42571 - Introduction to Religion Studies

Academic Year 2019/2020

  • Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
  • Campus: Bologna
  • Corso: First cycle degree programme (L) in Anthropology, Religions, Oriental Civilizations (cod. 8493)

Learning outcomes

The course provides a theoretical and historical framework on religious phenomena, subsequently turning to a close, internal examination of specific religions as systems – Judaism, Hinduism, Christianity and Islam. At the end of the course, the student will have acquired the skills to interpret the relationships between religions and contemporary society.

Course contents

Understanding the Sacred: Fundamental Theories for the Study of «religious facts»

The course aims to introduce the main features of the so-called «religious fact» under a historical-critical perspective. More precisely, the class will take into account: religious facts' specific epistemology, their intrinsic historical nature, peculiarities of their sources and expressions. The class will go through both the main classical scholarship on history of religions and the main historical-geographical constants of religious phenomena within a wide diachrony.

The following topics will be dealt with during the course:

-the genesis, the scholarly authors and main theories of the history of religions

-the lexicon of the history of religion

-the classification of religions

-fundamental notions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam

-ritual, myth and sacrifice

-the specificity of the “religious fact”

-religion and the historical dimension

-the construction and transmission of the religious text

-the religious system and its structures

-religion, institutions and social contexts

-the sacred and power

Certain themes will be also be examined through the review and analysis of cinematographic sources (films: Costantino il Grande, Lionello de Felice [1961]) and the participation of specialists in seminar formats (particularly a seminar on “the book and the sacred: scripture, production, diffusion”).

The course lays out five overall objectives, that is, to facilitate students’ capability for:

-identifying and analyzing the characterizing forms of the religious fact;

-acquiring the skills to interpret the relationships between religions and societies;

-reading, analyzing, summarizing, comprehending and explaining the explicit and the implicit information contained in texts on historical-religious theories;

-developing an initial historical-critical interpretation of source material pertaining to the religious fact: texts, iconography, audio-visual;

-mastering the fundamental scientific vocabulary of magico-religious phenomena.

Readings/Bibliography

Syllabus for attending and non-attending students

The syllabus for non-attending students does not include supplementary work; non-attendance requires greater effort in individual work. The bibliography is composed by three parts:

PART I

Handbook:

Filoramo G., Che cos'è la religione, Einaudi, Torino, 2005.

Classics:

Durkheim É., Le forme elementari della vita religiosa, Meltemi, Roma 2005 [or any other edition].

 

PART II

Classics:

One text chosen among:

Weber M., Sociologia delle religioni, vol. 1 L’etica protestante e lo spirito del capitalismo [any edition]

De Certeau M., La scrittura della storia, Milano 2006.

Le Bras G., La Chiesa e il Villaggio, Bollati Boringhieri, Torino 1971.

 

PART III

Readings:

M. Scattola, Teologia politica, Il Mulino, Bologna 2007.

Teaching methods

Traditional lectures, in-depth seminar lessons, group work where students are asked to participate actively with personal research, presentation and reports pertaining to the issues proposed (considered participatory moments in support of teaching). Based on the number of students attending, it will be possible to organize a lesson at the G. Dossetti Library in via San Vitale 114.

Assessment methods

Examination will involve a written test to be held in the computer lab. The test will consist in a series of open-answer questions on the texts in the syllabus and on the themes and issues dealt with in those texts.

The written test is made of six questions, each having an approximate value of up to five points each.

To apply for the exam session please use the Almaesami website.

Assessment criteria:

  • In-depth and detailed knowledge of the content of the texts.
  • Critical and argumentative capability
  • Ability to use proper language

Assessment scale:

Excellent (with possibility attribution of honors in the case of originality): the attainment of an organic vision of the issues presented during the lessons and their critical use that demonstrates a mastery of content and technical vocabulary.

Average: Mnemonic knowledge and only partially accurate use of technical vocabulary.

Sufficient: Minimal knowledge of the issues (dates and names), without serious errors.

Insufficient: absence of minimum requirements of ‘sufficient’ assessment.

Teaching tools

Audiovisual multimedia tools will be utilized.

Almost all lessons will be presented with PowerPoint.

Office hours

See the website of Davide Dainese