RLB505 Post-Secular Sociology

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2016
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
doc. PhDr. David Zbíral, 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
each even Tuesday 17:30–19:05 M21
Prerequisites (in Czech)
( RLA01 Introduction to Religion || RLKA01 Introduction to Religion ) && ( RLA13 Introduction to Research || RLKA13 Introduction to Research )
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
Course objectives
The course will focus on selected theories, concepts, problems and challenges in the sociology of religion after the decline of the secularization paradigm and it will specifically deal with the post-secular concept. After the introduction of the post-secularity concept in relation to the sociology of religion, students will be familiar with key theories of secularization, the secularization debate and the secularization paradigm, and consequently the concepts connected to transformations and revitalizations of religions in the late modernity (desecularization, deprivatization of religions, the spiritual revolution), and the multiple modernity concept will be introduced. The second part of the course will be focused on delimitation and the character of secular/secularity/secularism and theorizing the problem of the relationship between “religious” and “secular” (especially the relationship between science and religion) in the contemporary “post-secular society”, academic criticism of the religion concept will be also reflected.
After having finished the course the students will be:
• able to understand better the secularization paradigm and secularization debate in the sociology of religion;
• familiar with the post-secular concept;
• able to use selected theories, approaches, and conceptions in the analysis of religion in the beginning of 21st century;
• familiar with the discussion about the borders between secular and religious;
• familiar with the contemporary criticism of the religion concept;
• able to better understand the role of religion in the contemporary globalized world;
Syllabus
  • 1. Introduction
  • 2. Post-secular: The sociology of religion in the “post-secular age“
  • 3. Selected secularization theories, the secularization paradigm and historization of the secularization debate
  • 4. The rational choice theory as a concurrent paradigm to secularization theories
  • 5. Multiple modernities
  • 6. Deprivatization of religions
  • 7. Desecularization
  • 8. The spiritual revolution
  • 9. Rethinking the secular: Secular/secularity/secularism, borders between secular and religious
  • 10. Criticism of the religion concept
  • 11. ANT, religion and non-human actors
  • 12. The Study of Religions as a secular space
  • 13. Relationship between science and religion in the post-secular society
Literature
  • The post-secular in questionreligion in contemporary society. Edited by Philip S. Gorski. New York: New York University Press, 2012, 375 p. ISBN 9780814738733. info
  • VIDO, Roman. Konec velkého vyprávění? : sekularizace v sociologické perspektivě (The End of the Grand Narrative? Secularization in Sociological Perspective). 1. vyd. Brno: Centrum pro studium demokracie a kultury, 2011, 350 s. ISBN 9788021057890. info
  • HEELAS, Paul. The spiritual revolution : why religion is giving way to spirituality. 1st pub. Malden: Blackwell Publishing, 2005, xi, 204. ISBN 1405119594. info
  • ASAD, Talal. Formations of the secular : Christianity, Islam, modernity. Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press, 2003, 269 s. ISBN 0804747687. info
  • The desecularization of the world : resurgent religion and world politics. Edited by Peter L. Berger. Washington, D.C.: Ethics and Public Policy Center, 1999, viii, 135. ISBN 0802846912. info
  • CASANOVA, José V. Public religions in the modern world. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1994, x, 320. ISBN 0226095355. info
Teaching methods
Lectures, class discussions, reading of prescribed literature
Assessment methods
Requirements: 1) in-class presentation of a selected text; 2) reading of prescribed literature and active participation in in-class discussions 3) final oral colloquium.
Language of instruction
Czech
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
The course is taught once in two years.
Information on course enrolment limitations: Zápis mimo religionistiku je podmíněn souhlasem vyučujícího.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2016/RLB505