RLB32 Psychology of Religion

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2008
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
prof. PhDr. Vladimír Smékal, CSc. (lecturer)
Bc. Marie Traxlerová (assistant)
Guaranteed by
prof. PhDr. Vladimír Smékal, CSc.
Department of Psychology – Faculty of Social Studies
Contact Person: Lucie Čelková
Timetable
Mon 16:40–18:15 B32
Prerequisites
General knowledge about world religions and about the study of religions approach to religions. Understanding basic concepts and systems of general psychology, personality psychology, psychopathology, developmental psychology and social psychology.
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
The main objectives of the course are the following:
acquainting students with the psychological attitudes to religion;
offering methods of psychological analysis of religious phenomena;
showing function of religious experience for quality of life;
providing an overview of opinions on redemption and liberation, life style, and ways of experiencing and deepening faith.
Syllabus
  • 1. The object of psychology of religion
  • 2. Psychological structure of religion
  • 3. Unstructured religions
  • 4. Tribal religions and related cultural systems
  • 5. Function of religion in human life
  • 6. What do particular religions expect from believers and what do they offer them
  • 7. Spirituality and religiosity
  • 8. Initiation ceremonies and transitory life events
  • 9. Spiritual life paths
  • 10. The relationship between psychology and religion
  • 11. Psychopathology and religion
  • 12. Near-death experience
  • 13. Research methods in psychology of religion
  • This is the main part of the course syllabus. The whole syllabus containing a list of particular terms, instructions, and recommended literature will be available (in Czech) – in the folder “Study materials” in the Information System of MU. It is also a preliminary outline of topics that may change a little bit according to the students’ questions and interests.
Literature
  • C. G. Jung a křesťanská spiritualita :sborník reflexí teologů, psychologů a religionistů. Edited by Robert L. Moore. Vyd. 1. Praha: Portál, 1998, 194 s. ISBN 80-7178-195-9. info
  • FONTANA, David. Cesty ducha v moderním světě :možnosti duchovního růstu z pohledu psychologie a spirituálních tradic. Vyd. 1. Praha: Portál, 1999, 231 s. ISBN 80-7178-239-4. info
  • FONTANA, David. Kniha meditačních technik :psychologicko-duchovní uvedení do západních i východních meditačních tradic. Translated by Renáta Mlíkovská. Vyd. 1. Praha: Portál, 1998, 243 s. ISBN 80-7178-258-0. info
  • FONTANA, David. Psychology, Religion, and Spirituality. Oxford: BPS Blackwell, 2003. info
  • GOLEMAN, Daniel. Meditující mysl : typy meditační zkušenosti. Vyd. 1. V Praze: Triton, 2001, 212 s. ISBN 807254165X. info
  • Handbook of the psychology of religion and spirituality. Edited by Raymond F. Paloutzian - Crystal L. Park. New York: Guilford Press, 2005, xvii, 590. ISBN 1572309229. URL info
  • YALOM, Irvin D. Lži na pohovce :román o psychoterapii a psychoterapeutech. Vyd. 1. Praha: Portál, 1999, 384 s. ISBN 80-7178-393-5. info
  • HOLM, Nils G. Úvod do psychologie náboženství. Translated by Karel Balcar. Vyd. 1. Praha: Portál, 1998, 157 s. ISBN 80-7178-217-3. info
  • MAGUIRE, Anne. Stíny duše :temné stránky lidské psychiky z pohledu hlubinné psychologie a spirituálních tradic. Translated by Pavel Klepáč. Vyd. 1. Praha: Portál, 1999, 219 s. ISBN 80-7178-341-2. info
  • PECK, M. Scott. Lidé lži :psychologie lidského zla. V Olomouci: Votobia, 1996, 294 s. ISBN 80-7198-148-6. info
  • ROHR, Richard. Všechno má své místo : dar kontemplativní modlitby. Translated by Petr Jelínek. Vyd. 1. Praha: Vyšehrad, 2003, 119 s. ISBN 8070215844. info
  • ŘÍČAN, Pavel. Psychologie náboženství. 1. vyd. Praha: Portál, 2002, 325 s. ISBN 80-7178-547-4. info
  • UGRINOVIČ, Dmitrij Modestovič. Psychológia náboženstva. 1. vyd. Bratislava: Nakladateľstvo Pravda, 1989, 283 s. info
  • WULFF, David M. Psychology of Religion: Classic and Contemporary. 2nd edition. New York: John Wiley, 1997. info
  • MARSHALL, Ian. Spirituální inteligence. Edited by Danah Zohar. Vyd. 1. Praha: Mladá fronta, 2003, 278 s. ISBN 8020410309. info
Assessment methods
lectures with class discussion (active participation required), literature reading, semester paper
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
The course is taught once in two years.
Information on course enrolment limitations: Zápis mimo religionistiku a psychologii je podmíněn souhlasem vyučujícího.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2005, Autumn 2006, Spring 2012.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2008, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/autumn2008/RLB32