Doesn't do anything to supplement her dry lectures. Wont even write important dates or names down. Reading is dense, expensive and boring and she's extremely unavailable for help. She even writes "Dont ask questions" on the board before exams, which is hilarious because her tests are worded poorly and sometimes even misspelled. overall, awful.

Professor Albanese is a pretty boring lecturer, and her powerpoints don't help, they're just filled with headlines that explain nothing!! She gives a quarter long assignment to write a 7-8 page paper, which you can't really start till a few weeks before. The tests are easy. Overall a good class for a GE.

Loved this class, I'm now a religious studies major because of it. Lecture and book material are the exact same, and Professor Albanese is a really quirky and awesome lady. Al Silva also is bomb!

Lots of reading if you want to get a good grade. Really good, knowledgeable professor though

You can either read the book or go to lecture. They're exactly the same, since she wrote the book. Midterm/paper/final are extremely straightforward. Easy to get an A

I agree with the comment right below about the lectures. I missed several lectures but never really felt like I fell behind. And when I went, I would play brickbreaker :). Midterm/paper/final = cake. Basically the reading, section, and lecture all say the same things. Also, Al really is an awesome T.A. He's really passionate and knowledgeable.

Lecture is basically just reiterating the text..considering she wrote the text we use, it kinda makes sense, but it makes lecture that much more boring. TA's are awesome..I had Al Silva, he was the bomb. Midterm was a piece of cake.

Fun and interesting. I wasn't interested in religion at all before taking this class, now i find myself taking more and more rgst classes.

TAs were awesome. tests werent that bad the midterm was kinda rushed but pretty easy. go to review sessions they helped alot.

She is a very knowledgeable professor, and the subject matter is interesting. 40% of ur grade is based on a paper, which really helps. Don't be fooled by the midterm, the final is harder. I got lucky, our TA (Slominski) felt bad for us so she "strongly hinted" at the essay prompts and the MC questions ahead of time, so try to get her as ur TA.

I would not suggest this class to someone with no interest in the subject matter, because the lectures and readings can get quite boring; but the subject matter itself is very interesting and Prof. Albanese is a walking encyclopedia. Not a difficult class if you pay attention and take good notes.

Just a very cool professor. Has very enjoyable lectures. She really knows her stuff.

easy tests. not the most compelling lectures, but an interesting topic.

I don't understand why people don't like her. I think she's a great lecturer, she makes the topic interesting and actually knows what she's talking about. If you take really good notes in lecture and go to the discussions you don't really need to read the book/reader.

the lectures are SOOOO boring and the book is just as bad because she wrote it...the paper is also annoying to write and the tests are worded weird. I wish i woudln't have taken this class

She's one of those academics that give academics a bad name. She's rude, unhelpful, and ARROGANT. As head of UCSB's wonderful RS department, she discourages anyone who encounters her malevolent personality from ever pursuing religious studies. Shame on her and shame on UCSB for promoting her!

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As the other comments have said before, the lectures are absolutely boring. I suggest just reading the book and attending the review sessions. Make an effort to establish a good relationship with your T.A

boring

the book is the biggest book ever and is filled with so much information (most that you don't even need to know for any test) go to the lectures and take basic notes & attend the review sessions - they make your grade. the reading is good if you want a general idea of a religion, but don't get caught up in all the details.

she is monotoned, BORING, and she wrote the book so you are bored when you read it. this class really sucks, i thought i liked religions but now im not interested. pay attention in lecture or just read the book and dont go to class. tests arent too hard

She gives good notes during her lectures but her actual lectures are confusing. 40% of the grade is a paper which is nice. There is a LOT of reading.

Took american spirituality. Wow, THE most boring class I ever took at UCSB. Up there w/ the math classes. Didn't like her teaching method or her personality.

Horrible teacher....half the time you can't even follow what she's trying to say and the other half she's off on some random tangent. She didn't help me learn the material at all...get a good T.A. and do the readings...that's how you'll do well. Don't even go to lectures, they don't help at all.