FF:RLBcB016 Christianity and Heresies - Course Information

RLBcB016 Christianity and Heresies

Extent and Intensity

1/1/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Taught in person.

Teacher(s)

PhDr. Iva Doležalová (lecturer)

Guaranteed by

PhDr. Iva Doležalová
Department for the Study of Religions – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Mgr. Kristýna Čižmářová
Supplier department: Department for the Study of Religions – Faculty of Arts

Prerequisites (in Czech)

( RLA06 Christianity I && RLA07 Christianity II ) || ( RLKA06 Christianity I && RLKA07 Christianity II ) || ( RLBcA006 Christianity I && RLBcA007 Christianity II ) || ( RLBcKA006 Christianity I && RLBcKA007 Christianity II ) || ! RLB16 Christianity and Heresies

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 50 student(s).
Current registration and enrolment status: enrolled: 0/50, only registered: 0/50, only registered with preference (fields directly associated with the programme): 0/50

fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with

• Study of Religions (programme FF, B-RL_) (4)

Course objectives

The course offers a detailed survey of the history of heterodox/heretical views, approaches, groups/movements. It is focused on the history of particular heresies in their context and deals especially with:

term heresy, its Christian intepretation

dichotomy orthodoxy - heresy, their mutual contingentness, diversity of reasons for the rise of particular heresy

development of the tools of persecution

metodological problems in the study of heterodoxy: social - intelectual tension, tension between official/normative - popular Christianity, reform - orthodoxy - heresy. Retrospective views in the study of heresies

institutionalization of antiheretical tools and its influence in the formation of heresies
Participants will also read some important Christian heterodox texts from ancient and medieval history of Christianity.

Learning outcomes

After completing the course, students gain detailed survey information on heterodox groups of Ancient and medieval Christianity and will be able to:

describe the most important discussions on conditions of their origin

distinguish basic methodological problems of the study of heresies

use the terminology of the Christian tradition concerning heresies and its historical and social scientific study

distinguish the scientific approach and various concepts of orthodoxy and heresy in the history of Christianity from the unscientific (confessional, polemical...)

summarize sources analytically and interpret (on a basic level) some Christian texts on heresies or heterodox texts

Syllabus

• Orthodoxy - heresy: keywords and terms, Christian monotheism and problem of heterodoxy.
• Ancient heterodoxy as a methodological challenge
• Plurality of Ancient Christianity: polemics, differentiation, institutionalization
• Gnosticism - Christian gnosis: gnostic mythodogy/christology, texts and teachers of gnosis
• Call for renewal as a factor for the rise of heresy - Montanism, Tertullian
• Christological controversies in Ancient Christianity: their rise and ways of coping with them
• Compelle intrare. Augustin´s antiheretical polemics - pattern for future
• Charitas – potestas: heresy and authority in medieval Christianity
• Inquisition as a tool against heresies. Inquisition and its contribution to the construction of heresies and their supression. Gender and heterodoxy
• Poverty movement: preachers, Valdesians, Cathars. Dualism in heretical medieval thinking
• Mysticism (Mistr Eckhart, Johannes Tauler): spiritual Franciscans, Jaochimsts, Movement of Free Spirit
• Calls for renewal - source of heresy? Devotio moderna, anti-church polemics
• Czech reform movement: preachers and John Hus
• Orthodoxy - heterodoxy tensions - its meaning for the dynamics of the dvevelopment of Christianity

Literature

required literature
• Rané křesťanství : počátky a vývoj církve do roku 600. Online. Edited by Ian Hazlett, Translated by Petr Kitzler. 1. vyd. Brno: CDK (Centrum pro studium demokracie a kultury), 2009. 319 s. ISBN 9788073251598. [citováno 2024-04-23] info
• LAMBERT, Malcolm. Středověká hereze. Online. Translated by Tomáš Vítek. Vyd. 1. Praha: Argo, 2000. 598 s. ISBN 8072032917. [citováno 2024-04-23] info
• PAVLINCOVÁ, Helena. Judaismus, křesťanství, islám. Online. Vyd. 2. přeprac. a rozš.,. Olomouc: Nakladatelství Olomouc, 2003. 661 s. ISBN 80-7182-165-9. [citováno 2024-04-23] info

recommended literature
• HORYNA, Břetislav. Monoteismus.Krátké dějiny jedinobožství (Monoteism. A Short History of One God). Online. In Judaismus-Křesťanství-Islám. nové rozšířené. 2003: nakladatelství Olomouc, 2003. p. 11-33, 22 pp. ISBN 80-7182-165-9. [citováno 2024-04-23] info

Teaching methods

Lecture, seminar discussion based on reading and written comments on given texts

Seminar presentation upon particular text of historical source (two presentation during semestr based on writen comments of historical source and reading)

Preparation of writen comments for colloqium

Assessment methods

Colloquim
Requests for colloquim:

Written test based on the required reading, lectures, and presentations (100 points each, the minimum of 60 points is required to pass the test, which is a prerequisite for the oral colloquim)

Two submissions of abstracts of source texts - for seminar discussions (see Study materials), evaluated 100 points each, the minimum of 60 points is required. This task is a prerequisite for the oral colloquim)

Active participation in seminar discussions based on reading and written comments on given texts

Before the colloqium term published in the IS MU, participants of the course submit an analytical comment on elected text of historical source and reading.

See Study materials for detailed information.

Language of instruction

Czech

Further comments (probably available only in Czech)

The course is taught once in two years.
The course is taught: every week.
Information on course enrolment limitations: Zápis mimo religionistiku je podmíněn souhlasem vyučující.

• Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
  
• Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2025/RLBcB016