EGMT 1520: How to See Spirits

Sometimes people attribute observable phenomenon to non-observable entities. For instance, one might say that a spirit caused an illness or that adifferent spirit healed them. How, though, does one scientifically study such a phenomenon when it cannot be verified or measured? How can oneunderstand the history of religious movements full of similarly non-verifiable claims? How do our attempts to do so reflect our own assumptions? ThisEmpirical and Scientific Engagement asks students to consider what it means to engage in the empirical study of non-verifiable phenomenon. Using thestudy of Pentecostalism as a context from which to consider these questions, students will better understand both Pentecostal Christianity as a historicalreligious movement and the methodological complexities surrounding the empirical study of religious phenomena.