RLB16 Christianity and Heresies

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2022
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
PhDr. Iva Doležalová (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Jana Valtrová, Ph.D.
Department for the Study of Religions – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Mgr. Matouš Vencálek
Supplier department: Department for the Study of Religions – Faculty of Arts
Timetable of Seminar Groups
RLB16/Kombi: Fri 4. 3. 10:00–11:40 J22, Fri 1. 4. 10:00–11:40 J22, Fri 29. 4. 10:00–11:40 J22, I. Doležalová
RLB16/Prez: Wed 12:00–12:50 J22, Wed 13:00–13:50 J22, I. Doležalová
Prerequisites (in Czech)
( RLA06 Christianity I && RLA07 Christianity II ) || ( RLKA06 Christianity I && RLKA07 Christianity II )
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 detailed survey of the history of heterodox/heretical views, approaches, groups/movements. It is focused on the history of particular heresies in their context and deals especially with:
  • term heresy, its Christian intepretation
  • dichotomy orthodoxy - heresy, their mutual contingentness, diversity of reasons for the rise of particular heresy
  • development of the tools of persecution
  • metodological problems in the study of heterodoxy: social - intelectual tension, tension between official/normative - popular Christianity, reform - orthodoxy - heresy. Retrospective views in the study of heresies
  • institutionalization of antiheretical tools and its influence in the formation of heresies
    Participants will also read some important Christian heterodox texts from ancient and medieval history of Christianity.
    • Learning outcomes
    After completing the course, students gain detailed survey information on heterodox groups of Ancient and medieval Christianity and will be able to:
  • describe the most important discussions on conditions of their origin
  • distinguish basic methodological problems of the study of heresies
  • use the terminology of the Christian tradition concerning heresies and its historical and social scientific study
  • distinguish the scientific approach and various concepts of orthodoxy and heresy in the history of Christianity from the unscientific (confessional, polemical...)
  • summarize sources analytically and interpret (on a basic level) some Christian texts on heresies or heterodox texts
    • Syllabus
    • Orthodoxy - heresy: keywords and terms, Christian monotheism and problem of heterodoxy.
    • Ancient heterodoxy as a methodological challenge
    • Plurality of Ancient Christianity: polemics, differentiation, institutionalization
    • Gnosticism - Christian gnosis: gnostic mythodogy/christology, texts and teachers of gnosis
    • Call for renewal as a factor for the rise of heresy - Montanism, Tertullian
    • Christological controversies in Ancient Christianity: their rise and ways of coping with them
    • Compelle intrare. Augustin´s antiheretical polemics - pattern for future
    • Charitas – potestas: heresy and authority in medieval Christianity
    • Inquisition as a tool against heresies. Inquisition and its contribution to the construction of heresies and their supression. Gender and heterodoxy
    • Poverty movement: preachers, Valdesians, Cathars. Dualism in heretical medieval thinking
    • Mysticism (Mistr Eckhart, Johannes Tauler): spiritual Franciscans, Jaochimsts, Movement of Free Spirit
    • Calls for renewal - source of heresy? Devotio moderna, anti-church polemics
    • Czech reform movement: preachers and John Hus
    • Orthodoxy - heterodoxy tensions - its meaning for the dynamics of the dvevelopment of Christianity
    Literature
      required literature
    • Rané křesťanství : počátky a vývoj církve do roku 600. Edited by Ian Hazlett, Translated by Petr Kitzler. 1. vyd. Brno: CDK (Centrum pro studium demokracie a kultury), 2009, 319 s. ISBN 9788073251598. info
    • LAMBERT, Malcolm. Středověká hereze. Translated by Tomáš Vítek. Vyd. 1. Praha: Argo, 2000, 598 s. ISBN 8072032917. info
    • PAVLINCOVÁ, Helena. Judaismus, křesťanství, islám. Vyd. 2. přeprac. a rozš.,. Olomouc: Nakladatelství Olomouc, 2003, 661 s. ISBN 80-7182-165-9. info
      recommended literature
    • HORYNA, Břetislav. Monoteismus.Krátké dějiny jedinobožství (Monoteism. A Short History of One God). In Judaismus-Křesťanství-Islám. nové rozšířené. 2003: nakladatelství Olomouc, 2003, p. 11-33, 22 pp. ISBN 80-7182-165-9. info
    Teaching methods
  • Lecture, seminar discussion based on reading and written comments on given texts
  • Seminar presentation upon particular text of historical source (two presentation during semestr based on writen comments of historical source and reading)
  • Preparation of writen comments for colloqium
    • Assessment methods
    Colloquim
    Requests for colloquim:
  • Written test based on the required reading, lectures, and presentations (100 points each, the minimum of 60 points is required to pass the test, which is a prerequisite for the oral colloquim)
  • Two submissions of abstracts of source texts - for seminar discussions (see Study materials), evaluated 100 points each, the minimum of 60 points is required. This task is a prerequisite for the oral colloquim)
  • Active participation in seminar discussions based on reading and written comments on given texts
  • Before the colloqium term published in the IS MU, participants of the course submit an analytical comment on elected text of historical source and reading.

    See Study materials for detailed information.
    • Language of instruction
    Czech
    Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
    Study Materials
    The course is taught once in two years.
    Information on course enrolment limitations: Zápis mimo religionistiku je podmíněn souhlasem vyučující.
    Listed among pre-requisites of other courses
    The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2004, Spring 2007, Spring 2011, Spring 2013, Autumn 2018.
    • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
    • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2022/RLB16