RLA67 Current Theories in the Study of Religions II

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2015
Extent and Intensity
1/1. 5 credit(s) (plus 1 credit for an exam). Recommended Type of Completion: zk (examination). Other types of completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Aleš Chalupa, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Tomáš Hampejs, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Vojtěch Kaše, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. et Mgr. Radek Kundt, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. PhDr. David Zbíral, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. David Václavík, Ph.D.
Department for the Study of Religions – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Mgr. Šárka Londa Vondráčková
Supplier department: Department for the Study of Religions – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Thu 14:10–15:45 J21
Prerequisites (in Czech)
Kurz volně navazuje na Současné religionistické teorie I (RLA66) a je primárně určen studentům magisterského studia religionistiky. Vzhledem ke skutečnosti, že širší diskuze o současných religionistických teoriích se odehrává z valné části v anglickém jazyce, je znalost angličtiny nezbytným předpokladem úspěšného ukončení předmětu.
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 course introduces some current theories in the Study of Religions, which substantially contributed or still contribute to the improvement of the theoretical and methodological foundations of the Study of Religions and drew attention to the new, until recently very often completely neglected, aspects of the Study of Religions. Individual lectures and seminars cover wide range of topics currently discussed in the Study of Religions, from reasoning about the general theory of the Study of Religions up to new sociological and cognitive approaches to the study of historical or contemporary religious traditions.
Upon completion of the course, students will be able to:
- demonstrate an understanding of selected theories in the contemporary study of religions
- analyse selected theories in the contemporary study of religions
- evaluate strong and week points of current theories in the study of religions
- practically apply some of these current theories to the study of a particular religious phenomenon or religious tradition
Syllabus
  • 0. Introduction to the course; 1. Religion and Social Brain (Robin Dunbar) 2. Culture, Religion and Genetic Evolution (Cochran and Harpending); 3. The Beginnings of Human Religiosity: "Deep History and the Brain" and "Mind in the Cave" (Daniel L. Smail and David Lewis-Williams); 4. Transmission of Religious Ideas (Pascal Boyer and Harvey Whitehouse); 5. Ritualized behaviour and hasard precaution systém (Pascal Boyer a Pierre Liénard); 6. Big Gods (Ara Norenzayan); 7. CREDs - Credibility Enhancing Displays and Religion(Joseph Henrich); 8. Comptation Modeling in Social Sciences 9. Cliodynamic (Peter Turchin); 10. Student Presentations of Semestral Paper Topics I.; 11. Student Presentations of Semestral Paper Topics II.; 12. Student Presentations of Semestral Paper Topics III.
Literature
  • Robert A. Segal (ed.), The Blackwell Companion to the Study of Religion, Malden, MA – Oxford: Blackwell 2006.
  • Contemporary theories of religion : a critical companion. Edited by Michael Stausberg. First published. London: Routledge. x, 309. ISBN 9780415463461. 2009. info
  • Guide to the study of religion. Edited by Willi Braun - Russell T. McCutcheon. London: Cassell. xii, 560 s. ISBN 0-304-70176-9. 2000. info
  • Critical terms for religious studies. Edited by Mark C. Taylor. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. v, 423 s. ISBN 0-226-79157-2. 1998. info
Teaching methods
Lectures, class discussions, and students presentation of the topic of their semestral papers.
Assessment methods
Conditions of completion:
- Active participation in seminar discussions
- Home preparation (reading of obligatory texts concerning topic of individual lectures and seminars)
- In time submission of eight position papers giving feedback to questions included to each text and expressing students own questions and comments
- Presentation of the topic of a semestral paper at the seminar
- In time submission of a semestral paper and its defense during an oral colloquium
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
Information on completion of the course: Studenti religionistiky povinně ukončují zkouškou.
The course is taught annually.
Information on course enrolment limitations: Zápis mimo religionistiku ja podmíněn souhlasem vyučujících.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2014, Spring 2016, Spring 2017, Spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2015, recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2015/RLA67