Religions and Modern Society

Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Shinto: religion and / as cultural systems (Geertz, Luhmann). Processes of modernization, the concept of modern society and the diversity of modernity (Eisenstadt). Max Weber and his topic / thesis: the influence of Protestant Christianity in the formation of the capitalist West (modern) society; Weber's comparative analysis of the relationship between different religions and economies and in different societies and cultures. Other features of modern Western society in relation to various religions and religious traditions: functional differentiation and secularization, institutionalized individualism and human rights (in particular the issue of religious freedom), the question of parliamentary democracy, women's equality, nationalism and religious traditions. Comparative insight into the (holy) texts and specific social and cultural contexts (Europe, USA, South America, the company's dominance in the Islamic tradition, Japan ...).

Izbrana poglavja iz:
• Weber, Max: Protestantska etika in duh kapitalizma. Ljubljana, SH 1988. COBISS.SI-ID – 6785024
• Herbert, David: Religion and Civil Society. Rethinking Public Religion in the Contemporary World.. Ashgat Religon, Culture and Scciety Series 2003. COBISS.SI-ID – 12844089
• Kerševan, Marko: Svoboda za cerkev svoboda od cerkve: Cerkev in sodobna družba: Ljubljana, Sophia 2005. COBISS.SI-ID – 218664448
• Fitzgerald, Thimoty: The Ideology of Religious Studies. Oxford University Press, 2004. COBISS.SI-ID – 30697826
• Rudolph, Susanne, Piscatory, James: Transnational Religion and Fading States.Oxford, Westview Press 1997. COBISS.SI-ID – 19811426

Students will get instructions for the use of literature and additional/alternative literature for students at the seminars. Course literature and literature for seminars and tutorials will be regularly updated with new texts relevant to the course content. It will be published at the beginning of the semester.