RLKA01 Introduction to the Study of Religions

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2009
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 6 credit(s) (plus 1 credit for an exam). Recommended Type of Completion: zk (examination). Other types of completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
doc. Mgr. Aleš Chalupa, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. et Mgr. Radek Kundt, Ph.D. (alternate examiner)
Mgr. Kryštof Trávníček (alternate examiner)
Guaranteed by
prof. PhDr. Dušan Lužný, Dr.
Department for the Study of Religions – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Lucie Čelková
Timetable
Fri 2. 10. 10:00–11:35 zruseno D22, Fri 30. 10. 10:00–11:35 zruseno D22, Fri 27. 11. 10:00–11:35 zruseno D22
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The main objective of the course is to inform students about elemental problems, terminology, subjects and methods of the scientific Study of Religions. The course also discusses the position of the Study of Religions in the context of other related scientific subject fields, especially philosophy and theology. Special attention is paid to the inner systematization of the Study of Religions as seeing from the historical as well as modern perspective. The course will provide a basic introduction into history of Religions, Comparative Religions, Phenomenology of Religion, Hermeneutics of Religion, Sociology of Religion, Anthropology of Religion, Psychology of Religion, Geography of Religion and also into new naturalistic approaches as Sociobiology or Cognitive Study of Religion.
Main objectives can be summarized as follows:
After the successful completion of the course students should:
- have general knowledge of the history of the Study of Religions as a scientific subject field
- be familiar with the most important methods of the Study of Religions, including these most up-to-date
- be familiar with the founding figures of the Study of Religions and the most important contemporary representatives of this scientific subject field
- understand differences between scientific Study of Religions and theology and know the position of the Study of Religions among related scientific subject fields
- be able to read critically our historical sources as well as scientific texts and to interpret them accordingly
- know the terminology used in the Study of Religions and basic rules of the academic writing
Syllabus
  • 1. Introductory Lecture (information about the course, reading, its completion etc.); 2. Formal Requirements of Academic Writing and Ethics of Scientific Work; 3. Study of Religion as a Science; 4. Religion: A Scientific Category; 5. Construction of the Meaning and the Interpretation of the World; 6. Typology of Religions; 7. Terminology of the Study of Religions 8. Myth and Ritual; 9. History of Religions and Comparative Religions; 10. Phenomenology and Hermeneutics of Religion ; 11. Sociology and Psychology of Religion; 12. Anthropology of Religion, Sociobiology and Cognitive Study of Religion; 13. End-of-term Test.
Literature
  • PADEN, William E. Bádání o posvátnu. Náboženství ve spektru interpretací. 1st ed. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2002, 179 pp. ISBN 80-210-2977-3. info
  • HORYNA, Břetislav. Úvod do religionistiky. 1. vyd. Praha: Oikoymenh, 1994, 131 s. ISBN 80-85241-64-1. info
  • WAARDENBURG, Jacques. Bohové zblízka : systematický úvod do religionistiky : Des dieus qui se rapprochent : introduction systématique a la science des religions (Orig.) : Religionen und Religion : systematische Einführung in die Religionswissenschaft (Orig.). Translated by Břetislav Horyna - Dalibor Antalík. Vyd. 1. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 1997, 163 s. ISBN 80-210-1445-8. info
  • MCCUTCHEON, Russell T. Studying religion : an introduction. First published. London: Equinox, 2007, xiv, 206. ISBN 9781845530129. info
  • Guide to the study of religion. Edited by Willi Braun - Russell T. McCutcheon. London: Cassell, 2000, xii, 560 s. ISBN 0-304-70176-9. info
Assessment methods
Contents of the semester:
Lectures.
Completion:
The course is completed with an examination. The entry condition of the examination is in time submission of a semestral paper.
The examination consists of a written end-of-term test and an oral examination (defense of the semestral paper; examination of the subject matter of the course).
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
General note: Posluchači religionistiky povinně zapisují v 1. semestru studia.
Information on the extent and intensity of the course: bloková výuka.
Information on course enrolment limitations: Zápis mimo religionistiku je podmíněn souhlasem vyučujícího.
Listed among pre-requisites of other courses
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2001, Autumn 2002, Autumn 2003, Autumn 2004, Autumn 2005, Autumn 2006, Autumn 2007, Autumn 2008, Autumn 2010, Autumn 2011, Autumn 2012, Autumn 2013, Autumn 2014, Autumn 2015, Autumn 2016, Autumn 2017, Autumn 2018, Autumn 2019, Autumn 2020, Autumn 2021.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2009, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/autumn2009/RLKA01