Religions and Conflicts, part one.

Religions and Conflicts.
Part One (autumn 2006).

^{Oct
4th. Introduction. The ambivalent role of religions in the course of history
and in the world of today. The conflict between the ethics of absolute values
and the ethics of responsibility (Max Weber). The idea of global ethics
(Hans Küng).

See the handouts.}
^{Oct
11th. The conflicts between religion and other cultural regions. Religion
and science. Creationism. Bible and archaeology / history. Debate on human
embryo research.

See the handouts.}
^{Oct
18th. The concept of civil religion (Rousseau – R. Bellah). Civil religion
in the USA. The idea of “American destiny”.}
^{See the handouts.}
^{Oct
25th. Émile Durkheim, his life and work. Sacred and profane. Durkheimian
definition of religion. Why blasphemy is perceived by religions as a threat.
Inevitability of tensions between religions that demarcate the sacred and
the profane in different ways.}
^{See the handouts.}
^{Nov
1st. The functionalist approach to religion (Durkheim). Religion as provider
of social cohesion. Totemism and its repercussions in the modern world.
Trooping the colours ceremony.}
^{See the handouts.}
^{Nov
8th. “Clean” and “unclean” in religions (Mary Douglas). Religions
and social exclusion.}
^{See the handouts.}
^{Nov
15th. Functionalism. Max Weber and his agenda in sociology of religions. Weber, Marx and
Nietzsche compared.}
^{See the handouts.}
^{Nov
22nd. The correlation between the ideal and material interests of a social
group and their beliefs (Max Weber). Attempts at a typology of religious
beliefs.}
^{See the handouts.}
^{Dec
6th. Sacred and Secular (Pippa Norris and Ronald Inglehart). The world panorama
of religions of today and the prevalent tendencies.}
^{See the handouts.}
^{Dec
13th. Violence and the sacred (René Girard). Violent reciprocity. The ritual
/ mythological “prophylactic” of violence. The mechanism of a “surrogate
victim.”}
Part Two (spring 2007)
^{Jan
17th. Religions and Fundamentalism. The origin of the term "Fundamentalsim". Text and community.}
^{See the handouts.}
^{Jan
24th. Religions and Fundamentalism. The role of genres in the Sacred Scriptures. Biblical criticism. The pioneering works of Julius Wellhausen (1844-1918).}
^{See the handouts.}

Religions and Conflicts. Part One (autumn 2006).

Oct 4th. Introduction. The ambivalent role of religions in the course of history and in the world of today. The conflict between the ethics of absolute values and the ethics of responsibility (Max Weber). The idea of global ethics (Hans Küng). See the handouts.

Oct 11th. The conflicts between religion and other cultural regions. Religion and science. Creationism. Bible and archaeology / history. Debate on human embryo research. See the handouts.

Oct 18th. The concept of civil religion (Rousseau – R. Bellah). Civil religion in the USA. The idea of “American destiny”.

Oct 25th. Émile Durkheim, his life and work. Sacred and profane. Durkheimian definition of religion. Why blasphemy is perceived by religions as a threat. Inevitability of tensions between religions that demarcate the sacred and the profane in different ways.

Nov 1st. The functionalist approach to religion (Durkheim). Religion as provider of social cohesion. Totemism and its repercussions in the modern world. Trooping the colours ceremony.

See the handouts.

Nov 8th. “Clean” and “unclean” in religions (Mary Douglas). Religions and social exclusion.

Nov 15th. Functionalism. Max Weber and his agenda in sociology of religions. Weber, Marx and Nietzsche compared.

See the handouts.

Nov 22nd. The correlation between the ideal and material interests of a social group and their beliefs (Max Weber). Attempts at a typology of religious beliefs.

See the handouts.

Dec 6th. Sacred and Secular (Pippa Norris and Ronald Inglehart). The world panorama of religions of today and the prevalent tendencies.

See the handouts.

Dec 13th. Violence and the sacred (René Girard). Violent reciprocity. The ritual / mythological “prophylactic” of violence. The mechanism of a “surrogate victim.”

Jan 17th. Religions and Fundamentalism. The origin of the term "Fundamentalsim". Text and community.

Religions and Conflicts.
Part One (autumn 2006).

^{Oct
4th. Introduction. The ambivalent role of religions in the course of history
and in the world of today. The conflict between the ethics of absolute values
and the ethics of responsibility (Max Weber). The idea of global ethics
(Hans Küng).

See the handouts.}

^{Oct
11th. The conflicts between religion and other cultural regions. Religion
and science. Creationism. Bible and archaeology / history. Debate on human
embryo research.

See the handouts.}

^{Oct
18th. The concept of civil religion (Rousseau – R. Bellah). Civil religion
in the USA. The idea of “American destiny”.}

^{Oct
25th. Émile Durkheim, his life and work. Sacred and profane. Durkheimian
definition of religion. Why blasphemy is perceived by religions as a threat.
Inevitability of tensions between religions that demarcate the sacred and
the profane in different ways.}

^{Nov
1st. The functionalist approach to religion (Durkheim). Religion as provider
of social cohesion. Totemism and its repercussions in the modern world.
Trooping the colours ceremony.}

^{See the handouts.}

^{Nov
8th. “Clean” and “unclean” in religions (Mary Douglas). Religions
and social exclusion.}

^{Nov
15th. Functionalism. Max Weber and his agenda in sociology of religions. Weber, Marx and
Nietzsche compared.}

^{See the handouts.}

^{Nov
22nd. The correlation between the ideal and material interests of a social
group and their beliefs (Max Weber). Attempts at a typology of religious
beliefs.}

^{See the handouts.}

^{Dec
6th. Sacred and Secular (Pippa Norris and Ronald Inglehart). The world panorama
of religions of today and the prevalent tendencies.}

^{See the handouts.}

^{Dec
13th. Violence and the sacred (René Girard). Violent reciprocity. The ritual
/ mythological “prophylactic” of violence. The mechanism of a “surrogate
victim.”}

^{Jan
17th. Religions and Fundamentalism. The origin of the term "Fundamentalsim". Text and community.}