RLB18 Acculturation of Hinduism in the Czech Lands

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2008
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Milan Fujda, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
prof. PhDr. Dušan Lužný, Dr.
Department for the Study of Religions – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Lucie Čelková
Timetable
Mon 8:20–9:55 J21
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The aim of lectures and seminars is to show – on the example of Czech cultural context - in what particular conditions the so called Hindu religion could become acculturated in Europe. The course concerns with questions of the socio-cultural transformations implied by modernization process, and of the influence of these transformations on the religious life in both, Europe and in India, where European modernity had been exported due to colonialism. On one hand I try to show, how Indian traditions must have been transformed to become “attractive” for Westerners. On the other hand I try to show, how transformed, in fact (at least in subjective feelings) eroded the pre-modern European forms of social life (or cultural patterns) must have been, when some of the Europeans decided to build their own identities partly from the seemingly foreign sources. Attention will be paid to the question of the rise of the new forms of religiosity as the particular way of adaptation to new conditions of life, in which only the broad acculturation of the non-western elements was possible. Crucial topic of the course is development of occultism (i.e. secularised form of esotericism) and the influence of Indian religions (Hinduism) upon it.
Course is divided into three blocks, covering topics:
1. Religion and Modernity
2. Discovering India
3. Occultism and the Beginnings of Acculturation of Hinduism in Czechia
Ad 1. Religion and Modernity
Concerns with particular aspect of modernization relevant to the rise of new forms of religiosity, in which Hindu elements are used.
Ad 2. Discovering India
In this block the attention will be focused on conditions which enabled that the interest in certain aspects of Indian cultures could have been developed in European and Czech cultural contexts. Main question treated will be in what particular institutional forms this interest was being fulfilled, and what aims (explicite as well as implicite) and consequences were related to realization of this interest. The attention will be paid also to the issues related to British presence in India, the rise of British Orientalist studies and their influence upon the British colonial policies on one hand, and on the rise of new Indian social (intellectual) middle-class and cultural transformation carried by it.
Ad 3. Occultism and acculturation of Hinduism in Czechia
Here the concept of occultism will be elaborated, simple sketch of the history of occultism will be drown, and important aspects of relation of occultism and modernity will be clarified. The final part of the course will be dedicated to particular forms of acculturation of Hinduism in Czech occultism.
Syllabus
  • 1. Religion, the Reading Culture, Urbanization, Secularization
  • 2. Modern West and the Discovery of India: the Oriental Renaissance
  • 3. Orientalism, Bengal Renaissance and Neohinduism
  • 4. Czechs and India: Beginnings of Oriental Studies and the National
  • 5.Czech Oriental Renaissance: From Čupr to occultism
  • 6. Occultism as Modern Religion: Esoteric Tradition, Causal
  • 7. Occultism, Orientalism, Christianity and Science
  • 8. Mystical Occultism: Theosophical Society
  • 9. Magical occultism: the Unconscious, Animal Magnetism and “Oriental Magic”
  • 10. Karel Weinfurter: Occultism and Christian Alchemy
  • 11. Beginnings of the Ramakrishna's Tradition in Czechia
  • 12. Summary and Conclusion: Vivekananda, Modernity and Hinduismu for the West
Assessment methods (in Czech)
To pass the course:
1.Students should submit an essay on whatever related topic in appropriate length of conference paper (cca 4-8 pages [1 p=1800 characters]). The essay is short but ought to be well elaborated with theoretical concern (not mere description). Discussion on the essay is the only part of colloquium. Essay must be submitted 72 hrs before colloquium (date of colloquium will be announced).
2.Alternative choice to essay is a publishable (in Sacra for example) review of some secondary source. Other conditions are the same as in the case of essay.
3. Active participation during the seminars is demanded. Active participation means active participation in discussion on prescribed literature during the seminars or, in case of absence submission of synopsis (1 page/3 paragraphs). Synopsis should be short and clear again and contain: a) clear expression of author's idea, b) student's criticism of it and c) his proposal on how to do it different way.
4. Oral colloquium on students' essays will be held in the form of conference discussion. Each student will prepare the oral presentation of his paper and a set of questions to other essays. After presentations the discussion among students will be opened. Student should demonstrate that he is able to provide his colleagues with a concise presentation of his topic, that he is able to defend his views against criticism, and that he is also abel to find weaknesses in argumentation of his colleagues and to point them out in discussion.
Language of instruction
English
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 vyučujícího.
Teacher's information
https://is.muni.cz/auth/el/1421/jaro2008/RLB18/op/sylabus_and_reading-AHCZ_ang_spring2008_dates.pdf?fakulta=1421;obdobi=3704;kod=RLB18
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2005, Spring 2007, Spring 2010.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2008, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2008/RLB18