ENSb1316 The religion of the world and the relationship to nature

Faculty of Social Studies
Spring 2026
Extent and Intensity
0/0/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Jan Zámečník, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. Karel Stibral, Ph.D.
Department of Environmental Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Mgr. Kateřina Hendrychová
Supplier department: Department of Environmental Studies – Faculty of Social Studies
Prerequisites (in Czech)
TYP_STUDIA(B)
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The seminar focuses on reflecting upon the relationship between various religious movements and nature, as well as environmental issues. The starting point for the group discussion is the book Religion and the Environment by Susan Power Bratton, which the author presents as an introduction to this complex topic. The seminar aims to familiarize attendees with a broad range of religious beliefs, values, and practices, as well as case studies that illustrate how religion influences specific attitudes toward nature.
Learning outcomes
Attending the seminar will offer a deeper insight into core religious beliefs, with a special focus on the connection between religion and environmental issues.
Syllabus
  • Introduction to the Seminar; Religion, Engagement, and Nature; Sacred Stories; Religious Communities and the Use of Nature; Agriculture and Food; Sacralization and Desacralization; Water; Species, Ecosystem, and Natural Element Protection; Cities and Sacred Space; Health; Climate Change; Ecofeminism, Liberation Theology, Wicca, Nature Religions; Greening and the Challenges of Modernity; Evaluation of the Seminar.
Literature
    required literature
  • BRATTON, Susan. Religion and the environment : an introduction. First published. London: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2021, xii, 260. ISBN 9781138569782. info
Teaching methods
reading; class discussion; presentations
Assessment methods
presentatation; seminar paper; oral exam
Language of instruction
Czech
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2025.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2026, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/fss/spring2026/ENSb1316