LFU:online

The comparative and cross-cultural examination of the manner in which religions function within the total cultural systems of which they form a part. Emphasis will be given both to beliefs and practices exotic to the large world religions and also to folk customs and informal interactions within Western and other complex societies.

Students will become acquainted with shamanism, trance and possession, voodoo, “zombie science”, and witchcraft. There will be a strong focus on the “burning times” in Renaissance Europe which saw the execution of tens of thousands of women. As this course will be held in Austria, we will be taking a field trip to Moosham Castle which was an important site during the Salzburg Witch Trials where 139 people were tortured and executed from 1675–1690. Locally, a visit to the Tyrol Panorama Museum will help demonstrate to students the changes in culture, politics, and religion which led to the “burning times” in Austria, Germany, and abroad.

The University of New Orleans International Summer School program has a mandatory class attendance policy. All students are required to attend class for all morning classes and any required afternoon and/or weekend fields trips and lectures. No unexcused absences are allowed. However, LFU students who have to miss a UNO class due to LFU examinations in the first two weeks of our program, can receive one excused absence for this. Any further unexcused absences will result in an academic penalty. Each faculty member determines the penalty for missed classes. Most professors deduct a letter grade for each additional missed class day. For details, please refer to your course syllabi, which will be distributed on the first day of class. The listed ECTS credits are a recommendation by the University of New Orleans Innsbruck Summer School, based on contact hours, anticipated out-of-classroom requirements such as field trips, and projected workload for readings, assignments, and exam preparation. Mail: Center-New-Orleans@uibk.ac.at