Universität Wien

010101 VU Introducing Modern Paganism (2024W)

3.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 1 - Theologien und Religionswiss.
Continuous assessment of course work
Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 30 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Thursday 07.11. 11:30 - 14:45 Seminarraum 1 (Kath) Schenkenstraße EG
  • Thursday 14.11. 15:00 - 18:15 Seminarraum 17, Kolingasse 14-16, OG02
  • Thursday 28.11. 15:00 - 18:15 Seminarraum 17, Kolingasse 14-16, OG02
  • Thursday 05.12. 15:00 - 18:15 Seminarraum 17, Kolingasse 14-16, OG02
  • Thursday 12.12. 15:00 - 18:15 Seminarraum 17, Kolingasse 14-16, OG02
  • Friday 13.12. 11:30 - 14:45 Seminarraum 17, Kolingasse 14-16, OG02

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

The course introduces modern Paganism, one of the fastest-growing religions in Europe. Modern Pagans aim to revive or reconstruct pre-Christian, mostly European, traditions of ancient Celts, Germans, Slavs, and other cultures and civilizations. The first half of the course is a historical overview, spanning from the early Church to now. It discusses the embeddedness of the paganism concept within Christian theology and its later secularization. The second part of the course introduces the history, rites and festivals, and features of the main branches of modern Paganism: Wicca, Druidry, Heathenism, and Native Faith. The last lecture analyses modern Pagan festivals.

Assessment and permitted materials

Oral exam based on the lecture content. Further reading is welcome but not necessary for completing the course.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

See above.
Attendance is compulsory. You may be absent without excuse for a maximum of two units.

Examination topics

The examination material will be the content of the lecture, which will be documented partly by slides, partly by given/recommended texts.

Exam topics include:
I. Historical and theoretical assessment of paganism
II. Secularization of paganism concept and the study of religion
III. Modern Pagan Witchcraft (Wicca)
IV. Druidry / Celtic Paganism
V. Heathenism / Asatru
VI. Native Faith / Slavic Paganism
VII. Pagan festivals

Reading list

Basic:
Murphy Pizza and James R. Lewis eds. Handbook of Contemporary Paganism. Leiden: Brill, 2009.

Additional:
Calico, Jefferson. Being Viking. Sheffield: Equinox, 2018.
Hutton, Ronald. Blood and mistletoe: the history of the Druids in Britain. New Haven – London : Yale University Press; 2009.
Hutton, Ronald. The triumph of the moon : a history of modern pagan witchcraft. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2001
Lesiv, Mariya. The return of ancestral gods: modern Ukrainian Paganism as an alternative vision for a nation. Montréal, Québec : McGill-Queen's University Press, 2013.
Pearson, Joanne. Wicca and the Christian heritage: ritual, sex and magic. London; New York: Routledge, 2007.

Association in the course directory

M2.7, M15, M18, BRP 09rwb, BRP 17rwb

Last modified: Fr 28.02.2025 05:05