All Roads Lead to Rome: a Multi-Disciplinary Approach

Rome has long been an axial city, inextricably linked to the rest of the world in multiple ways. Not only has Rome imported the religions of the world but it has also transformed and exported them, along with its own indigenous religions. This course examines Rome?s role as importer, exporter, cultivator, and transformer of religion and the religious life, giving attention to both the past and the present. By the end of the semester students will have increased their awareness of the important elements of the major religions discussed in class?their myths, symbols, rituals, doctrines, moral codes, and artistic expressions?and the ways in which Rome has influenced them.