The latvian academy of culture

Requirements for the Acquisition of Credit Points: a successfully passed examination, presence at practical work, preparation and presentation of a project.

Literature:

1. 
   Sc.M.Cutlip, A.H.Center, G.M.Broom Effective Public Relations. 1982.
   
2. 
   Ph.J.Kitcher Public Relations. Principles and Practice. 1997.
   
3. 
   Newsom, J.V.Turk,D.Krucberg This is PR. The Realities of PR. 1996
   
4. 
   J.A.Hendrix Public Relations Cases.1995
   
5. 
   Excellence of Public Relations and Communication Management ed by James E. Grunig Hillsdale, New Jersey 1992
   

The Name of the Course: The Sociology of Religion
The Scope of the Course: 32 hours

2 credits. The form of evaluation – an examination.

The Author of the Course: Lecturer Valdis Tēraudkalns, Mg. Theol.
Preconditions for the Course: none
The Objective of the Course: The objective of this Course is to study principles of functioning of the religion in the society, methodologies used in the field of religious studies and developmental theories of religion. In the teaching process special attention is paid to the specifics of the development of religious groups in the context of modern globalisation and secularization.
The Contents of the Course:

Themes	Week	Type of classes and hours
1. Definitions of religion. Methods of religious studies. Evolution of religions.	1.	L2
2. The Holy: approaches of Tillich, Otto and Eliade.	2.	L2
Symbols. The symbolism of religious rites. Types of sacred rites.	3.	L2
4. Sacred stories. Myth.	4.	L2
5. Religious experience. Mysticism.	5.	L1; S1
Types of religious groups (sect, denomination, church) and their functions in the society. Process of secularisation.	6.	L1; S1
7. Religion and ethnicity.	7.	L2
Modernisation of religion. Antimodernist tendencies (features of fundamentalism)	8.	L2
Religion in the process of globalization and Commercialization	9.	L2
Legal aspects of functioning of religious groups. Human Rights issues.	10.	L2
11. Functions of theology. Problematics of suffering and death in religion.	11.	L1; S1

World religions: divisions and contemporary dynamics of Development.	12.	L2
13. Inter-religious dialogue. Christian Ecumenism.	13.	L2
The term “New Religious Movements” – definitions and Divisions.	14.	L2
15. The New Age religions.	15.	L2
16. Religious situation in contemporary Latvia (traditional religious groups, main New Religious Movements)	16.	L2