Course code

HIL7257.HT

old course code

Course title in Estonian

Aasia religioonid ja ühiskond

Course title in English

Asian Religions and Society

ECTS credits

6.0

Assessment form

Examination

lecturer of 2023/2024 Spring semester

Not opened for teaching. Click the study programme link below to see the nominal division schedule.

lecturer of 2024/2025 Autumn semester

Not opened for teaching. Click the study programme link below to see the nominal division schedule.

Course aims

The goal of the course is to communicate solid knowledge about the economic and political foundations, presence and vitality of Buddhism, Islam, Christianity and Animism in Asian societies. A vernacular approach is chosen to understand the localization and re-interpretation of religious doctrines and to understand religions in practice- as popular religions. Particular interest is given to the dialectical relation of religion and politics, of high and low traditions and the question of religious frredom.

Brief description of the course

The course conveys how there have been many centuries of interactions between different religious traditions and civilizations in Asia, the problem of world religion and the relation and tensions between folk and formal religion. It also focuses how religion is central to understand state-society interaction in Asia.

Learning outcomes in the course

Upon completing the course the student:
- is able to understand the connection and inter-dependence of religion and society in Asian societies and how religion is a major social force entangled with Asian politics, shaping Asian people’s minds;
- is able to apply theoretical concepts of religion - from Durkheim to Weber and Mauss- to their Asian case-studies.

Teacher

Rein Raud

Study programmes containing that course

Asian Studies (HILAM/22.HT)
Asian Studies (HILAM/21.HT)
Asian Studies (HILAM/20.HT)
Asian Studies (HILAM/19.HT)
Asian Studies (HILAM/18.HT)
Asian Studies (HILAM/17.HT)