Sufismus und Shari´a -2025

Orientierungswissen Religionen 2025

Zum Kurs

Ausgehend von der im 19. Jahrhundert entstandenen „Annahme, dass es auf der Welt eine Vielzahl Religionen gibt, die sich untereinander als Mitglieder einer Klasse wahrnehmen“ (M. Stausberg), werden in diesem Kurs Einblicke in das weite Feld der Religionsgeschichte gegeben. Dazu orientieren wir uns an einem kulturwissenschaftlich breiten Arbeitsbegriff von Religion, der eine Vielzahl von Orientierungsmuster und Traditionen in den Blick bringt. 

Themenblöcke

  • Religionswissenschaftliche Zugänge im Überblick
  • Biographien in der globalen Religionsgeschichte des 20. Jahrhunderts
  • Erlösungsvorstellungen in der Religionsgeschichte der „Achsenzeit“
  • Religion als kulturelle Praxis und soziale Ordnung
  • Historische und soziale Zeit in den Religionen
  • Körper der Religionen

Arbeitsform und Prüfungsleistung

Der Kurs findet in Form von Präsenzsitzungen (08:30-10:00 Uhr s.t.) und Gruppenarbeiten statt (10-12 Uhr c.t.). Die Gruppenarbeiten bestehen aus Übungsaufgaben zur Recherche von Hintergrundinformationen und Erstellung schriftlicher Dossiers zu den Themenblöcken. Am Ende des Semesters wird eine Klausur geschrieben.

Grundbegriffe religiöser Semantik im 20. Jahrhundert: Sprachlicher Wandel, Begriffsgeschichte, Religionswissenschaft

Die Vorlesung gibt Einblicke in laufende Forschungsarbeiten für ein Lexikon zu Grundbegriffen historischer Semantik in Deutschland im 20. Jahrhundert. Neben der interdisziplinären Schnittstelle von Begriffsgeschichte und Religionswissenschaft werden methodische Herausforderungen, wissenschaftsgeschichtliche Kontexte und der sprachliche Wandel ausgewählter Grundbegriffe behandelt.

PhD Colloquium Yelle Summer 2025

Icons and Iconoclasm in Comparative Perspective

Both the worship of religious icons, and the rejection or destruction of icons ('iconoclasm' means literally the 'breaking of icons') is a phenomenon that has occurred in different traditions and historical periods, from the ancient world to the contemporary era. Beginning with the Hebrew biblical prohibition against idolatry, which is part of the Ten Commandments, the other Abrahamic traditions-- Christianity and Islam-- have inherited similar prohibitions. However, these traditions have interpreted and enacted these laws variously at various times. Christianity, for example, has the most relaxed interpretation, but has witnessed periods of strict iconoclasm in 8th- and 9th-century Byzantium, and in Europe during the Protestant Reformation. Beyond the three monotheistic traditions, we can identify similar phenomena. As a cross-check, we will consider aspects of Buddhist conceptions of the status of the icon in doctrine and practice, and take a closer look at specific aniconic and iconoclastic aspects of the tradition. For example, there is a scholarly debate over the meaning of early Buddhist aniconism-- the representation of the Buddha through symbols of his absence, such as a footprint or empty throne. In more recent times, symbols of political and religious power have been attacked: representations of monarchy during the French Revolution, and Catholic institutions during the Spanish Civil War.

Apart from the question of what, if anything, relates all of these manifestations, the phenomenon of icons and iconoclasm holds enduring theoretical interest, having been addressed by such scholars as Jan Assmann, Moshe Halbertal, and William Pietz, among others. We will read primary and secondary sources and consider icons and iconoclasm in its historical, anthropological, philosophical, and religious dimensions.

Readings will be primarily in English. 

Living Together: Jews, Christians and Muslims, a Way of Peaceful Interaction (Convivencia)

For centuries before the Reconquista, and again today, Spain has had a particularly rich historical experience of religious pluralism and interaction among the three Abrahamic or monotheistic traditions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. This experience offers resources for reflecting on the challenges and promises of religious pluralism in contemporary European cultures. We will consider these themes against the picturesque background of the walled city of Toledo, which was one of the early sites of the Reconquista.

The seminar will be led by faculty from the LMU Munich, from the Escuela de Traductores of Toledo, and from the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC) in Madrid. We expect to be able to reimburse all expenses of travel and accommodation. Students will be required to prepare an oral report to be delivered during the seminar, followed by a written version submitted later in the semester, if necessary for course credit.

If you are interested in participating, please send the following information to robertyelle@hotmail.com as soon as possible, but not later than February 7: name, course of study, registration status, and potential theme for an oral report. The report can be about any one or more of the three religious communities, their history in the area, interactions, and philosophical and religious ideas, especially regarding toleration. The course will be taught in English and the report may be given in German or English.

The site for such a discussion is especially appropriate: Toledo, a walled, medieval city in the heart of Spain, approximately one hour from Madrid. The capture of Toledo by Alfonso VI in 1085 marked a key point in the early Reconquista, which ended with the conquest of the last Muslim stronghold, Granada, in 1492. Toledo, a UNESCO World Heritage site, retains many architectural traces of its earlier Muslim and Jewish inhabitants, including some well-preserved medieval synagogues, as well as many splendid buildings constructed by Christians, including the Cathedral, which was built between the 13th and 16th centuries. The entire old city of Toledo is a sort of open-air museum that is compact enough to be explored on foot. The academic program will include visits to a number of the major sites in Toledo, and will allow the opportunity to explore the city on your own. A visit to Madrid may be added to the beginning or end of the excursion course at your own initiative and expense.

Religion in India: A Survey of Classical, Colonial, and Contemporary Traditions

This course surveys the religious traditions and civilization of the Indian subcontinent from earliest times to the present. Special attention will be given to the origins of Hinduism and Buddhism; to the colonial encounter between Europeans, especially British Protestants, and Hindus; and to certain contemporary debates over secularism, the treatment of religious minorities, and the relation between religion and the Indian state. The emphasis will be on cultural history, including an examination of religious, legal, and other social institutions. Throughout, we will pay particular attention to the questions of how we know the past, and of the ideological uses of history in the present. Some of the topics to be covered include the main ideas and practices of Hinduism and Indian Buddhism; the hypothesis of an Aryan invasion of India; the caste system; the rise of religious movements of renunciation; the ruptures supposedly introduced into Indian history by the Muslim invasions at the beginning of the second millennium and, later, by European colonialism; and the political context and consequences of scholarly representations of India by Europeans.

Lectures will be conducted in English. Coursework may be submitted in German or English.

Theorie und Methodik der Religionswissenschaft B

In diesem Grundkurs werden Grundthemen und zentrale Theorien der Religionswissenschaft anhand ausgewählter Texte von Klassikern und Klassikerinnen vorgestellt und diskutiert. Damit werden wesentliche Linien der religionswissenschaftlichen Forschungsgeschichte rekonstruiert. Diese Einführungsveranstaltung dient als gute Basis für die Orientierung auf religionswissenschaftliche Ansätze, was besonders wichtig für Studienanfänger ist.

Lektüre auf Deutsch und Englisch.