Religion from a Social-scientific Perspective
Department: | Religious Studies |
Coordinator: | Dr. Paul Vermeer |
Accessible to: | B2 and B3 students of the humanities, the social sciences and management studies |
Prerequisites: | B1 in the humanities, the social sciences or management studies |
Period: | 3 and 4 |
ContentWhy are some people religious, while others are not? Why do people convert to (another) religion? Why is religion a very influential force in some societies, while its influence is declining in other societies? When and how does religion contribute to social cohesion or create divisiveness? Why do people often turn to religion when they are confronted with unbearable suffering, grave injustice or incomprehensible events? What is the relationship between religiosity and existential insecurity? Is religion an essential aspect of human life or can we do without it? Does religion offer you a good life and make you happy or a better person? If you are interested in questions like these, this could be the minor of your choice. The minor Religion from a Social-scientific Perspective offers a broad orientation on the meaning and functions of religion from anthropological, sociological and psychological perspectives. Religion is not considered from a theological or confessional perspective, but studied by means of empirical, social-scientific research methods.
Taken together, these three approaches offer us a broad social-scientific perspective on religion and thus help us to answer questions like the ones stated above. |
Period | Course | Course ID | Credits |
---|---|---|---|
3 | Sociology of Religion | FTR-RSBA110 | 5 |
4 | Anthropology of Religion | FTR-RSBA206 | 5 |
3 | Psychology of Religion | FTR-RSBA207 | 5 |