RLA66 Current Theories in the Study of Religions I

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2019
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 5 credit(s) (plus 1 credit for an exam). Recommended Type of Completion: zk (examination). Other types of completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Jakub Cigán, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Milan Fujda, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
doc. PhDr. David Zbíral, Ph.D.
Department for the Study of Religions – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Mgr. Kateřina Sedlářová
Supplier department: Department for the Study of Religions – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Thu 14:00–15:40 L41
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 development 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 anthropological approaches to the study of historical or contemporary religious traditions.
Learning outcomes
After completing the course, students will be able to:
  • demonstrate an understanding of selected theories relevant for the Study of Religions;
  • analyze strengths and weaknesses of a selected theory;
  • employ a selected theory to a particular research topic.
    • Syllabus
    • 1. Introduction to the course
    • 2. Social construction of reality and religion
    • 3. Language and construction of the social reality
    • 4. Religious experience and event cognition
    • 5. Culture and learning to a religious experience
    • 6. Cognitive anthropological study of remembering
    • 7. Bourdieu and theory of practice
    • 8. Feminism and post-colonial theory
    • 9. Religion as ethnomethod of making the order
    • 10. Actor-Network-Theory (ANT)
    • 11. Workshop: Student presentation of semestral paper topic
    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, 2009, x, 309. ISBN 9780415463461. info
    • Guide to the study of religion. Edited by Willi Braun - Russell T. McCutcheon. London: Cassell, 2000, xii, 560 s. ISBN 0-304-70176-9. info
    • Critical terms for religious studies. Edited by Mark C. Taylor. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1998, v, 423 s. ISBN 0-226-79157-2. info
    Teaching methods
    Lectures, class discussion, seminar presentation.
    Assessment methods
    Examination

    Oral exam prerequisites:
  • submission of all assessments (10 points maximum for each)
  • presentation of a semestral paper project (no points)
  • presentation of feedback to a semestral paper project (no points)
  • submission of a semestral paper (80 points maximum)
    • It is required to achieve 60 % of points for each scored item to be accepted for oral examination.


    Oral examination (40 points maximum) concerns on presentation, defense and debate on semestral paper.


    Colloquium

  • submission of all assessments (10 points maximally for each)

    • General information: the type of completion “Examination” is compulsory for the students of the “Study of Religions” study programs.

    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 last offered.
    Information on course enrolment limitations: Zápis mimo religionistiku je podmíněn souhlasem vyučujících.
    Information about innovation of course.
    This course has been innovated under the project "Faculty of Arts as Centre of Excellence in Education: Complex Innovation of Study Programmes and Fields at FF MU with Regard to the Requirements of the Knowledge Economy“ – Reg. No. CZ.1.07/2.2.00/28.0228, which is cofinanced by the European Social Fond and the national budget of the Czech Republic.

    logo image
    The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2008, Spring 2009, Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, Spring 2013, Autumn 2013, Autumn 2014, Autumn 2015, Autumn 2016, Autumn 2017, Autumn 2018.
    • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
    • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/autumn2019/RLA66