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Semester | spring semester 2018 |
Course frequency | Once only |
Lecturers | Reuven Firestone (reuven.firestone@unibas.ch) |
Content | Can war really be holy? Why do religions, whose goals are articulated as seeking peace, goodness, and happiness for believers and the world at large, engage in war? Are some religions inherently more war-like or militant than other religions? This course will study the history, theology and economics of wars deemed to have been waged for God, by God, and for godly purposes. We will consider the meaning of holy war, examine religious justifications for war and religious condemnations of war, and study a variety of theories as to when and why religions engage in violence. This is not a course on theology, per se, though we will treat some theological issues. As the course title explains, it is a course that seeks to understand how the three great monotheistic religious traditions have treated war and violence directed both toward non-believers and also toward “heretics,” meaning believers who disagree with the theology or politics of religious establishments. During certain periods a religion may appear warlike and hostile, while in other periods it may appear to avoid war at all cost. Thus the title for this course: “Holy War & History.” Surprisingly, perhaps, religions have rarely (or arguably never) engaged in war with non-believers for mostly theological reasons. The reasons for war are far more complex and need to be examined in terms of questions of religious origins, power relationships, prestige, social standing, economics, etc. One of the questions to be considered is exactly why the term “holy war” was used in history and continues to be used today. What exactly is a “holy war,” what is not, and how could war be considered holy? |
Admission requirements | Die Bedingungen für die Teilnahme an einem Seminar müssen erfüllt sein. |
Language of instruction | English |
Use of digital media | No specific media used |
Course auditors welcome |
Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
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No dates available. Please contact the lecturer.
Modules |
Modul Alternative Religionsgeschichte (Master's degree subject: Science of Religion) Modul Antike / monotheistische / aussereuropäische Religionen (Bachelor's degree subject: Study of Religion) Modul Erweiterung Religionswissenschaft MA (Master's degree subject: Science of Religion) Modul Geschichte, Literatur, Religion (Master's degree subject: Jewish Studies) Modul Judentum (Bachelor's degree subject: Study of Religion (Start of studies before 01.08.2013)) Modul Jüdische Studien 2 (JSTh 2) (Master's degree subject: Theology) Modul Jüdische Studien 2 (JSTh 2) (Master Theology) Modul Religionskomparatistik (Master's degree subject: Science of Religion) Modul Vertiefung Literatur und Religion (Bachelor's degree subject: Jewish Studies) |
Assessment format | continuous assessment |
Assessment details | Aktive Teilnahme, Referat, Essay oder Übungsaufgaben etc. Die Dozierenden geben die Art des Leistungsnachweises zu Beginn der Lehrveranstaltung bekannt. |
Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration; dereg.: not required |
Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
Scale | Pass / Fail |
Repeated registration | no repetition |
Responsible faculty | Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, studadmin-philhist@unibas.ch |
Offered by | Fachbereich Jüdische Studien |