Comparative Religion: Between Phenomenology and Hermeneutics, distance
The course is offered as a stand-alone course. It is included in Pre-Master in Religious Studies and Theology, 60 ECTS.
In this course, students learn how to compare religions in scholarly ways and how to understand them through being in dialogue with them. The course approaches religions both through the phenomenology of religion and through hermeneutics. Phenomenology is used to describe and understand lived religious experiences and structures of consciousness, while hermeneutics is used to interpret texts and traditions in specific contexts and across different faiths. By combining these approaches, scholars aim to gain an accurate, empathetic and experientially grounded understanding of different religious traditions, which in turn may lead to a deeper interreligious dialogue and understanding.
Learning objectives
On completion of the course, the student should be able to:
1. Knowledge and understanding:
1.1 relate different theoretical positions within comparative religion to thinkers and broader developments in the field of the study of religions and theology
1.2 thoroughly explain how thinkers in comparative religion apply methods to different materials and research objects;
1.3 describe how sociology contributes to the discipline of comparative religion;
2. Competence and skills:
2.1 independently identify similarities and differences between religions using literature;
2.2 critically contrast different hermeneutical methods and sociological models within the field of comparative religion;
3. Assessment and approach:
3.1 formulate problems of ethical and social concerns related to comparative religion;
3.2 assess the possibilities and limitations of research and its role in society, as well as the individual's responsibility for how it is used.
Course Literature
René Gothóni, ed. How to do Comparative Religion? Three Ways, Many Goals. Berlin and New York: Walter de Gruyter, 2015 (221 pp).
Paul Gwynne, The World Religions in Practice. A Comparative Introduction, 2nd ed. Oxford: John Wiley and Sons Ltd, 2017 (384 pp).
Stephen Sharot, A Comparative Sociology of World Religions: Virtuosos, Priests, and Popular Religion. New York and London: New York University Press, 2001 (353 pp).
Jens Zimmermann, Hermeneutics: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015.
Articles and source texts will be added (approx. 500 pp).
Syllabus
See the syllabus for further information.