Baltic russian institute

12. Christianity: from early commune till modern confessions. 10 lect.; 3 sem.;

13. Islam: origins, prevalence, basic principles and confessions. 3 lect.; 1 sem.;

14. Budism: origins, prevalence, basic principles and confessions. 4 lect.; 1 sem.;

15. New religious movements (NRM) 19.-20.century. 4 lect.; 1sem.;
Requirements for the final test: the test shall take place if all the seminars have been answered.

Literature

1. 
   Gorders J., Hellerns V., Notākers H. Reliģiju grāmata. R.:Nordik, 2002.
   
2. 
   Klīve V. Ticības ceļos: Reliģiju vēsture / Mācību līdzeklis – R.: Zinātne, 1998.
   
3. 
   Mitoloģijas enciklopēdija. 2-os sēj. R., 1993-1994.
   
4. 
   Mūrnieks A. Ieskats kultūras un reliģiju vēsturē: 1.un 2.sējums. R.: RaKa, 1998 – 2000.
   
5. 
   Pasaules reliģijas: rokasgrāmata un vārdnīca / tulk. no angļu val.- R.: Zvaigzne ABC, 2000.
   
6. 
   Баркер А. Новые религиозные движения. / Пер. с англ.,СПб:1997.
   
7. 
   Васильев Л.С. История религий Востока. – 4-е изд. – М.: Университет, 2004.
   
8. 
   Религиозные традиции мира. В 2-х томах. / Пер. с англ. – М.: Крон-Пресс, 1996.
   
9. 
   Lewis John Reliogions of the World. London, 1989.
   
10. 
    Nigosian S.A. World Faith. N.Y., 1994.
    
11. 
    Waldenfels. Lexikon der Religionen. Herder, 1988.
    

BALTIC RUSSIAN INSTITUTE
Title of the course: History of religion

The course is a constituent part of the professional BA program in Cultural Administration, part C.

Credit value: CP, 64 ontact hours (49 hours – lectures, 15 hours– seminars)

Course compiled by: Valdis Svirskis, MA phil.
Course abstract: the course gives a chronological and systematical overview of religion as the origin of the fundamental culture, dynamics and modern condition. The special attention is paid to the mastering of the notion and elements of the religion research, as well as the possibilities to apply it when analysing the media information and social opinions.

Within the course the most common interpretation of religion in the 19^th, 20^th century is studied to reveal the heterogenious character of the religion.

Aims of the course:

4. 
   to get the students acquainted with the place and role of religion in the culture and its processes.
   
5. 
   to give a systematical overview of the main ancient and modern religious traditions.
   
6. 
   to develop the students’ skills in independent analysis of the processes and phenomena connected to the religion.
   

Course tasks:

1.to create an idea about the specific character of the phenomena of religion, heterogenious character of interpretation and manifestation in the context of the world’s culturally- historial processes.

2. to introduce those religious ideas which seriously influenced European civilizations, as well as creation of the Latvian cultural environment.

3. to develop the students’ analytical and critical thinking by getting acquainted with different sacred texts on the religious traditions and important texts on the religious reseaches.

Assessment: test with the mark (at the end of each semester). The writing tests is divided into two stages: terminology test and answer on two questions.

40% of the test is determined by the work during the seminars, and 60%- by theoretical test.

Course content

1. heterogeneity of religion, theory of origins and reseach methods.

2. Structure of religion.

3. Myth and ritual.Cult. Magic. Sacred (mythical) time and space.

4. forms of archaic religious beliefs (animism, totemism, fetishism). Shamani

5. Religion of Ancient Egypt. Solar cult. “The book of the dead”.

6. Religion of Ancient Mesopotamy. Cosmogony and anthropogony.

7. Religion of Ancient Greece and Rome. Public cults and mysterias. .

8. Zoroastrism. Modern parcism.

9. Religious traditions of China and Japan: Daoism. Confusism. Sintoism. .

10. Veda religion. Brahmanism. Hinduism.

11. Judaism: from Ancient Israel till modern times.

12. Christianity: from early commune till modern confessions.

13. Islam: origins, prevalence, basic principles and confessions.

14. Budism: origins, prevalence, basic principles and confessions.

15. New religious movements (NRM) 19.-20.century.

***

1.Religion and its heterogeneity. Theories of the religion origins and research methods.

2. Structure of religion (levels).

3. Myth and ritual. Esoteric and exoteric. Initiation. Religion and belief. Religion and the religious organization (confession; church). Religion and Magic- two approaches to the reality. Sacred (Mythical) time and space.

4. Archaic forms of the religious belief (animism, totemism, fetishism). Shamanism.

5. Religion of Ancient Egypt: cosmogony and anthropogony. Gods and a human. Pharaon. Maata. Solar cult. Ideas about death and life after death. Myth about Osiris. Reign of the Dead. “The book of the dead”.

6. Religion of Ancient Mesopotamy: cosmogony and anthropogony. Temple. Oracles. Ideas about the human soul. Reign of the Dead.

7. Religion of Ancient Greece: religion of the Olympus Gods and the mystery cult. Religion of Rome: from the early republic to the emperor cult. Numena Deorum.

8. Zoroastrism. Ideas about the world and a human. Studies of Zaratustra. Late zoroastrism.

9. Religious traditions of China and Japan: Daoism. Confusism. Sintoism. Jan and in. Images and studies of Laodzi and Kunfudzi. ‘’Daodedzin’’. ‘’Lun jui.’’ Juandzi. Shinto: Amaterasu and emperor cult in sintoism. Kami.

10. Ideas of the world of Ancient Aryan. Ŗta and ritual. Veda religion and society. Notion of DharMA Main mythological characters and motives. Brahmanism. Upanishadas. Conceptions of Atman and Brahman. Sansara. KarMA Moksha. Bhagavadgita. Ritual and ethics. Hinduism (Sanatana dharma). Central characters and trends. Puranas. Neohinduism movement.

11. Judaism: from Ancient Israel till modern times; God and human in Torah. Abraham. Moses. Ideas of “The One”, “Testament” un “Moshiah”. TANAK and its structure. Temple and synagogue: origins and functions. Activity of Pravieshs: tendencies of formalism and mysticism in the religion of ancient Jewes. Messianism. Main trends of Judaism in the beginning of Anno Domini. Creation of Talmud. Medieval Judaism. Mysticism in the late Judaism: Kabala. Reformation of Judaism in the new times. Hasidism. Cionisms.

12. Christianity: from early commune till modern confessions. Personality and image of Christ. Canon of the Christian Holy Scripture. Life of the early Christian community. Two tendencies in the early theology of Christianity. State and Church. Religious life of medieval Christians: rituals, sacred pilgrimage, sacred relics. Schism of the Church. Peculiarities of Catholoc and Ortxodocs religions. Hesihasms. Reformation and its consequences. Main trends of Protestanism and influence of the development of modern Western society. Christianity in Latvia. 19^th-20^th century Christianity: II Vatican Council. Charistatic movements. Ecumenism and traditionalism.

13. Islam: origins, prevalence. Muhammad: life and acts. Idea about God (Allah).

The Koran. “Five basises” ofIslam. Main trends of Islam: Sunits and Shiits. Sunna. Shariats. Sufism.

14. Historic context of the Buddhism. Buddha Siddhartha Gautama: life and acts. “Midroad”. Development of Sanghas. Basic ideas of Buddha’s studies: conception of suffering, four high truths, nirvana. Basic norms of the Buddhism ethics. Main trends of Buddhism: Hinajana (Therevada), Mahajana, Vadzhrajana (Tantra) and their peculiarities.

15. Modernism and fundamentalism in modern religious traditions. Religious ideas in the cultural situation of post-modernism. New religious movements (NRM) and their classification.
Requirements for the final test: the test shall take place if all the seminars have been answered.

Literature

12. 
    Gorders J., Hellerns V., Notākers H. Reliģiju grāmata. R.:Nordik, 2002.
    
13. 
    Klīve V. Ticības ceļos: Reliģiju vēsture / Mācību līdzeklis – R.: Zinātne, 1998.
    
14. 
    Mitoloģijas enciklopēdija. 2-os sēj. R., 1993-1994.
    
15. 
    Mūrnieks A. Ieskats kultūras un reliģiju vēsturē: 1.un 2.sējums. R.: RaKa, 1998 – 2000.
    
16. 
    Pasaules reliģijas: rokasgrāmata un vārdnīca / tulk. no angļu val.- R.: Zvaigzne ABC, 2000.
    
17. 
    Баркер А. Новые религиозные движения. / Пер. с англ.,СПб:1997.
    
18. 
    Васильев Л.С. История религий Востока. – 4-е изд. – М.: Университет, 2004.
    
19. 
    Религиозные традиции мира. В 2-х томах. / Пер. с англ. – М.: Крон-Пресс, 1996.
    
20. 
    Nigosian S.A. World Faith. N.Y., 1994.
    
21. 
    Lewis John Reliogions of the World. London, 1989.
    
22. 
    Waldenfels. Lexikon der Religionen. Herder, 1988.
    

June, 27, 2005 Prepared by: MA phil. V.Svirskis

BALTIC RUSSIAN INSTITUTE

Title of the course: INTRODUCTION INTO THE PRODUCER’S WORK
The course is a constituent part of the professional BA program in Cultural Administration, part C.
Course compiled by: Armens Gabrieljans, MA oec.
Course abstract