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02308 - History of Religions

Academic Year 2023/2024

                
                        Docente:
                        Francesca Sbardella
                    
                        Credits:
                        12
                    
                        SSD:
                        M-STO/06
                    
                        Language:
                        Italian
                    
                        Moduli:
                        
                            Francesca Sbardella
                            (Modulo 1)
                        
                            Francesca Sbardella
                            (Modulo 2)
                        
                        Teaching Mode:
                        
                                    Blended Learning (Modulo 1)
                                
                                    Blended Learning (Modulo 2)
                                
                            Campus:
                            Bologna
                        
                            Corso:
                            First cycle degree programme (L) in
                            Anthropology, Religions, Oriental Civilizations (cod. 8493)

                                Also valid for
                                
                                    First cycle degree programme (L) in
                                    
                                        History (cod. 0962)
                                    
                                    First cycle degree programme (L) in
                                    
                                        Anthropology, Religions, Oriental Civilizations (cod. 8493)
                                    
                                    First cycle degree programme (L) in
                                    
                                        Humanities (cod. 8850)
                                    
                                    First cycle degree programme (L) in
                                    
                                        Philosophy (cod. 9216)
                                    
                            Online Lessons
                        
                            Teaching resources on Virtuale
                        
                                        Course Timetable
                                    
from Sep 18, 2023 to Oct 25, 2023

                                        Course Timetable
                                    
from Nov 08, 2023 to Dec 19, 2023

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student is able to understand, in the light of the comparative historical method, those phenomena widely documented in human history and identifiable as religious, in order to identify their characterizations and types. He has particular knowledge of contexts, such as the contemporary, in which various religions are related to each other.

Course contents

Classes begin: 18 September 2023 (I + II period) (for 6 cfu and 12 cfu)

Mon, Tue, Wed, h 13-15 DISCI

I period (6 cfu): aula Grande SGM

II period (12 cfu): MON, THUR aula Fumagalli; WED aula Seminari 2

The course participates in the University's teaching innovation project (hybrid model, Blended). See the additional explanatory material, with the structure of the lessons, uploaded to Virtuale, in the first section Progetto di innovazione didattica.

Studying magic-religious phenomena: fundamental theories

In this course students will acquire the fundamental notions to interpret the complexity of religious systems, recognize their mutual relations and focus on their structural patterns. They will possess knowledge that is suitable to favor inter-religious understanding and communication.

This course will address a number of classic topics in religion anthropology and focus on some of the conceptual issues in the study of the sacred and of magic and religion practices, including lay ones.

During the course the following subjects will be addressed:

Rites, myths and sacrificial apparatus
Beliefs and practices
Terminology of the history of religions (holy, religion, etc.)
Classification of religions
Religious Studies: origin, authors and main theories
Religion as a product of man and historical document
Components and structure of the religious system
Corporality in religious systems
Religious scriptures and text construction
Religious identity and plurality

At the end of the course the student shall be able to:

determine and analyze the distinguishing features of religious facts;
acquire competences to interpret the relations between religions and society;
develop collaboratively a functional analysis model applied to historical-anthropological research;
read, analyze, summarize, understand, and explain explicit and implicit information in texts about historical-religious theories;

provide some basic means to develop the necessary skills in collecting, processing, analyzing, and interpreting genuine empirical data concerning the magical-religious field.

Some of the issues discussed in the course will also be reconsidered by watching some documentaries, short videos and movies:

On fait les reliques, Francesca Sbardella (2002); Brian di Nazareth, Terry Jones (1979).

Educational innovation project

Course structure

I module - 6 cfu

For students attending 6 credits, with the support of Virtuale, a micro-work of analysis and theorization on the concepts of religion and religiosity is foreseen.

1-Opening of the course (6 hours in attendance)

Introduction of the course and of the proposed teaching structure, presentation of the main basic theoretical issues.

2-First part of online experimentation (6 hours via Teams)

Virtual opening of a monothematic Forum: what is religion? Students are encouraged to intervene to propose hypothetical definitions. In this way they immediately enter the central problem of the course, identifying the specificities and criticalities that arise in the identification of the so-called religious phenomenon.

3-Thematic study (14 hours in attendance)

Starting from the themes dealt with in the Forum (concept of religion, practice and belief), in-depth lessons and conceptual explanations are offered, including the topics and authors on the programme.

Students have additional in-depth content available in Virtual, both textual and video. In order to discuss the thematic nuclei that have emerged, explanations and proposals for study materials are provided, also with the support of films, ethnographic audiovisuals (made by the teacher), articles/essays, diagrams, graphs, tables.

4-Second part of online experimentation: comparison and conclusions (4 hours online via Teams)

In this phase we proceed to the problematization of Forum: discussion with the students of the results obtained to explain, at a theoretical level and in the process of conclusion, the connections between the activities carried out and the proposed insights.

For the experiments, see the additional explanatory material uploaded to Virtuale in the section Progetto di innovazione didattica.

II module – for students of 12 credits

For students attending 12 credits, in addition to the micro-analysis work of module I, a field micro-experimentation (optional but recommended) is foreseen consisting in the realization of an interview relating to the practice of prayer (cf. texts/bibliography attending 12 credits).

1-Opening of the course (6 hours in attendance)

Introduction of the course and of the proposed didactic structure, presentation of the main specific theoretical issues, in-depth analysis of the first module with a focus on the concept of religious rite/practice.

2-First part of online experimentation (6 hours via Teams)

Virtual opening of a monothematic forum: the practice of prayer. Students are encouraged to intervene to propose hypothetical definitions and to question themselves on the concept.

Virtual opening of the collaborative Wiki tool to allow the drafting of a participatory document in which to hypothesize a structure of hypotheses of semi-structured questions for the realization of an interview in the field.

At the end of this phase, the Task Tool is launched in Virtual mode with a request for delivery of the transcribed interview carried out during a short camp, possibly enriched with digital content of different types (images, audio and video clips).

3-Thematic study (14 hours in attendance)

Starting from the themes addressed in the Forum, in-depth lessons and conceptual explanations are proposed, understanding the topics and the authors in the programme. In order to discuss the thematic cores that have emerged, explanations and proposals for study materials are provided, also with the support of films, audiovisuals, articles/essays, diagrams, graphs, tables.

Students have additional in-depth content available in Virtual, both textual and video.

4-Second part of online experimentation: comparison and conclusions (4 hours online via Teams)

In this phase we proceed to the presentation and problematization of the papers, with any digital content, uploaded by the students in Virtual in the Compito Tool. Discussion with the students of the results obtained to explain, at a theoretical level and in the process of conclusion, the connections between the activities carried out and the proposed insights.

Each of the activities carried out may include an intermediate evaluation, which also takes into account the student's commitment and participation.

For the experiments, see also the additional explanatory material uploaded to Virtuale in the Didactic innovation project section.

Readings/Bibliography

Programme for attending and non-attending students 6 cfu

The syllabus for non-attending students is not subject to any tegration. Non-attending students will need to make a greater effort in preparing the exam individually

Jensen Sinding Jeppe, 2018, Che cos’è la religione?, Bulzoni, Roma
Geertz C., «La religione come sistema culturale», in Id.,Interpretazione di culture.
Geertz's text is available in Virtuale.
Classics. A text of your choice:

(the editions are indicative, any edition is fine)

Boyer Pascal, 2010 [2001], E l’uomo inventò gli dèi, Bologna, Odoya

Dumézil Georges, 1977 [1966], La religione romana arcaica, Milano, Rizzoli

Eliade Mircea, 1984 [1957], Il sacro e il profano, Torino, Boringhieri

Evans-Pritchard Edward E., 1965 [1956], La religione dei Nuer, Firenze, Sansoni

Evans-Pritchard Edward E., 1971 [1966], Teorie sulla religione primitive, Firenze, Sansoni

Frazer J. G., 1992 [1922], Il ramo d'oro, Roma, Newton & Compton

Hubert H. - Mauss M., 2002 [1899], Saggio sulla funzione e la natura del sacrificio, Brescia, Morcelliana

Jung, Carl Gustav, 1984 [1938-40], Psicologia e religione, Torino, Boringhieri

Leeuw G. Van der, 2017 [1933], Fenomenologia della religione, Torino, Boringhieri

Levi-Bruhl, Lucien, 1982 [1922], La mentalità primitiva, Torino, Einaudi

Lewis Joan M., 1972, Le religioni estatiche. Studio antropologico sulla possessione spiritica e sullo sciamanismo, Roma, Ubaldini

Malinowski Bronislaw 1676 [1948], Magia, scienza e religione, e Baloma: gli spiriti dei morti nelle isole Trobriand, Roma, Newton Compton

Marx Karl, Engels Friedrich 1958 [1845-46], L’ideologia tedesca, Roma, Editori Riuniti

Mauss M., 2000 [1950], Teoria generale della magia e altri saggi, Einaudi, Torino

Otto R., 1976 [1917], Il sacro: l’irrazionale nella idea del divino e la sua relazione al razionale, Milano, Feltrinelli

Schmitt Carl, 2014 [1922-1953], Le categorie del 'politico'. Saggi di teoria politica

Tambiah Stanley J., 1993 [1990], Magia, scienza, religione, Napoli, Guida

Tillich Paul, 1967 [1957], Dinamica della fede, Roma, Ubaldini.

Turner Victor W., 1972 [1969], Il processo rituale, Brescia, Morcelliana

Tylor Edward B., 2000 [1871], Alle origini della cultura, vol. IV Animismo. L’anima e le anime. Dottrine e funzioni, Pisa-Roma, Istituti Editoriali Poligrafici Internazionali

Van Gennep Arnold 2012 [1909], I riti di passaggio, Torino, Bollati Boringhieri

For students attending 6 credits, with the support of Virtuale, a micro-work of analysis and theorization on the concepts of religion and religiosity is foreseen.

For the experiment, see the additional explanatory material uploaded to Virtuale in the section Progetto di innovazione didattica.

Programme for attending students 12 cfu

1. Jensen Sinding Jeppe, 2018, Che cos’è la religione?, Bulzoni, Roma

2. Thematic works. One of the following texts:

Sbardella F., Abitare il silenzio. Un’antropologa in clausura, Viella, Roma 2017.

Sbardella F, Antropologia delle reliquie. Un caso storico, Morcelliana 2023 (2a ed.).

3. Classics.

(the edition is indicative, any edition is fine)

Marcel Mauss, La preghiera e i riti orali, Morcelliana Brescia 1997

For students attending 12 credits, a field micro-experimentation (optional but recommended) is foreseen consisting in the realization of an interview relating to the practice of prayer.