98959 - History of Interreligious Relations (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

After completing the course, students are familiar with the main theoretical, methodological and technical tools of the historical-religious disciplines and the social sciences that deal with the study of religion. They evaluate religious phenomena and dynamisms in local and global contexts, identify connections, developments, persistence and transformations of religious phenomena in complex societies, focusing on the socio-political implications of interaction among religious groups. They are able to revise and update their knowledge and develop independent analytical perspectives, taking into account the scholalry and international debate relating to cultural and religious practices and changes in complex societies.

Course contents

The course aims to historically reconstruct the relationships between Christianity and other religions in the twentieth century, with a particular focus on the relations between Christianity and Judaism within the framework of the debate that led to the approval of Nostra Aetate in 1965, the declaration of the Second Vatican Council on the Church's relations with non-Christian religions. It will cover the history of anti-Judaism and anti-Semitism over the centuries, focusing on the last two centuries (in the nineteenth century, the Mortara case, the Dreyfus case, the Protocols of the Elders of Zion) and specifically in the twentieth century, on the pontificates of Pius XI and Pius XII, the debate that began in the 1960s about the figure of Pope Pius XII, leading up to the precursors, prejudices, hopes, conflicts, and key figures who worked towards the drafting and approval of the document which, although qualified only as a "declaration," represents one of the most important documents of the council, as it defined a profound renewal of the Church's position regarding the past on a highly topical issue. Studying Nostra Aetate means discussing anti-Judaism and anti-Semitism, the relationship between the Churches and the Shoah, and the Jewish-Christian dialogue: the declaration indeed constitutes a historical challenge of considerable proportions. To reconstruct the history of relations between Christianity and Judaism, traditional sources and typically twentieth-century sources will be used, such as television and film documents, but also posts, tweets, and fake news on social networks, to understand how religious illiteracy amplifies stereotypes and prejudices, which, on the web, become viral, fueling conflicts and tensions. In the final part, after delving into Nostra Aetate, the course will attempt to reconstruct the relations between Christianity and Judaism in the most recent pontificates.

Readings/Bibliography

Attending students should bring:

1. La svolta del 1938. Fascism, Catholicism and anti-Semitism, edited by Andrea Riccardi and Gabriele Rigano, Guerini e Associati, Milan 2020.

2. the essay by A. Melloni, Nostra Aetate e la scoperta del sacramento dell’alterità, in Chiesa ed ebraismo oggi. Percorsi fatti, questioni aperte, a cura di N.J. Hofmann, J. Sievers, M. Mottolese, Editrice Pontiicia Università Gregoriana, Roma 2005, pp. 153-179.

3. Chapter IX “All’inizio del terzo millennio”, in P. Stefani, L'antigiudaismo. Storia di un'idea, Laterza, Roma-Bari 2004, pp. 250-290.


Non-attenders also bring:

1. the essay by Simon Levis Sullam, Per una storia dell'antisemitismo cattolico in Italia, in Cristiani d’Italia. Chiese, società e Stato 1861-2011, Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana, Roma 2011, vol. I, pp. 461-470 [download: https://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/per-una-storia-dell-antisemitismo-cattolico-in-italia_%28Cristiani-d%27Italia%29/]


2. The essay by A. Melloni, La Chiesa cattolica davanti alla Shoah (1945-2010), in Storia della Shoah in Italia: vicende, memorie, rappresentazioni, a cura di M. Flores [et. Al.], vol. 2., 2010, UTET, pp. 288-318.

The texts and sources of interreligious dialogue documents will be provided in class and uploaded online.

 During the course, some films will also be recommended, some of which will be partially shown and discussed in the lectures.

Teaching methods

The course will be divided between lectures and workshop and group activities; primary sources (archive documents, diaries, letters, newspaper articles) and typical twentieth-century sources (audiovisual sources, posts) will be discussed. Attendance at lectures is not essential, but it helps to better assimilate the contents that will then be examined.

Assessment methods

A student is considered to be attending if they participate in at least 75% of the classes. The course will start on November 11, 2024, and end on December 18, 2024.
That said, class attendance does not affect the exam except for differences in the syllabus (see the Texts/Bibliography section).

The exam will be an oral test. The evaluation will focus on both the ability to read sources and the specific knowledge of themes, pathways, and issues in contemporary interreligious relations. Students will be required to demonstrate mastery of specific terminology and knowledge of diachronic data (dates and historical events).

Below is an example of possible questions (to be understood as a mere general hint at a much broader spectrum of questions): "Read and comment on the following source," "Who was Jules Isaac?" "How did Pius XI's attitude towards fascism change?" "What is Mit brennender Sorge?"

No books or notes may be used during the test.
The questioning will take place following the order of entry in the Almaesami application lists.

Assessment

Excellence (grades 30 and 30L): achievement of organic vision of the themes proposed during the lessons and critical use demonstrating mastery of content and technical vocabulary.
Average assessment (grades 25 to 29): mnemonic knowledge and not entirely accurate use of technical vocabulary.
Sufficient assessment (grades 18 to 24): minimal knowledge of the topics covered (dates and names), without serious errors.
Insufficient: lack of minimum requirements (i.e. sufficient assessment).

Teaching tools

Power point projections; audiovisual, photographic and television materials.

Office hours

See the website of Federico Ruozzi