What does it mean for a river to be a person? An ancestor, even? In this episode of Crash Course Religions, we’ll learn how Indigenous religious traditions’ emphasis on place, kinship, and diverse spirits challenge the dominant assumptions of the Western worldview.
Chapters:
Introduction: The Whanganui River
Indigenous Religion?
Indigenous Beliefs
Kinship
The Importance of Place
Law & Resistance
Review & Credits
Credits

When we think of world religions, we often think of the Big Five: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism. But why do we think of those? In this episode of Crash Course Religions, we’ll learn why “world religions” is a category constructed by human choices—and why that matters for the communities that are left out.
Chapters:
Introduction: "Coexist"
The "Big Five"
Colonialism & Religion
"World Religions"
Family Resemblance
Essentialism & Nationalism
The Limits of "Major Religions"
Review & Credits
Credits

What does it mean to be Hindu? In this episode of Crash Course Religions, we’ll learn about the surprising history of the term “Hindu,” what the word “karma” really means, and how this vast, sprawling tradition contains more than one version of a story.
Chapters:
Introduction: Hindu Celebrations
Hindu Creation Stories
Where Does "Hindu" Come From?
Hindu Storytelling
The Hindu Pantheon
Hindu Terminology
Hindu Practices
Hinduism Across the Globe
Review & Credits
Credits

Getting stuck in a video game can be frustrating—especially when that game is the cycle of suffering. In this episode of Crash Course Religions, we’ll explore the ways Buddhists try to leave that suffering behind and reach enlightenment, using the teachings of the Buddha, the three jewels, the four noble truths, and the eightfold path.
Chapters:
Introduction: Game Over
Buddhist Beliefs
The Buddha
The Dharma
The Sangha
Review & Credits
Credits

Christianity isn’t just about Jesus. In this episode of Crash Course Religions, we explore the many faces of the world’s most popular religion—its denominations, commonalities, and complexities.
Chapters:
Introduction: Do Miracles Matter?
Demographics & Denominations
Pentecostalism
Christian Commonalities
Jesus
Review & Credits
Credits

What does it mean to be Jewish? Is it being part of a religion, a people, a culture, a nation? All of the above? In this episode of Crash Course Religions, we’ll uncover how Jewish identity has been shaped by centuries of debate and deliberation.
Chapters:
Introduction: Shabbat Toothbrushes
The Many Versions of Judaism
The Written Torah
Zionism
The Oral Torah & the Talmud
Branches of Judaism
Review & Credits
Credits

When is yoga religious, and when is it… not religious enough? In this episode of Crash Course Religions, we’ll find out why these frameworks we call “religions” are so hard to define, and why our definitions have real-life consequences.
Chapters:
Introduction: Is Yoga a Religion?
What Are Religions?
The History of "Religion"
Impacts of the "Religion" Label
Review & Credits
Credits

What is a cult? How are cults different from religions? And why do many religious scholars say we shouldn’t even use that label? In this episode of Crash Course Religions, we’ll learn why the line between cults and religions is much fuzzier than it seems.
Chapters:
Introduction: Is This a Cult?
From Cult to Religion
Brainwashing
Qualities of Cults
Ditching the "Cult" Label
Harms of the "Cult" Label
Review & Credits
Credits

The word “magic” has dubious, demonic connotations. But is there really a difference between magic and religion? In this episode of Crash Course Religions, we’ll explore the history of magical practices and discover how modern-day witches, brujas, and Hoodoo practitioners are reclaiming the label.
Chapters:
Introduction: Religion or Magic?
What is Magic?
Western Ideas of Magic
Hurston & Hoodoo
Magic & Rationality
Magic in Established Religions
Reclaiming Magic
Review & Credits
Credits