RLBcB406 Tantra between Tradition and Modernity

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2022
Extent and Intensity
0/0/0. 4 credit(s) (plus 1 for the colloquium). Recommended Type of Completion: k (colloquium). Other types of completion: z (credit).
Teacher(s)
Julian Strube, Dr. (lecturer), Mgr. Jana Valtrová, Ph.D. (deputy)
Guaranteed by
Mgr. Jana Valtrová, Ph.D.
Department for the Study of Religions – Faculty of Arts
Contact Person: Mgr. Matouš Vencálek
Supplier department: Department for the Study of Religions – Faculty of Arts
Timetable
Wed 9. 3. 16:00–19:40 G24, Tue 15. 3. 16:00–19:40 K23, Wed 16. 3. 16:00–19:40 G24, Tue 22. 3. 16:00–19:40 K23, Wed 23. 3. 16:00–19:40 G24
Prerequisites
The course is taught in English.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is also offered to the students of the fields other than those the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
there are 12 fields of study the course is directly associated with, display
Course objectives
The course will familiarize the students with approaches from religious studies and global historical to the history of cultural and religious exchange from the eighteenth to the early twentieth century. After completing the course, the students will know basic historical trajectories in Bengali Tantric traditions; they will be able to critically engage with and apply cutting-edge theoretical and methodological perspectives, which will equip them to address current debates about cultural exchange and appropriation, (post-)colonialism, and orientalism.
Moreover, they will be familiar with concrete, fine-grained case studies revolving around exchanges between Bengali reformers, self-referentially “orthodox” pandits, Theosophists, and European orientalists and reformers. This will equip them to adopt new, critical viewpoints on later historical developments revolving around “New Age” culture, which in turn pertain to the aforementioned debates about cultural exchange.
Learning outcomes
After completing the course, the students will be able to - understand the basic historical trajectories in Bengali Tantric traditions; - understand the relationship between Asian Tantric traditions and modern re-interpretations of Tantra within Theosophical and occultist contexts, - critically engage with and apply cutting-edge theoretical and methodological perspectives, which will equip them to address current debates about cultural exchange and appropriation, (post-)colonialism, and orientalism. - understand the basic principles of later historical developments revolving around “New Age” culture
Syllabus
  • March 9
  • What is Tantra: New Age
  • What is Tantra: Historical
  • March 15
  • Arthur Avalon
  • The Bengali Intervention
  • March 16
  • Shivachandra Vidyarnava
  • Traditions of Learning in Bengal
  • March 22
  • Tantra and Nationalism
  • Tantra and Sexuality
  • March 23
  • Theosophy and Yoga
  • Occultism and Tantra
Teaching methods
lectures, discussions, reading
Assessment methods
During the course, the students are expected to engage in discussions based on selected readings. Final assessment: The students are required to prepare one presentation on a selected topic, which will be presented during the course.
Language of instruction
English
Further comments (probably available only in Czech)
Study Materials
Information on completion of the course: BA students enrol with credit (z), MA students with colloquium (k).
Information on the extent and intensity of the course: Block lessons.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/phil/spring2022/RLBcB406