It is often said that as much as humans may be referred to scientifically as homo sapiens, we could just as readily be called homo religiosus. Religion is a core feature of human culture, as ubiquitous as language, literature, art, music, dance and drama. This course will focus on identifying, analyzing and defining religion within human culture. We will confront the issue of whether religion can be isolated as a discrete feature of human culture and seek to ascertain the distinct characteristics of religious action, thought and emotion, examining the qualities that make a particular space, a particular person or community, or a certain period of time sacred, or holy. These issues will be addressed using a variety of epistemological methods, including anthropology, sociology, phenomenology, feminism and psychology.