Universität Wien

010107 SE Anthropology of Religion (2025S)

5.00 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

Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Monday 17.03. 08:00 - 11:15 Seminarraum 1 (Kath) Schenkenstraße EG
  • Tuesday 18.03. 08:00 - 11:15 Seminarraum 1 (Kath) Schenkenstraße EG
  • Wednesday 19.03. 08:00 - 11:15 Seminarraum 5 (Kath) Schenkenstraße 1.OG
  • Thursday 20.03. 08:00 - 11:15 Seminarraum 2 (Kath) Schenkenstraße EG
  • Friday 21.03. 08:00 - 14:45 Seminarraum 1 (Kath) Schenkenstraße EG

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

This course consists of six lectures, introducing students to the anthropology of religion and ritual and exploring the social life of rituals and the intertwining of religion, kinship, and politics. The teaching plan is as follows:
• Anthropology of religion: what religion is and what it does
• The power of ritual: what ritual is and what it does
• Rites of passage: the social life of rituals
• Religion and kinship
• Religion, community and the everyday
• The politics of religion

Assessment and permitted materials

The mode of assessment is mentioned in the section below. The language of instruction is English. Students are expected to engage in class discussion.

In the case of suspicion of non-transparent use of AI (e.g. through citation or indication of the type of use), the course instructor has the right to conduct a “grade-relevant discussion.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

The course assessment comprises of a written contribution (50%), an oral presentation (20%), and participation and class interaction (30%).

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

Examination topics

Lecture contents

Reading list

Bell, C. (1992) Ritual Theory, Ritual Practice. Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press.
Bloch, M. (1992) Prey into Hunter: the politics of religious experience. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Bowie, F. (2000) The Anthropology of Religion: an introduction. Oxford: Blackwell.
Brink-Danan, M. (2011) ‘Dangerous Cosmopolitanism: Erasing Difference in Istanbul’. Anthropological Quarterly, Vol. 84(2): 439-474.
Durkheim, E. (1995 [1912]) The Elementary Forms of Religious Life. New York: Free Press.
Geertz, C. (1973) The Interpretation of Cultures. New York: Basic Books.
Lambek, M. (ed.) (2008) A Reader in the Anthropology of Religion. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.
Sosis, R. (2005) ‘Does Religion Promote Trust? The Role of Signaling, Reputation, and Punishment’, Interdisciplinary Journal of Research on Religion, Vol. 1: 1-30.
Turner, V. (1969) The Ritual Process: structure and anti-structure. Edison, NJ: Aldine Transaction.
Turner, V. (1986[1967]) The Forest of Symbols. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.
Van Gennep, A. (1960) The Rites of Passage. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Whitehouse, H. (1996) ‘Rites of Terror: Emotion, Metaphor and Memory in Melanesian Initiation Cults’, Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, Vol. 2(4): 703-715.

Additional readings are provided ad personam.

Association in the course directory

066 800 M5, M16, M17, M20; 033 195 BRP 16rwb Seminar zur Religionsethnologie)

Last modified: We 12.03.2025 12:25