Cultural Heritage of the Religious Minorities II

Dozent/in:

Eszter Spät

Angaben:

Seminar, 2 SWS, ECTS: 5, Gaststudierendenverzeichnis, Studium Generale, Gender und Diversität, Zentrum für Interreligiöse Studien

Termine:

Do, 10:15 - 11:45, SP17/00.13

Voraussetzungen / Organisatorisches:

The class is a continuation of the Winter Semester

Inhalt:

This class introduces students to the cultural-religious heritage of the Middle East and acquaint them with the different factors which impact, transform or threaten various facets of this heritage. Its primary focus will be the religious minorities of the region, different Christian denominations, Mandaeans and Zoroastrians, as well as groups whose exact position vis-à-vis Islam is a matter of debate both by their adherents and/or outsiders. These religious minorities and their traditions are today threatened by the spread of radical Islamist movements and the resulting out-migration. Their religious and cultural heritage is also being increasingly affected by the socio-cultural changes which have transformed Middle Eastern society in the past few decades: modernization, urbanization, the impact of nationalist ideologies, the emergence of transnational diasporas, and in the case of previously oral religious traditions, the process of scripturalization. The course will look at how local actors are trying to modernize, “purify” and preserve their religious heritage, or how, in some cases, they attempt to re-create previously lost or discarded religious traditions and knowledge, all with the aim of securing their survival under the new social and political circumstances. The question of how religious heritage is being utilized by political players for the creation of ethnic and national identities, and how this political utilization in its turn impacts religious-cultural tradition and its perception, will also be addressed.

Embodied Practices of Faith

Dozent/in:

Eszter Spät

Angaben:

Seminar, 2 SWS, ECTS: 5, Gaststudierendenverzeichnis, Zentrum für Interreligiöse Studien

Termine:

Di, 18:15 - 19:45, SP17/01.18

Inhalt:

The course will study the complex relationship between ritual and performance. While all rituals are, by definition, performed, rituals may under certain circumstance lose their religious significance and turn into artistic performance with a political or cultural, rather than a religious significance. This can be a spontaneous internal transformation or may be driven by external agents for various reasons. The class will focus on ritual and performance in the MENA region, from Ashura rituals to Sufi dhikr to Zaar and Gnawa.

From Aramaic Magic Bowls to Magical Scripts

Dozent/in:

Eszter Spät

Angaben:

Seminar, 2 SWS, ECTS: 5, Gaststudierendenverzeichnis, Studium Generale, Zentrum für Interreligiöse Studien, Erweiterungsbereich

Termine:

Mi, 18:15 - 19:45, SP17/00.13

Inhalt:

Beseeching or trying to manipulate the supernatural in order to heal mental and physical sickness, avert calamities, ensure success, gain love, solve difficulties or learn about the hidden cause of various troubles has always been a traditional part of Middle Eastern culture and social life. Various divinatory and healing practices have a long history, sometimes going back to though their interpretation has constantly changed over history. Sometimes perceived as an intergral part of religion and ritual life, sometimes condemned as magic and/or blasphemy. This course studies the various practices and associated believes by the different religious communities of the Middle East. After giving a concise historical review, we will study contemporary approaches for spiritual healing and divination and analyze how these are viewed and utilized in different cultural, regional and political contexts as well as how they reflect the complex social interaction between different (and seemingly mutually exclusive) religious traditions.

From Oral to Bookish: the Scripturalization of Yezidi Oral Tradition and Its Implications II

Dozent/in:

Eszter Spät

Angaben:

Seminar, 2 SWS, Gaststudierendenverzeichnis, Zentrum für Interreligiöse Studien

Termine:

Mo, 18:00 - 20:00, SP17/01.05

Voraussetzungen / Organisatorisches:

The class is a continuation of the Winter Semester

Inhalt:

Until recently, the religious tradition of Yezidis, an ethno-religious minority, was based exclusively on oral tradition. The lack of written scriptures not only determined the nature of Yezidi religion, but also led to the social marginalization of the Yezidis in an environment where historically only “people of the Book” enjoyed legal acknowledgement. The course studies the introduction of school education in the recent decades and the impact of newly acquired general literacy on Yezidi religious institutions and oral tradition: the process of scripturalization, the creation of written body of texts and a “theology”, canonization and uniformization of texts and traditions, and concomitant transformation of traditional social institutions and traditional power hierarchy. We will also look at the various strategies Yezidis have used to “create” books, from “imagined” scriptures to various understandings of heavenly revelation.

Study Trip to Hildesheim (18.-19. April 2023)

Dozent/in:

Eszter Spät

Angaben:

Exkursion

Termine:

Zeit/Ort n.V.

Inhalt:

We will observe the New Year ritual and meet some members of the community, including the qewwals (reciters of sacred texts).