Basics
We clarify the specific academic perspective of the Study of Religions and how this differs from the perspectives of other religion-related disciplines such as the various theologies. We learn about the history of the discipline including the complex relations between the histories of religion and science and political contexts such as colonialism. We study classical and contemporary theories of religion as well as current research approaches such as the aesthetics of religion.
Religion in past and present
After an introductory class providing an overview of the global history of religion, students can choose from different classes on specific contemporary and historical religious traditions from Germany, Europe and worldwide. This includes non-institutional forms of religion and aspects of contemporary religiosity such as spirituality and atheism or personal and fluid religiosity. In the context of detailed and in-depth studies of specific religions, we address research perspectives such as religious dynamics, transculturation, globalization, secularization and re-sacralization, political religion or migration and diaspora.
Methods and languages
Students are introduced to key academic methods of researching religions, such as various forms of text analysis, discourse analysis, media analysis, interview techniques, or participant observation. As a next step, students choose from a range of languages and methods suitable for studying primary sources of specific religious traditions.
Systematics
The systematic study of religions focuses on (theoretical) topics concerning more than one religion. In addition to aspects that can be studied on a comparative basis (e.g., martyrdom, pilgrimage, concepts of time and history, or post-mortality concepts in various religions), we address aspects of religion in the context of politics and society; art, culture, and media; materiality, body, and ritual; and cosmovision, nature, and world interpretation.
Practice
Linking the academic study of religions to future employment, several classes teach aspects and skills relevant to professional practice. Students learn basics of project management and discuss issues of research ethics. Another practice-oriented class applies academic perspectives to issues relevant to contemporary society. This may include projects such as mapping the local religious landscape, producing guided tours of religious sites, organizing panel discussions, and writing articles or journalistic essays.