The Re-enchantment of the World - Postsecular Anthropology, Between Religion and Spirituality 3002-1KON2026K16
The course introduces students to the basic concepts of postsecular thought and encourages them to consider ways of incorporating this perspective into anthropological practice.
Selected topics:
1. Problematizing the concept of religion and addressing the difficulties posed by its use in research – with particular emphasis on the implicit reproduction of Western, Christian patterns of thinking about faith and spirituality
2. Debates surrounding the process of secularization – doubts about the degree to which it has actually occurred and the prospect of its dependence on different understandings of the concept of religion
3. The concept of the secular age and the concept of postsecularism – what they are and how they coexist in contemporary discourse – based on influential research proposals (Bielik-Robson, Habermas, Asad, Taylor)
4. Ways of incorporating a postsecular perspective into anthropological research – considerations based on specific concepts, such as:
- profane illumination
- re-enchantment of the world
- reconstruction of thinking about religion using the concept of spirituality
- crypto-theological view of culture
Course coordinators
Type of course
Mode
Prerequisites (description)
Learning outcomes
The participant knows and understands:
- the specificity of postsecular thought in the cultural studies and humanities and its relationship to contemporary phenomena in the field of religiosity and spirituality
- on advanced level: selected methodologies from the trend of postsecular thought, cognitive strategies, and applied research methods
- basic terminology of contemporary discourse on religion and spirituality in cultural studies
- methods of analysis and interpretation of practices and cultural texts connected with phenomena from the field of religiosity and spirituality
The participant is able to:
- use their knowledge of postsecular theories to independently search, analyze, evaluate, select, and integrate information on phenomena in the fields of religion and spirituality and use it in independent research projects
- interpret the collected material through the lens of selected postsecular concepts, taking into account the historical, social, and political context
The participant is ready to:
- critically evaluate their knowledge of religious phenomena and newly perceived content in the field of religion and spirituality
- adopt an attitude of respect and investigative curiosity towards diverse religious and spiritual phenomena, including using the acquired knowledge to solve observed problems, and seeking expert opinions
- recognize the importance of postsecular reflection in the field of cultural studies for social life and recognize the need for its development in the context of increased acceptance of diverse forms of spiritual expression
Assessment criteria
The basic requirement for passing the semester is class attendance. Absences must be excused with the instructor. Students are entitled to two excused or unexcused absences per semester. Anyone with three to five absences per semester must make up for them in a manner determined by the instructor. Absences (even excused!) from more than five classes will result in inadmissibility. Only those granted an Individual Organization of Studies (IoS) based on the opinion of the BON may have their absence limit increased, but not to more than 50%. The final grade for the seminar will consist of class participation (30%) and a final assessment (70%), which will take place at a meeting with the instructor on an agreed-upon date during the session. The final assessment form can be chosen from the following: a discussion on the most inspiring texts/topics discussed during the course and ways to apply the acquired knowledge to design one's own research, or a previously prepared, coherent presentation of an original paper based on the theory and methods learned during the course.
Estimated workload for the course participant: 30 hours of class participation (1 ECTS), 30 hours of class preparation (1 ECTS), 30 hours of preparation for the final assessment (1 ECTS). A total of 3 ECTS (90 hours).
The use of artificial intelligence tools in written assignments and presentations is specified in §§ 3 and 4 of Resolution No. 98 of the University Council for Education of December 8, 2023, on guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence tools in the educational process. Due to the fact that one of the basic skills acquired in the fields of study organized at the Faculty of Polish Studies is the efficient and professional use of written Polish, and in particular the scientific style, the use of artificial intelligence systems for proofreading and editing text is prohibited.
Bibliography
Winston L. King, Religion [First Edition] oraz Gregory D. Alles, Religion [Further Considerations], [w:] Encyclopedia of Religion, red. Lindsay Jones, Detroit 2005, s. 7692-7706.
K. Zielińska, Concepts of religion in debates of secularisation, „Approaching Religion” nr 3(1)/2013, s. 25-35.
A. Bielik-Robson, The Post-Secular Turn: Enlightenment, Tradition, Revolution, „Eidos. A Journal for Philosophy of Culture” nr 3(9)/2019, s. 57-82.
J. Habermas, Wierzyć i wiedzieć, tłum. M. Łukasiewicz, „Znak” nr 9/2002, s. 8-21.
T. Asad Formations of the Secular. Christianity, Islam, Modernity, Stanford University Press, Stanford California 2003, s. 1-17; 25-45.
Ł. Tischner, Epifaniczna moc literatury. O badaniach Charlesa Taylora, [w:] Literatura a religia. Wyzwania epoki świeckiej. Tom 1. Teorie i metody, red. T Garbol, Ł. Tischner, Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego, Kraków 2020, s. 19-55.
J. Josephson-Storm, The Myth of Disenchantement. Magic, Modernity, and the Birth of the Human Sciences, The University of Chicago Press, Chicago i Londyn 2017, s. 22-37.
W. Benjamin, Surrealizm. Ostatnie migawki z życia europejskiej inteligencji, tłum. J. Sikorski [w:] tegoż, Anioł historii. Eseje, szkice, fragmenty, oprac. H. Orłowski, Wydawnictwo Poznańskie, Poznań 1996, s. 55-71.
D. Motak, Religia – religijność – duchowość. Przemiany zjawiska i ewolucja pojęcia, „Zeszyty naukowe Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego. Studia religiologica” z. 43, Kraków 2010, s. 201-218.
A. Bielik-Robson, „Na pustyni”. Kryptoteologie późnej nowoczesności, Towarzystwo Autorów i Wydawców Prac Naukowych UNIVERSITAS, Kraków 2008, s. 7-49.