Religion in Europe 4003-202RWE
Here is the list of special topics presented during the course:
1. The phenomenon of religion from the point of view of the philosophy of religion. The notion of “sacrum”. The concept of individual faith. Religious experience. Primitive religions and abstract ones.
2. Religious tradition of the ancient Greece and Rome in Homer, and the Greece tragedy, and in Orfic mysteries. The concept of tolerance in the ancient times. Religious doctrines in the Hellenistic period.
3. The Scripture as a source of the two monotheic religions: Judaism and Christianity. The Book of Kohelet and the Book of Hiob. Psalms.
4. The Founder of Christianity and the Teacher of morality. Saint Paul and Saint John. The essence of Christianity.
5. Christianity in the ancient times. Saint Augustine: free will and its role. The influence of Saint Augustine’s philosophy on Protestantism.
6. Saint Tomas and Scholastics. The role of theology. Contemporary Thomism. The notion of love in Saint Tomas.
7. Pantheism in the thought of Saint Francis. The ideal of poverty.
8. The critique of Christianity by Luther and Calvin.
9. Pascal and his religious thought. Religious doctrines in the XVII century.
10. Rationalism in the XVII century and the religious thought of that time: Leibniz and Spinosa. Christian critique of the Cartesian rationalism.
11. The rational account of religious faith in Kant. Rousseau on religious faith.
12. Contemporary Catholicism. Personalism. Kierkegaard. Catholicism versus Marks, Nietzsche, Freud, Sartre.
13. The East Church versus Catholicism. The religious thought in Dostoyewski and Tolstoy. Stalinism and its destructive influence on religious practice.
14. Judaism: Tora, Thalmud, Chasydism versus Christianity.
15. Islam versus Christianity.
16. Religious traditions of the East in the contemporary Europe: Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism.
17. The problem of the so called “atheisation”. Tolerance. The separation of the Church from the State in the democratic countries. Christian values in the European Union.
Student's workload:
lecture - 30 hrs
preparation to the lecture - 45 hrs
preparation to the examination - 45 hrs
total - 120 hrs
Type of course
Learning outcomes
1. Knowledge
• Of religious doctrines in Europe since the ancient Greece and Rome;
• Of religion in the ancient Greece and Rome;
• Of dialogue between Christianity and other religions;
• Of discussions between different species of Christianity;
• Of philosophical critique of religion;
• Of the presence of Eastern religions in Europe;
• Of relationship between theology, philosophy and mysticism;
• Of ethical content in the main European religions.
2. Accomplishments
• Of comparison different religious traditions;
• Of comparison religious thought and philosophical argument;
• Recognition of joint values in different religious doctrines;
• Of analysis of religious discourse;
• Recognition of the phenomenon of the religious experience.
3. Social competence
• Skills of critical thinking.
• Respect for religious experiences of others.
• Attitude of religious tolerance.
Assessment criteria
Oral examination
Bibliography
1. M. Eliade, „Historia wierzeń i idei religijnych”, t. 2-3, Warszawa 2008
2. R. Otto, „Świętość”, Warszawa 1968.
3. C. H. Dodd, „Założyciel Chrześcijaństwa”, Paryż 1978.
4. M. G. Demombynes, „Narodziny Islamu”, Warszawa 1988.
5. G. Sholem, „Mistycyzm żydowski i jego główne kierunki”, Warszawa 2007.
6. „Kwiatki Św. Franciszka z Asyżu”, Warszawa 1954.
7. M. Buber, „Opowieści Chasydów”, Warszawa 2013.
8. „Księga Hioba”, przekład Cz. Miłosz, Paris 1983.
9. Św. Augustyn, „O naturze dobra”, w: „Dialogi i pisma filozoficzne”, t. 4, Warszawa 1954.
10. Św. Tomasz, „Suma teologiczna”, t. 16 „Milość”, London 1967.
11. Judaizm, pr.zb., Kraków 1990.
12. K. Farrington, „The history of religion", London 2001.
13. H. McLeod, „Religion and the people of Western Europe 1789-1989", Oxford 1997.
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: