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010086 UE Reading Religion (2017W)
Continuous assessment of course work
Labels
Registration/Deregistration
Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).
- Registration is open from Fr 01.09.2017 10:00 to Fr 06.10.2017 10:00
- Deregistration possible until Tu 31.10.2017 23:59
Details
Language: English
Lecturers
Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N
- Thursday 05.10. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum 2 (Kath) Schenkenstraße EG
- Thursday 12.10. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum 2 (Kath) Schenkenstraße EG
- Thursday 19.10. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum 2 (Kath) Schenkenstraße EG
- Thursday 09.11. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum 2 (Kath) Schenkenstraße EG
- Thursday 16.11. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum 2 (Kath) Schenkenstraße EG
- Thursday 23.11. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum 2 (Kath) Schenkenstraße EG
- Thursday 30.11. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum 2 (Kath) Schenkenstraße EG
- Thursday 07.12. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum 2 (Kath) Schenkenstraße EG
- Thursday 14.12. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum 2 (Kath) Schenkenstraße EG
- Thursday 11.01. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum 2 (Kath) Schenkenstraße EG
- Thursday 18.01. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum 2 (Kath) Schenkenstraße EG
- Thursday 25.01. 16:45 - 18:15 Seminarraum 2 (Kath) Schenkenstraße EG
Information
Aims, contents and method of the course
Assessment and permitted materials
Assessment and permitted materials
Class participation and attendance (20%); essay 1,500 words (40%); essay 1,500 words (40%).
Academic books, academic articles, encyclopedias, internet sources (Wikipedia is not allowed).
Class participation and attendance (20%); essay 1,500 words (40%); essay 1,500 words (40%).
Academic books, academic articles, encyclopedias, internet sources (Wikipedia is not allowed).
Minimum requirements and assessment criteria
Minimum requirements and assessment criteria
An interest in different disciplinary approaches to religion; no knowledge of foreign languages is required apart from a good command of English; all readings will be in English.
Class participation and attendance (20%); essay 1,500 words (40%); essay 1,500 words (40%).
An interest in different disciplinary approaches to religion; no knowledge of foreign languages is required apart from a good command of English; all readings will be in English.
Class participation and attendance (20%); essay 1,500 words (40%); essay 1,500 words (40%).
Examination topics
Examination topics
Lecture content; the original readings of the theorists under examination; critical approach and personal insight.
Lecture content; the original readings of the theorists under examination; critical approach and personal insight.
Reading list
Reading list
(1) Pals, Daniel L. 1996. Seven Theories of Religion. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press.
(2) Segal, Robert A. 2005. “Theories of Religion.” In John R. Hinnells (ed.), The Routledge Companion to the Study of Religion. London and New York: Routledge, pp. 49–60.
(3) Durkheim, Emile. 1995. The Elementary Forms of Religious Life. New York and London: Free Press.
(4) Engels, Friedrich. 2008. “On the History of Early Christianity.” In Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, On Religion. Mineola and New York: Dover Publications, pp. 316–347.
(5) Freud, Sigmund. 2004. Totem and Taboo. London and New York: Routledge.
(6) Tylor, Edward B. 1958. Religion in Primitive Culture. New York: Harper Torchbooks.
(7) Stark, Rodney. 2006. “Economics of Religion.” In Robert A. Segal (ed.), The Blackwell Companion to the Study of Religion. Malden, MA and Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, pp. 47–67.
(1) Pals, Daniel L. 1996. Seven Theories of Religion. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press.
(2) Segal, Robert A. 2005. “Theories of Religion.” In John R. Hinnells (ed.), The Routledge Companion to the Study of Religion. London and New York: Routledge, pp. 49–60.
(3) Durkheim, Emile. 1995. The Elementary Forms of Religious Life. New York and London: Free Press.
(4) Engels, Friedrich. 2008. “On the History of Early Christianity.” In Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, On Religion. Mineola and New York: Dover Publications, pp. 316–347.
(5) Freud, Sigmund. 2004. Totem and Taboo. London and New York: Routledge.
(6) Tylor, Edward B. 1958. Religion in Primitive Culture. New York: Harper Torchbooks.
(7) Stark, Rodney. 2006. “Economics of Religion.” In Robert A. Segal (ed.), The Blackwell Companion to the Study of Religion. Malden, MA and Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, pp. 47–67.
Association in the course directory
066 800 M8
Last modified: Fr 03.02.2023 00:13
The course aims to introduce students to the range of modern sociological, anthropological, economical, and psychological theories of religion and to enable students to apply theories to actual religions. By the end of the course, students should have become familiar with the range of these modern theories of religion, with ways of comparing theories, with ways of applying theories to specific religions, and with ways of evaluating theories.Description:
A survey of leading classical theories of religion, as were exemplified by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, Sigmund Freud, E. B. Tylor, Emile Durkheim, and Rodney Stark. A ‘theory of religion’ is an attempt to generalize about the phenomenon of religion across time and space by answering two fundamental questions: what is the origin and what is the function of religion. By focusing on theorists who represent different disciplines (Economics, Psychology, Anthropology, and Sociology), and by reading their own works, the course will discuss whether and how those theorists answer the aforementioned questions, how they approach religion, what do they make of the phenomenon, and how they contributed to the development of understanding religion.Method:
Reading of selected texts (in English translation), lectures, and in class discussion.