Università Roma Tre

In our society religion and religious issues have an important space, which can be recognized in different forms of belief.
This class offers an introduction to the principle themes and theories which emerge in the history of the studies about religion/religions. We will try to tackle the difficult question "What is religion? What are religions?". In particular, we will discuss different theories about religion, its essence, its function in the society, up to the last approaches which underline the imbrication of religion with cultures, politics and societies.
Key words and topics (body, gender, violence, space) will be discussed in a comparative and historical approach.
The history of religious studies is taught through a multidisciplinary perspective, which allows students to focus on different approaches such as history, anthropology, sociology, cognitive sciences. The historical study of tools and approaches in religious studies are as follows:
Religious diversity in Italy
The beginning of Religious Studies and the History of religions: from the modern period to new paradigms
Chronological development of some histories of religions
A glance from, a glance on the East

1. Notes, readings, materials (see on line-one drive and moodle platform)

2. One of the following books:
N. Spineto, La festa, Laterza, Roma Bari, 2015 oppure
B. Salvarani, Dopo. Le religioni e l’al di là, Laterza, Roma Bari, 2020
C. Ghidini, P. Scarpi, La Scelta Vegetariana, Ponte alle Grazie, Firenze 2019.
or students can discuss a book with Professor Giorda

Nonno attending students will replace point 1 with G. Filoramo, Manuale di storia delle religioni, Laterza, Roma Bari, 2005.