Apr 22, 2026  
2026-2027 Undergraduate Bulletin 
    
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2026-2027 Undergraduate Bulletin
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RELI 084 - (HP) Sacred Drugs

Semester Hours: 3
This course explores “sacred drugs” from immemorial practice to contemporary politics.  Marijuana, peyote, mushrooms, and ayahuasca are only a partial list of plant-based substances used for centuries in religious rituals. Practitioners call them “medicine” and religious studies scholars call them “entheogens”– substances that “bring god in,” alter consciousness, and change lives.  Immediately this raises the question of how we define words like “religion” and “drugs” in the first place.  Historically and culturally, we will investigate traditions and terms. 

Prerequisite(s)/Course Notes:
Credit given for this course or RELI 090U, not both.


View Course Offering(s):

Summer Session I 2026

Summer Session II 2026

Summer Session III 2026

Fall 2026



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