This course discusses the postcolonial theories of religion, which generally speaking deconstruct the notion of "religion" and suggest that it is a modern scientific notion absent in premodern societies. Such scholars include Wilfred Cantwell Smith, Talal Asad, Brent Nongbri, and Jonathan Z. Smith, among others. In the recent scholarship, however, scholars of the study of religion who focus on Iranian material (or Iranists who study religion) have argued that a concept similar to the modern "Western" religion was already conceptualized in the Sasanian Iran.
This seminar invites the interested students to engage in a theory-oriented reflection on this central topic for the study of religion, based on historical material. In the first half of the course, we will discuss destructive theories of religion and reflect on their arguments. In the latter half, we will address the constructive response to these theories, examining Manichaean und Zoroastrian materials.
The course will be conducted in English and is intended for MA and advanced BA students. It is expected that students will prepare the reading material for each session and actively participate in the course in order to earn 3 credit points.
Modules: R4, R11, R12, S12
- Kursleiter/in: Kianoosh Rezania