RLBcB037 New Religious Movements

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2023
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
doc. PhDr. David Václavík, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. David Václavík, 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
Thu 12:00–13:40 G32
Prerequisites (in Czech)
! RLB37 New Religious Movements
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 80 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 18/80, only registered: 0/80, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/80
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 9 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The course focuses on providing basic information on the academic study of contemporary religiosity. For this reason, in addition to the overview of important religious groups associated with this phenomenon, students will also be familiarized with the main methodological issues, including conversions, membership, or typology issues.
Learning outcomes
Student will be able to:

  • to identify the main problems of the phenomenon of the so-called new religious movements;
  • critically reflect the key features of relation of modern society and religion and especially the so-called alternative religions;
  • analyse and interpret defining the role of religion in modern society;
    • Syllabus
    • Definition of basic terms I - religion, religious movements, new religious movements; Definition of basic terms II - classical definition of sect-cult-church concepts; The origin and genesis of new religious movements I - secularization, secularization theses and reactions to them; T „Origin“ of New Religious Movements II - counter-culture, protest movement and search for alternatives; Conversions and models used in connection with new religious movements; Membership; The image of new religious movements in contemporary media; Counter-cult movement and their influence in creating the image of new religious movements; New religious movements on the Internet; Possibilities and limits of academic study of new religious movements.
    Literature
      required literature
    • LUŽNÝ, Dušan. Nová náboženská hnutí (New Religious Movements.). Brno: Masarykova univerzita Brno, 1997, 181 pp. sv. 3. ISBN 80-210-1645-0. info
    • VÁCLAVÍK, David. Sociologie nových náboženských hnutí (Sociology of New Religious Movements). 1st ed. Praha: Malvern, 2007, 152 pp. Proměny náboženství, sv. 5. ISBN 978-80-86702-22-3. info
    • LUŽNÝ, Dušan. Náboženství a moderní společnost: Sociologické teorie modernizace a sekularizace (Religion and Modern Society). Brno: Masarykova univerzita, 1999, 183 pp. Religionistika, sv. 6. ISBN 80-210-2224-8. info
    • SIEGLER, Elijah. New religious movements. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2007, 128 s. ISBN 0131834789. info
    • BARKER, Eileen. New religious movements : a practical introduction. 5th impress. (with amedments. London: HMSO, 1995, xii, 234. ISBN 0113409273. info
    • SALIBA, John A. Perspectives on new religious movements : New religious movements (Variant.). 1. publ. London: Geoffrey Chapman, 1995, x, 240 s. ISBN 0-225-66787-8. info
      recommended literature
    • LYON, David. Ježíš v Disneylandu : náboženství v postmoderní době. Translated by Petra Vlčková. 1. vyd. Praha: Mladá fronta, 2002, 270 s. ISBN 8020409416. info
    • STARK, Rodney and William Sims BAINBRIDGE. The future of religion : secularization, revival and cult formation. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1985, vii, 571 s. ISBN 0-520-04854-7. info
    • Revisionism and diversification in new religious movements. Edited by Eileen Barker. 1 online r. ISBN 9781409462323. info
    • BROMLEY, David G. Teaching new religious movements. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007, xi, 360. ISBN 9780195177299. info
    • A reader in new religious movements. Edited by George D. Chryssides - Margaret Z. Wilkins. London: Continuum, 2006, viii, 432. ISBN 0826461689. info
    • New religious movements : a documentary reader. Edited by Dereck Daschke - W. Michael Ashcraft. New York: New York University Press, 2005, x, 341. ISBN 0814707033. info
    • New religious movements in the twenty-first century : legal, political, and social challenges in global perspective. Edited by Thomas Robbins - Phillip Charles Lucas. New York: Routledge, 2004, xi, 364. ISBN 0415965772. info
    • CHRYSSIDES, George D. The A to Z of new religious movements. Lanham: Scarecrow Press, 2001, xxix, 389. ISBN 0810855887. info
    • New religious movements : challenge and response. Edited by Jamie Cresswell - Bryan R. Wilson. 1st pub. London: Routledge, 1999, xviii, 284. ISBN 0415200504. info
    • New religious movements in Europe. Edited by Helle Meldgaard - Johannes Aagaard. Aarhus: Aarhus University Press, 1997, 192 s. ISBN 8772885483. info
    • ROBBINS, Thomas. Cults, converts and charisma : the sociology of new religious movements. 1st pub. London: SAGE Publications, 1988, 252 s. ISBN 0-8039-8158-9. info
      not specified
    • BARKER, Eileen. Of Gods and Men: New Religious Movements in the West. Macon: Marcer University Press, 1984. info
    Teaching methods
    Lectures, class discusions, reading, critical reflections of texts
    Assessment methods
    Final test (70%); active participation in lessons (30%)
    Language of instruction
    Czech
    Further Comments
    Study Materials
    The course is taught annually.
    The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2021.
    • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
    • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2023/RLBcB037