Social Sciences & Religion

Workshop for Pakistani Madrasa students

From 05 – 15 February, 2017 the Chair of Muslim Cultural & Religious History, University of Erfurt will host the second workshop for the madrasa students from Pakistan, on the topic of Social Sciences and Religion. Students from Erfurt University will also participate in this event which is expected to discuss the field of sociology of religion. This workshop wishes to jointly discuss the society at large and aims at finding a mutual understanding as to how societal dynamics inform religious behavior and vice versa, which role rituals and liturgies, organization and dissemination and also trade can play.

This workshop may also involve field work (for instance visit to the worship places) using empirical methods such as interviews, participatory observation and focus group, followed by comparative analysis.

Information about Erfurt University students.

Course Outline:

The course on Social Sciences & Religion will discuss the entanglement of society at large and the religious field. Different theoretical and empirical discourses will be discussed with the view to understand how and why societal dynamics informs religious behavior and vice versa, which role rituals and liturgies, organization and dissemination and also trade can play. This course may also involve field work (for instance visit to the worship places) using empirical methods such as interviews, participatory observation and focus group, followed by comparative analysis.

This course will be offered as a block seminar/winter school for ten consecutive days and includes, lectures from multiple instructors from all over Germany, interactive workshops, excursions to Berlin and Weimar. Students of religious seminaries from Pakistan will take part in this course along with the students of University of Erfurt.

 

Important Dates:

  • 01.11.16: Introduction to the course / participants (1400-1600 hrs) (Meeting Room: Gruppenarbeitsraum 6 / Library)
  • 06.12.16: Orientation Seminar / Distribution of Topics (1400-1600 hrs)  (Meeting Room: Gruppenarbeitsraum 6 / Library)
  • 17.01.17: Orientation Day (1400-1600 hrs).  (Meeting Room: Gruppenarbeitsraum 6 / Library)
  • 05.-15.02.17: Winter School: “Social Sciences and Religion”

 

Language:

This course will be offered in English language.

 

Updates:

Students are requested to regularly check the course website:
bit.ly/2dvxoMI

 

Literature:

  1. Michael Stausberg et al. (eds.)(2011): The Routledge Handbook of Research Methods in the Study of Religion
  2. Asad, Talal. 1993. “The Construction of Religion as an Anthropological Category.” In Genealogies of Religion
  3. Orientalism and the study of religion in Hinnels(ed.) The Routledge Companion to the study of Religion page 125-143 BE 1600 H663,