RLBcB515 Religious Aspects of Metal Music and Subculture

Faculty of Arts
Autumn 2025
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 4 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
Teacher(s)
Ing. Mgr. et Mgr. Miroslav Vrzal, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Jana Valtrová, Ph.D.
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
Timetable
Tue 18:00–19:40 K24, except Mon 17. 11. to Sun 23. 11.
Prerequisites (in Czech)
RLBcA001 Introduction to Religion || RLBcKA001 Introduction to Religion
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: 23/50, 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
Course objectives
Metal is a musical style that explicitly works with various religious themes. Therefore, metal deserves attention from religious studies. The course will primarily deal with metal from the perspective of sociological studies of subcultures and religious elements in popular culture. After introducing theories and concepts related to the study of subcultures and the theoretical understanding of the relationship between metal and religion, the first part of the course will focus on the significance and role of occult elements in heavy metal and extreme metal. In this context, attention will also be paid to controversies and public debates about metal, in which religious actors also play an important role. Furthermore, the course will focus on the presence of specific religions/spiritual elements and identities in metal in the form of Satanism, Paganism, Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Eastern religions. Finally, the course will focus on metal in Czechia.
After having finished the course the student will be:
• familiar with selected subcultural theories
• acquainted with the development of metal subculture
• familiar with the theoretical understanding of the relationship between metal and religion
• further familiar with selected spiritual/religious streams/movements in terms of metal music and subculture
• able to analyse and interpret individual religious aspects in metal music and subculture in relation to the study of current late modern pop culture and music subcultures
Syllabus
1. Introductory lecture 2. Study of musical subcultures 3. Metal studies, Czech Metal Studies, metal and religion 4. Development of metal and occult elements 5. Public debates and controversies 6. Metal spaces and infrastructure 7. Metal and gender 8. Satanism in metal 9. Christianity in metal 10. Paganism in metal 11. Metal, Judaism, Islam, and Eastern religious elements 12. Metal in the Czech Republic 13. Presentation of seminar paper topics
Literature
  • KOLÁŘOVÁ, Marta and Anna ORAVCOVÁ. Revolta stylem : hudební subkultury mládeže v České republice. Vyd. 1. Praha: Sociologické nakladatelství (SLON), 2011, 264 s. ISBN 9788073301941. info
  • SMOLÍK, Josef. Subkultury mládeže. Uvedení do problematiky (Youth subcultures. Introduction). 1st ed. Praha: Grada Publishing a. s., 2010, 288 pp. Politologie. ISBN 978-80-247-2907-7. info
  • The lure of the dark side : Satan and western demonology in popular culture. Edited by Christopher H. Partridge - Eric S. Christianson. 1st pub. London: Equinox, 2009, x, 215. ISBN 9781845533106. info
  • PARTRIDGE, Christopher H. The re-enchantment of the West : alternative spiritualities, sacralization, popular culture, and occulture. New York: T&T Clark, 2005, xii, 468. ISBN 0567041239. info
  • PARTRIDGE, Christopher H. The re-enchantment of the West : Alternative spiritualities, sacralization, popular culture, and occulture. London: T & T Clark International, 2004, x, 265. ISBN 0567084086. info
  • WALSER, Robert. Running with the Devil : power, gender, and madness in heavy metal music. Middletown, Conn.: Wesleyan University Press, 1993, xviii, 222. ISBN 0819552526. info
  • WEINSTEIN, Deena. Heavy metal. A cultural sociology. New York: Lexington Books, 1991. info
Teaching methods
Lectures, readings, discussions, presentations.
Assessment methods
Requirements: final paper
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught once in three years.
Information on course enrolment limitations: Zápis mimo religionistiku je podmíněn souhlasem vyučujícího.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2020, Spring 2023.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/autumn2025/RLBcB515