SOC187 Sociological Theories of Religion

Faculty of Social Studies
Autumn 2008
Extent and Intensity
1/1. 6 credit(s). Recommended Type of Completion: zk (examination). Other types of completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
PhDr. Roman Vido, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. Ing. Radim Marada, Ph.D.
Department of Sociology – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Ing. Soňa Enenkelová
Timetable
Wed 14:00–15:40 U34
Prerequisites (in Czech)
SOC105 Sociological classics
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 main objective of the course is to present basic theoretical approaches in classical and modern sociology of religion. The key figures are E. Durkheim and M. Weber, but also other, more recent authors are included (P. L. Berger, C. Geertz, American sociologists of the economy model of religion, or secularization theorists). At the end of this course, students should be able to interpret the theoretical approaches, to identify their specificity and originality and to distinguish basic differences between them. They should be able to apply them in the sociological analysis of particular problems associated with religion as well.
Syllabus
  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. What is religion? Religion as a problematic concept
  • 3. Interpretation frameworks for explaining religion
  • 4. Religion as a object of critique. A sociological perspective
  • 5. Emile Durkheim: religion as an agent of social integration
  • 6. Max Weber: religion as a carrier of meaning
  • 7. G. Simmel and E. Troeltsch on religion
  • 8. Religion and social system: T. Parsons and R. N. Bellah
  • 9. Religion and nomization of the world: P. L. Berger and T. Luckmann
  • 10. Religion as a symbolical system: C. Geertz
  • 11. Religion through the lens of rational choice theory
  • 12. Religion and modernity: the secularization debate
Literature
  • The sacred canopy : elements of a sociological theory of religion. New York: Anchor books, 1990, vii, 229. ISBN 0385073054. info
  • CIPRIANI, Roberto. Sociology of religion : an historical introduction. New York: Aldine de Gruyter, 2000, ix, 278. ISBN 0202305929. info
  • DURKHEIM, Émile. Elementární formy náboženského života :systém totemismu v Austrálii. Vyd. 1. Praha: OIKOYMENH, 2002, 491 s. ISBN 80-7298-056-4. 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
  • LUŽNÝ, Dušan. Řád a moc. Vybrané texty ze sociologie náboženství (Order and power. Selected texts from sociology of religion). 1st ed. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2005, 375 pp. Religionistika 12. ISBN 80-210-3043-7. info
  • PADEN, William E. Bádání o posvátnu. Náboženství ve spektru interpretací. 1st ed. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 2002, 179 pp. ISBN 80-210-2977-3. info
  • STARK, Rodney and William Sims BAINBRIDGE. A theory of religion. 1st pbk. ed. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 1996, 386 s. ISBN 0-8135-2330-3. info
  • WEBER, Max. Sociologie náboženství. Edited by Miloš Havelka, Translated by Jan J. Škoda. Vyd. 1. Praha: Vyšehrad, 1998, 367 s. ISBN 8070212403. info
Assessment methods
Classes consist of two parts: lecture and class discussion. Students submit regular written abstracts from the compulsory reading. During the semester, they take one written test, and at the end, they take a final written exam.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
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