RLA05 Judaism

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2008
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 4 credit(s) (plus 1 credit for an exam). Recommended Type of Completion: zk (examination). Other types of completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
PhDr. Dalibor Papoušek, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Barbora Polifková (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
prof. PhDr. Dušan Lužný, Dr.
Department for the Study of Religions – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Lucie Čelková
Timetable
Wed 15:00–16:35 B11
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 50 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/50, only registered: 0/50
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The course offers a complex introduction to Judaism as the oldest monotheistic religion. Following a paradigmatic scheme of periodization it provides a general survey of its historical transformations: the religion of ancient Israel (Yahwism, the Temple), early Judaism in the post-exilic period (eschatology, messianism, synagogue, the written and oral Torah), Sepharadim and Ashkenazim during the Middle Ages (Jewish religious law, philosophy, and mystics; Hasidism), and modern Judaism (Orthodox, Reform, and Conservative Judaism), including its national-political features (Zionism). A due attention is paid to the analysis of main sources of Judaism (Tenak, Talmud) as well as to its ritual expressions (temple cult and synagogal cult; main Jewish festivals).
Main objectives of the course:
At the end of this course, the students should:
- be familiar with the basic factual knowledge of the history of Judaism, including its teachings and ritual practices;
- understand the principal historical transformations in the development of Judaism;
- be familiar with the basic terminology used in Judaism and in its academic study
- have the capacity of paraphrasing and analyzing of Jewish source material;
- have the capacity in general comparison between Judaism and other monotheistic systems (Christianity, Islam).
Syllabus
  • (0) Introduction to the course. (1) The Hebrew Bible – structure, textual development, canonization, translations. (2) Ethnogenesis of Hebrew tribes. The earliest religion of Israel. (3) Religion in the pre-exilic period. Hezekiah's and Josiah's reforms. (4) The Babylonian exile and the post-exilic period. (5) Hellenization and differentiation of early Judaism. (6) Rabbinic Judaism and the crystallization of the Talmud. (7) Test in the Hebrew Bible. (8) Gaonic period. Sepharadim a Ashkenazim. (9) Jewish religious philosophy. Kabbalah. (10) Haskalah and the differentiation of Judaism in modern times. (11) Zionism and the origins of the State of Israel. (12) Test in the basic terminology of Judaism.
Literature
  • SCHUBERT, Kurt. Židovské náboženství v proměnách věků : zdroje, teologie, filosofie, mystika. Vyd. 2. Praha: Vyšehrad, 1999, 285 s. ISBN 8070213035. info
  • PĚKNÝ, Tomáš. Historie Židů v Čechách a na Moravě. 2. přeprac. a rozš. vyd. Praha: Sefer, 2001, 702 s. ISBN 80-85924-33-1. info
  • DE LANGE, N. R. M. An introduction to Judaism. 1st pub. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000, xxii, 247. ISBN 9780521466240. info
  • Das Judentum. Edited by Hermann Greive - Günter Mayer. Stuttgart: W. Kohlhammer, 1994, 526 s. ISBN 3-17-010269-9. info
Assessment methods
Contents of the semester:
Lectures, class discussions, two semestral tests.
Requirements for the colloquium / prerequisite for the oral exam:
Requirements for colloquium are identical with the prerequisite for the oral exam:
(a) written test in the Hebrew Bible;
(b) written test in the basic terminology of Judaism.
Requirements for the oral exam:
(a) to prove the basic factual knowledge of Judaism according to the given list of themes;
(b) to prove the interpretative ability in a given field.
Language of instruction
Czech
Follow-Up Courses
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught annually.
Information on course enrolment limitations: Zápis mimo religionistiku je podmíněn souhlasem vyučujícího.
Listed among pre-requisites of other courses
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2002, Spring 2003, Spring 2004, Autumn 2004, Autumn 2005, Autumn 2006, Autumn 2007, Autumn 2009, Autumn 2010, Autumn 2011, Autumn 2012, Autumn 2013, Autumn 2014, Autumn 2015, Autumn 2016, Autumn 2017, Autumn 2018, Autumn 2019, Autumn 2020, Autumn 2021.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2008, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/autumn2008/RLA05