Course: Religion and Collective Violence

« Back
Course title Religion and Collective Violence
Course code KMS/DENKN
Organizational form of instruction Seminary
Level of course Master
Year of study 1
Semester Summer
Number of ECTS credits 4
Language of instruction Czech
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)
  • Franc Jaroslav, doc. Mgr. Th.D.
Course content
This course introduces students to the context of religious spiritualities, spiritual experience in a global world, the new religious communication of postmodernity, and the interaction of religious experiences. It will also introduce the learner to the European exploration of religious centers, the emergence of missionary centers of world religions in Europe, and the return of polytheism in Europe and America in the second half of the 20th century. A systematic exploration of the various religious spiritualities, the problems of specific forms of initiation into spiritual experience, and a comparison of the religious pedagogy of the various religions dominate the structure of the course. Interreligious dialogue is presented as part of religious spiritualities, a dialogue between Christian and non-Christian spiritualities. New religious movements in society are presented as signs of the times. Teaching topics: 1. Religion of modern man: an introduction 2. Typology and characteristics of new religions 3. New religions emerging from Christianity, from the Indian tradition, from Islam 4. Religions with no clear dependence on other world systems 5. New religions and collective violence: case study I 6. New religions and collective violence: case study II 7. New religions and collective violence: case study III 8. Implicit religions: political, economic, cultural systems 9. Principles of information sharing in crisis situations: Waco 1993 10. Dynamics of group communication in a closed religious community 11. Reflection on student work 12. Final recommendations for practice and final summary

Learning activities and teaching methods
unspecified
Learning outcomes
- Basic orientation in the concepts of spirituality, religion, sect, new religious movement; - Develop the ability to distinguish between attractive and conflicting signs of new religious movements; - Understand the dynamics of group communication; - apply principles of crisis communication to the field of religious conflict.
Acquired competences: - Ability to navigate the contemporary religious scene; - ability to describe the emergence, development and demise of selected new religious movements; - ability to distinguish the presence of new religious movements as a sign of the times; - the ability to read the literature critically.
Prerequisites
unspecified
KMS/DEANK

Assessment methods and criteria
unspecified
The student actively participates in the teaching via the LMS (for 50% of the webinars held, the student's personal participation is required, the rest can be viewed from the recording). The teacher appropriately verifies whether the student has studied the material in the recording, whether he/she is working with distance support and writes a seminar paper on the selected topic in the structure and scope specified by the guarantor. Compulsory reading: FRANC, Jaroslav. Teologie nových náboženských hnutí v díle Johna A. Saliby. Studia Theologica. 2014, roč. 16, č. 3, s. 55-71. Dostupné z: https://doi.org/10.5507/sth.2014.029281. GALLAGHER, Michael Paul. Sekty a nová náboženská hnutí: dokumenty katolické církve (1986-1994). Praha: Zvon, 1997. ISBN 80-7113-207-1. VOJTÍŠEK, Zdeněk. Proces denominalizace: příklad Mormonů. Online. AntropoWebzin. 2006, č. 3, s. 41-52. Dostupné z: http://www.antropoweb.cz/webzin/achive_old/webzin_3_2006/AntropoWEBZIN%203_2006.pdf. VOJTÍŠEK, Zdeněk. Encyklopedie náboženských směrů a hnutí v České republice: náboženství, církve, sekty, duchovní společenství. Praha: Portál, 2004. ISBN 80-7178-798-1. VOJTÍŠEK, Zdeněk. Nová náboženská hnutí a jak jim porozumět. Praha: Beta Books, 2007. ISBN 978-80-86851-64-8. FRANC, Jaroslav. Dialog církve se světem: nová náboženská hnutí jako znamení doby v dokumentu Teologie dnes. Studia Theologica. 2013, roč. 15, č. 3, s. 101-128. ISSN 1212-8570. VOJTÍŠEK, Zdeněk. Nová náboženská hnutí a kolektivní násilí. Praha: L. Marek, 2020. ISBN 978-80-87127-21-6. Recomended reading: SALIBA John. Perspectives on new religious movements. London: Geoffrey Chapman, 1995. ISBN 0-225-66787-8. NIEBUHR, R. Christ and Culture. New York, 1956. NIEBUHR, Helmut Richard. Christ and culture. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1956. ŘÍČAN, Pavel. Psychologie náboženství a spirituality. Praha: Portál, 2007. ISBN 978-80-7367-312-3. WILFRED, Cantwell Smith. The Meaning and End of Religion. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1991. ISBN 0-8006-2475-0. VOJTÍŠEK, Zdeněk. Netradiční náboženství u nás. Praha: Dingir, 1998. ISBN 80-902528-0-X. PARTRIDGE, Christopher H. a VOJTÍŠEK, Zdeněk (ed.). Encyklopedie nových náboženství: nová náboženská hnutí, sekty a alternativní spiritualita. Praha: Knižní klub, 2006. ISBN 80-242-1605-1. VOJTÍŠEK, Zdeněk. Nová náboženská hnutí a kolektivní násilí. Brno: L. Marek, 2009. ISBN 978-80-87127-21-6. NOVOTNÝ, Tomáš a VOJTÍŠEK, Zdeněk. Základní orientace v nových náboženských směrech. 3. vyd. Praha: Oliva, 1995. ISBN 80-85942-00-3.
Recommended literature


Study plans that include the course
Faculty Study plan (Version) Category of Branch/Specialization Recommended year of study Recommended semester