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Lecturer(s)
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Course content
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1) The Western esoterical tradion and esotericism - an introduction. 2) The sacred feminine and masculine within the perspective of gender and social constructivism. 3) Shamanism and czech folk "esotericism". 4) Disputes between astrology and astronomy - an analogy of a long-lasting discussion between science and religion.
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Learning activities and teaching methods
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Monologic (reading, lecture, briefing), Dialogic (discussion, interview, brainstorming), Work with text (with textbook, with book), Methods of individual activities
- unspecified
- 3 hours per semester
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Learning outcomes
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The aim of this course is to outline some phenomena within the field of western esotericism and also introduce students into selected theoretical and methodological approaches such as social constructivism and gender studies.
Students will be able to analyze and put into context selected phenomena within the field of esotericism. They will be also introduced into some theories and methods which are not common in religious studies.
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Prerequisites
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The ability to read scholarly texts in english.
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Assessment methods and criteria
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Home assignment evaluation, Student performance assessment
Attendance at clases, active participation, dutiful reading and preparation at home, presentation of the core ideas from selected texts in the seminar. Teacher will introduce students into a selected topic and next few sessions will be dedicated to the discussions about selected treatises. Every student has to present the main ideas of the text of his/her choice in the seminar during the term. Presentation of a selected text is one third of a successful fullfilment of this course, the rest two are: attendance and active participation.
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Recommended literature
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Bužeková, Tatiana. Posvätná ženskosť a autorita: rodová stratifi kácia neošamanských skupín. Cargo (2012), Vol. 10, No. 1?2, 2012.
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Oboler, R. Negotiating Gender Essentialism in Contemporary Paganism. The Pomegranate 12.2 (2010) 159-184, 2010.
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Thagard, P. Why Astrology is a Pseudoscience. Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association, 1978.
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Thomas, Paul. Re-Imagining Inanna: The Gendered Reappropriation of the Ancient Goddess in Modern Goddess Worship. [The Pomegranate 6.1 (2004) 53-69, 2004.
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Wallis, Robert J. Shamans/neo-Shamans: Ecstasy, Alternative Archaeologies, and Contemporary Pagans. London?; New York: Routledge, 2003.
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Znamenski. The beauty of the primitive: shamanism and the Western imagination. Oxford, 2007.
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