| Course title | Anthropology of Religion |
|---|---|
| Course code | KSKA/ATNA |
| Organizational form of instruction | Lecture |
| Level of course | Master |
| Year of study | 1 |
| Semester | Summer |
| Number of ECTS credits | 4 |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Status of course | Compulsory-optional |
| Form of instruction | Face-to-face |
| Work placements | This is not an internship |
| Recommended optional programme components | None |
| Lecturer(s) |
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| Course content |
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The provisional structure of the course is the following: a): What is religion? How do we study specific religions scientifically (anthropologically)? b): Rituality and rituals c): Festivals and public events d): Mythology and myths e): Religion and economy f): Religion and the body g): Religion and post-socialism h): Polytheisms, monotheisms, indigenous religions, new religious movements: a survey i): Recapitulation and final considerations
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| Learning activities and teaching methods |
| Monologic (reading, lecture, briefing), Dialogic (discussion, interview, brainstorming), Work with text (with textbook, with book) |
| Learning outcomes |
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This course is meant for learners already familiar with the general topics and issues of the Anthropology of Religion and in particular for students who want to deepen their understanding of the vast and multiform galaxy of religious phenomena in Europe as well as in the interconnected world, but also in past societies. The course has in fact been designed to present and discuss both ethnographic and historical examples, yet its main aim consists of the teaching of notions, methods and theoretical tools that may be applied to the factual study and interpretation of ethnographic evidence and/or historical sources. Notions and categories like "religion", "tradition", "ritual", "myth" and others will be critically examined, stressing the theoretical and methodological variations to which their analytical use has been subject according to different anthropological currents (functionalism, structuralism, interpretative anthropology, historical anthropology, post-modern anthropology, etc.). A consistent number of case-studies will be presented and discussed to exemplify the ways in which these notions and methods have been or can be used.
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| Prerequisites |
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unspecified
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| Assessment methods and criteria |
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Oral examination
The students will be openly asked to actively participate in the interconnected teaching and learning processes. They will be encouraged to ask questions and contribute during the lessons and also given the opportunity to express their opinions voluntarily on the readings that will be handed out and read in itinere. The exam will consist of an oral test with the teacher, although the final assessment will also take into account the attendance and the active participation of the learner. Students who can also read Italian, Spanish or French are strongly encouraged to contact the lecturer. Literature Section 1: General readings - Bowie F., The Anthropology of Religion. An Introduction, Blackwell, Oxford 2006, chapters: 2 ("The Body as Symbol"), 6 ("Ritual Theory"), 7 ("Shamanism"), 10 ("Myth"; pages 267-284) - Eller J. D., Introducing Anthropology of Religion, Routledge, New-York-London 2007, chapters: 1 ("Studying religion anthropologically"; pages 1-11), 4 ("Myth", pages 82-95), 5 ("Ritual and Religious Behavior"), 7 ("Religious Change and New Religious Movements"; pages 160-172) - Martin L. H., "Biology, Sociology and the Study of Religion", in Religio, n. 5 (1), 1997, pp. 21-35 - Wilson B. C., "From the Lexical to the Polythetic: A Brief History of the Definition of Religion", in T. A. Idinopulos, B. C. Wilson (eds.), What is Religion?, Brill, Leiden-Boston 1998, (only the pages 141-153) Section 2: Class readings - Bowie F., The Anthropology of Religion. An Introduction, Blackwell, Oxford 2006: chapter 8 ("Witchcraft"), pp. 200-229 - Casadio G., "Religio versus Religion", in Dijkstra J., Kroesen J., Kuiper Y. (eds.), Myths, Martyrs and Modernity: Studies in the History of Religions in Honour of Jan N. Bremmer, Brill, Leiden-Boston 2010, pp. 301-326 - Geertz C., "Religion as a cultural system", in Id., The interpretation of cultures: selected essays, Fontana Press, London 1993 (I ed. Basic Books, New York 1973), pp. 87-125 - Hutton R., "Modern Pagan Festivals: A Study in the Nature of Tradition", in Folklore, n 119, 2008, pp. 251-273 - Lévi-Strauss C., "The Story of Asdiwal", in E. Leach (ed.), The Structural Study of Myth and Totemism, Routledge, London 1967, pp. 1-39 - Rogers D., "The Anthropology of Religion after Socialism", in Religion, State & Society n. 33 (1), 2005, pp. 5-18 - Smith J. Z., "Religion, Religions, Religious", in M. Taylor (ed.), Critical Terms for Religious Studies, University of Chicago Press, Chicago 1998, pp. 269-284 - Testa A., "Rethinking the Festival: Power and Politics", in Method & Theory in the Study of Religion, n. 26 (1), 2014, pp. 44-73 - Testa A., "Religions in Videogames. Historical and Anthropological Observations", in Online. Heidelberg Journal of Religions on the Internet, n. 5, 2014, pp. 249-278 (only the pages 249-60) |
| Recommended literature |
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| Study plans that include the course |
| Faculty | Study plan (Version) | Category of Branch/Specialization | Recommended semester | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Philosophy | Study plan (Version): Social Anthropology (2013) | Category: Social sciences | 1 | Recommended year of study:1, Recommended semester: Summer |