RLB275 Analysis of Textual Subjectivities in the Study of Religions

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2012
Extent and Intensity
1/1. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
doc. PhDr. David Zbíral, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. David Václavík, Ph.D.
Department for the Study of Religions – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Lucie Čelková
Supplier department: Department for the Study of Religions – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
each even Wednesday 14:10–15:45 L32
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
Course objectives
The course explores the possibilities of critical study of religious textual subjectivities, i.e. textual images of subjective religious thought, experience, motivation, or behavior of actual historical individuals. The objective is to highlight the possibilities as well as limits of analysis of textual subjectivities, suggest some methods for such analysis, and search for some ways of integrating them in the descriptions of the overall religious situation. The course focuses mainly on private mythology, subjective religious experience, “autobiography” in trial records, spontaneous exegetical reflection, individual religious doubt and skepticism, and “alternative” morals.
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
- recall and analyze the problems (individual mythology, trial autobiography, religious doubt, alternative morals, etc.) and cases (Elisabeth of Schönau, Beatrix of Lagleize, Domenico Scandella, Ludmila Javorová, etc.) addressed by the course;
- identify the contribution and consequences of the analyzed cases to the general theory and method in the study of religions;
- recognize any textual subjectivities as relative, constructed by the text;
- evaluate the deficiency of the classical sociological approach to religious group, membership, “faith”, “doctrine”, etc.
- formulate the topic and method of a simple research in textual subjectivities;
- present and defend a paper respecting the formal requirements of a scientific text.
Syllabus
  • (0) Introduction.
  • (1) Starting points and theoretical orientation of the course.
  • (2) “Coproduction” of identity.
  • (3) Transformation and instability of identity.
  • (4) The problem of (auto)biography.
  • (5) Private mythologies.
  • (6) The problem of faith.
  • (7) Individual religious doubt and skepticism.
  • (8) Alternative morals.
  • (9) “Pathological” subjectivities.
  • (10) Discussion about the essays I.
  • (11) Discussion about the essays II.
  • (12) Final revision.
Literature
    recommended literature
  • SILVERMAN, David. Ako robiť kvalitatívny výskum : praktická príručka. Translated by Martin Štulrajter. Bratislava: Ikar, 2005, 327 s. ISBN 8055109044. info
  • ŠVAŘÍČEK, Roman and Klára ŠEĎOVÁ. Kvalitativní výzkum v pedagogických vědách. Vydání první. Praha: Portál, 2007, 377 stran. ISBN 9788073673130. URL info
  • ZBÍRAL, David. Bylo a bude, svět tak běží, že s ženou jiného, kdo může, leží: "Alternativní" sexuální morálky a jejich regulace v inkvizičním registru Jakuba Fourniera (Always was and always will be, that a man will sleep with another man's wife: "Alternative" sexual morals and their control in the inquisitional register of Jacques Fournier). Dějiny - teorie - kritika. Praha: Masarykův ústav - Archiv Akademie věd ČR, 2008, vol. 5, No 2, p. 191-217. ISSN 1214-7249. info
  • ARNOLD, John H. Belief and Unbelief in Medieval Europe. London: Hodder Arnold, 2005. info
  • DÜLMEN, Richard van. Historická antropologie : vývoj, problémy, úkoly. Translated by Josef Boček. 1. vyd. v čes. jaz. Praha: Dokořán, 2002, 116 s. ISBN 8086569152. info
  • GINZBURG, Carlo. Sýr a červi : svět jednoho mlynáře kolem roku 1600. Vyd. 1. Praha: Argo, 2000, 223 s. ISBN 807203278X. info
Teaching methods
Lectures, presentation of essays, discussions.
Assessment methods
Research proposal, essay, peer review of two essays, presentation and defence of essay.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught once in two years.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2010.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2012/RLB275