RLB284 Hellenistic Religions

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2010
Extent and Intensity
1/1. 5 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
prof. Luther Howard Martin (lecturer), Mgr. Aleš Chalupa, Ph.D. (deputy)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. David Václavík, Ph.D.
Department for the Study of Religions – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Lucie Čelková
Timetable
Wed 18:20–19:55 K12 nerezervovat
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
For any community or tradition to be judged successful, i.e., to maintain itself transgenerationally, it must encode what it selects and holds to be knowledge in a way that is memorable and, then, effectively transmit that knowledge. This seminar will the explore the cosmological framework of knowledge characteristic of the Hellenistic era (end of fourth century BC-end of fourth century AD) generally, the apprehension and transmission of such knowledge by a number of alternative religious (and philosophical) groups, the cognitive capacities and constraints upon whereby this knowledge was formulated, and the predicted relationships between these three levels of analysis (epistemological, sociological, cognitive).
Syllabus
  • 0.Introduction to the course; 1. The Hellenistic mentalité (the broadly shared set of ideas and values of the Graeco-Roman world); 2. Lecture: "Hellenistic religions and cosmology"; 3. Student presenation and discussion of Hellenistic religious alternatives; 4. Lecture: "Human sociality"; 5.Student presentations on and discussion of social aspects of selected Hellenistic Religious groups; 6. Lecture: "The cognitive science of religion"; 7. Lecture/Discussion: "Cognition and Hellenistic historiography"; 8. Student presentations on and discussion of cognitive analyses of social and epistemological formations; 9.Integrative discussion—based on a short concluding paper to your weekly papers;
Literature
    required literature
  • MARTIN, Luther H. Helénistická náboženství. Translated by Iva Doležalová - Dalibor Papoušek. 1. vyd. Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 1997, xx, 161. ISBN 8021017023. info
  • TURCAN, Robert. The cults of the Roman Empire. Translated by Antonia Nevill. Oxford: Blackwell, 1996, xiii, 399. ISBN 0-631-20047-9. info
  • The ancient mysteries : a sourcebook of sacred texts. Edited by Marvin W. Meyer. 1st University of Pennsylvan. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1999, xii, 266. ISBN 9780812216929. info
  • BURKERT, Walter. Ancient mystery cults. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1987, ix, 181 s. ISBN 0-674-03387-6. info
  • APULEIUS, Lucius. Zlatý osel. Translated by Václav Bahník. Ve Svobodě vyd. 1. Praha: Svoboda, 1974, 331 s. info
Teaching methods
Lectures, seminars and class discussions. Home reading of texts concerning themes of individual lectures and seminars is required. Students have the duty to submit position papers to each seminar.
Assessment methods
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
1. Regular attendance and active participation in all meetings of the seminar
2. A 2 page weekly paper in which you critically explore some aspect of the assigned readings
3. A final "conclusion" to your weekly papers
4. A final research paper (ca 10 pages)
Language of instruction
English
Further Comments
Study Materials
The course is taught only once.
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