RLB528 Religion in Contemporary Indonesia

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2018
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Vesna Bočko (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. David Zbíral, Ph.D.
Department for the Study of Religions – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Mgr. Šárka Londa Vondráčková
Supplier department: Department for the Study of Religions – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
each odd Tuesday 15:50–17:25 U32
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
The capacity limit for the course is 50 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/50, only registered: 0/50, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/50
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The course offers a complex introduction of the religious background and contemporary religious problematics through the study and analysis of religious rituals in Indonesia. Amongst the subjects to be studied are: historical context of contemporary multireligious situation; patterns of religious observance and religious tension; political influence in religious movements and rise of religious intolerance. Regardless the fact that Indonesia is the largest Muslim country in the world, the course will also focus on many religious minorities such as Hindus and Buddhists and by the help of multidisciplinary approach describe and evaluate the relations between them.
Learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:
  • explain the historical movements of various religious traditions in Indonesian archipelago and understand their influence on the contemporary religious movements and political situation in Indonesia
  • use the terminology associated with the studied religious movements
  • analyze and explain political involvement in the context of religious freedom
  • Students will be able to recognize the socio-religious interactions amongst many different religious groups within Indonesia
  • evaluate and critically reflect on scholarly and other writings on the topic
    • Syllabus
    • Geography and population
    • Historical religious migrations
    • Golden age of Hinduism (13th – 16th century)
    • Golden age of Buddhism (7th - 11th century)
    • The spread of Islam (11th - 17th century)
    • State revolution and Guided democracy (1957 - 1966)
    • New order and it’s ideology (1966–1998)
    • The hidden genocide (1965–1966)
    • Balinese Hinduism and its most significant rituals
    • Buddhist heritage
    • Islamic groups and their rituals
    • The radicalization of Islam and the rise of religious intolerance
    Literature
      required literature
    • Woodward, M. (2011) Java, Indonesia and Islam. London and New York: Springer Science. Pp. 57- 60.
    • Geertz, C. (1976) The Religion of Java. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press. Pp. 121 – 130.
    • Oppenheimer, J. (2012) Act of Killing. Documentary film, 122 minutes (theatrical release).
    • Connor, H. L. (I995) ‘‘The Action of the Body on Society: Washing a Corpse in Bali.‘‘ In The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, Vol. 1, No. 3 (Sep., 1995), pp. 537-559.
      recommended literature
    • Pincard, M and R. Madinier, ed. (2011) The Politics of Religion in Indonesia: Syncretism, Orthodoxy, and Religious Contention in Java and Bali. New York: Routledge Contemporary Southeast Asia Series.
    • Ricklefs, M.C. (1993) The Coming of Islam. In “A History of Modern Indonesia since c 1300”. Pp. 3-14. Stanford : Stanford University Press.
    • Drakeley, S. (2005) The History of Indonesia (The Greenwood Histories of the Modern Nations). Westport: Greenwood Press.
    • Heiduk, F. (20I2) ‘‘Between Rock and Hard Place: Radical Islam in Post-Suharto Indonesia‘‘. In International Journal of Conflict and Violence. Vol. 6(I) 20I2, pp. 26-40.
    Teaching methods
    Lectures, class discussions, reading
    Assessment methods
    During the course the students are required to read short texts every second meeting (overall 3 texts, max 12 pages) and submit a commentary of 1 – 2 pages that will represent 30% of final mark. Class presence is expected and represents 10% of evaluation of the course. Essay on chosen topic (6-8 pages, 1.5 row spacing, font size 12 in Times New Roman, margins 3 cm on both sides, 2.5 cm top and bottom), representing 40% of evaluation of the course. Colloquim over the submitted essays, 20% of the overal evaluation of the course.
    Language of instruction
    English
    Further Comments
    Study Materials
    The course is taught annually.
    • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
    • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2018/RLB528