print a paper version
of this syllabus be
aware that it could
become out of date
due to revisions. The
on-line version of this
course page is always
the official course
document. It is
preferred that you
use this on-line
version rather than
print out copies. Note
that part of active
class participation is
giving suggestions for
improvements to
electronic course
resources.