RLB31 Sociology of Religion

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2010
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
prof. PhDr. Dušan Lužný, Dr. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. David Václavík, Ph.D.
Department for the Study of Religions – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Lucie Čelková
Timetable
Thu 11:40–13:15 zruseno D22, Thu 13:20–14:55 zruseno D22
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.

The capacity limit for the course is 30 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/30, only registered: 0/30
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 6 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
At the end of the course students should be able to:
a) define sociology of religion as the part of academic study of religions;
b) explain key categories of sociology of religion;
c) interpret sociological perspective and key concepts of sociology of religions; d) compare different approaches to interpretation of terms: church, sect, denomination, and cult; distinguish different conceptions of conversion;
e) formulate own research questions;
f) compare approaches of sociology of religion and different social science.
The course offers outline of basic problems in the sociological study of religions and points to the change in meaning of the research of religion during the development of sociological thought. It informs about some approaches to defining religion, about significant authors and works and about methodology of sociological research of religion. It deals with the problem of religious experience and its expression, with religious behavior, functions of religion and with social conflicts connected with religious life. Attention is devoted also to the types of religious groups and to processes in contemporary societies that are tied with the changes in religious life.
Syllabus
  • Introduction
  • Sociology of Religions as humanities (academic study.
  • Émile Durkheim - religion and solidarity.
  • Max Weber - modernization as racionalisation.
  • Karl Marx - religion as opium.
  • Sekularization and religious revival.
  • Typology of religious institutions (sect, church, denomination, cult)
  • Religious convertion
  • Situation of religions in the Czech republic
Literature
  • WEBER, Max. Metodologie, sociologie a politika. Translated by Miloš Havelka. 1. vyd. Praha: OIKOYMENH, 1998, 354 s. ISBN 80-86005-48-8. info
  • WEBER, Max. Autorita, etika a společnost : pohled sociologa do dějin. Translated by Jan J. Škoda. 1. české vyd. Praha: Mladá fronta, 1997, 294 s. ISBN 8020406115. info
  • DURKHEIM, Émile. Elementární formy náboženského života :systém totemismu v Austrálii. Vyd. 1. Praha: OIKOYMENH, 2002, 491 s. ISBN 80-7298-056-4. info
  • DURKHEIM, Émile. Sociologie a sociální vědy. Translated by Zdeněk Strmiska. I. vydání. Brno: nákladem Masarykovy sociologické společnosti v Brně, 1948, 22 stran. info
  • WEBER, Max. Sociologie náboženství. Edited by Miloš Havelka, Translated by Jan J. Škoda. Vyd. 1. Praha: Vyšehrad, 1998, 367 s. ISBN 8070212403. info
  • WEBER, Max. K metodológii sociálnych vied. Translated by Ladislav Kiczko. 1. vyd. Bratislava: Pravda, 1983, 408 s. info
  • LUŽNÝ, Dušan. Nová náboženská hnutí (New Religious Movements.). Brno: Masarykova univerzita Brno, 1997, 181 pp. sv. 3. ISBN 80-210-1645-0. info
  • LUŽNÝ, Dušan. Náboženství a moderní společnost: Sociologické teorie modernizace a sekularizace (Religion and Modern Society). Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 1999, 183 pp. Religionistika, sv. 6. ISBN 80-210-2224-8. info
  • NEŠPOR, Zdeněk and Dušan LUŽNÝ. Sociologie náboženství (Sociology of Religions). 1st ed. Praha: Portál, 2007, 236 pp. 1;. ISBN 978-80-7367-251-5. info
  • VÁCLAVÍK, David, Zdeněk NEŠPOR, Iva DOLEŽALOVÁ, Eleonóra HAMAR, Dana HAMPLOVÁ, Olga NEŠPOROVÁ and Jiří VEČERNÍK. Příručka sociologie náboženství (Handbook of Sociology of Religion). Spoluautor. Vyd. 1. Praha: Sociologické nakladatelství, 2008, 449 pp. Studijní texty ; sv. 44. ISBN 978-80-86429-92-2. info
Teaching methods
Lectures, reading texts, class discusion.
Assessment methods
Oral exam.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught annually.
Information on course enrolment limitations: Zápis mimo religionistiku je podmíněn souhlasem vyučujícího.
The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2005, Spring 2007, Autumn 2008, Autumn 2012.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2010, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/autumn2010/RLB31