Communism and Religion: Party and the Church - OBZO14

• Title: Communism and Religion: Party and the Church
• Guaranteed by: Děkanát (41-DEKAN)
• Faculty: Faculty of Education
• Actual: from 2011
• Semester: both
• E-Credits: 4
• Hours per week, examination: 1/1, Ex [HT]
• Capacity: winter:unknown / unknown (unknown); summer:unknown / unknown (unknown)
• Min. number of students: unlimited
• 4EU+: no
• Virtual mobility / capacity: no
• State of the course: not taught
• Language: English
• Teaching methods: full-time
• Teaching methods: full-time
• Note: course can be enrolled in outside the study plan; priority enrollment if the course is part of the study plan; you can enroll for the course in winter and in summer semester
• Guarantor: doc. RNDr. Miroslava Černochová, CSc.
• Class: Volitelné předměty pro PS

Annotation

Last update: CERNOCHO/PEDF.CUNI.CZ (11.02.2011)

The course is designed for students with different academic background who show their interest in the history of Central and Eastern Europe in the 20th century and in particular on the experiences of the relationship between the communist governments with various religious denominations in the region. The course will cover the analysis of the communist regimes’ attitudes toward religion and various religious denominations in different countries of the region and at different moments of time. The course is based on active participation. The teachers will help students choose and work on their final papers paying respect to their major and minor studies. Chronologically the course took the WWII as the division line for its parts. The first part the course has its focus on the introduction to the region and its nationalities and religious denominations, main characteristics of these denominations in the regional contexts, main characteristics of the theoretical Communism, emergence of the communist regime in the territory of the former Russian Empire, its main features and characteristics as well as on its interaction experience with religion during the early communism in the USSR. The second part of the course will be focused on the different experiences with the religion that the communist regimes established in the post-war Central and Eastern Europe faced. It will also include the analysis of the post-totalitarian development in the religious life of various denominations in the CEE region. By the end of the course students will be able to outline and analyse major characteristics, nature and development of the communism at the various stages of its existence and in various countries, as well as different attitudes of the communist regimes toward religion. Students will also be able to outline main characteristics of the development of the religious denominations of the CEE states after the fall of communism. According to their academic interests students will be able to research on certain aspects of the interaction between state and church under communism and to present the results of their studies to other students. The reading materials provided for each lecture will be followed by class discussions so that students will be develop their analytic and debate skills while working with academic literature and providing argumentation for their position. Furthermore, students will learn the importance of working with original historical documents as primary research sources.

Literature

Last update: CERNOCHO/PEDF.CUNI.CZ (11.02.2011)

Hannah Arendt, Ernest Gellner, F.A. Hayek:

(selected pages of these and other of totalitarianism will be prepared by the lecturer)

Recommended authors:

• Anderson, John. Religion, state and politics in the Soviet Union and successor states, Cambridge University Press, 1994.

• Borejsza, Jerzy W. - Ziemer, Klaus (ed.): Totalitarian and Authoritarian Regimes in Europe. N.Y. 2006.

• Burleigh, Michael. Sacred Causes: The Clash of Religion and Politics: From the Great War to the War on Terror, Harper Collins, 2007.

Selected articles:

Bohdan R. Bociurkiw, Church and State in the Soviet Union, in: International Journal, Vol. 14, No. 3 (Summer, 1959), pp. 182-189.

Bohdan R. Bociurkiw, De-Stalinization and Religion in the U.S.S.R, in: International Journal, Vol. 20, No. 3 (Summer, 1965), pp. 312-330

Mahmood Monshipouri and John W. Arnold The Christians in Socialism-and after: The Church in East Germany, in: Journal of Church and State (1996) 38 (4): 751-773.

Note: required reading to each class will be prepared two weeks before the start of the course.

Requirements to the exam

Last update: CERNOCHO/PEDF.CUNI.CZ (11.02.2011)

Course evaluation

Class attendance, preparation and participation 15%

Midterm test 20%

Final test 35%

Final paper 30%

The two tests (midterm and final) will be written in the class.

The midterm test will take place in the middle of the programme and examine the basic knowledge students should obtain during the first part of the course. The text will take approximately 45 min and cover readings, class presentations and discussions.

The final test will deal with the issues discussed during the entire programme. Test will cover readings, class presentations and discussions. It will be taken during the last class.

The final paper (10-12 pages, up to 20,000 characters) will be handed over for the evaluation in the last week of the program. Students are free to choose any topic that is relevant but it has to be approved by the teachers. Students have to make their choice by the start of the 4th class and inform teachers per email, otherwise the topics will be assigned by the teachers. Papers are to be delivered to the teachers by the beginning of the 11th session, any delay will affect the final grade. Papers will be presented by their authors during the lectures from Week 7 to Week 11.

Note: in regard to the topics of final papers and schedule for their presentations the principle "first come - first served" applies.

Attendance policy and class protocol

Attendance is obligatory, non-excused absences will affect the final grade. Consistent class preparation and active participation in the discussions is a must. Students should actively participate in the class discussions by asking relevant questions, critically and analytically providing their arguments for their statements or works, sharing ideas and opinions.

Note: Medical absences are excused with the prompt receipt of proper documentation (make-up tests will be required). Students should be in class on time and return promptly to class after any given class break. No discussions irrelevant to the course will be tolerated during the lectures. Any plagiarism will not be tolerated.

Syllabus

Last update: CERNOCHO/PEDF.CUNI.CZ (11.02.2011)

Week 1

Introduction to the Central and Eastern Europe, its societies, nationalities and religions.

The lecture gives a general overview of the region’s nationalities, religions and societies both in contemporary and historical perspectives. Students will be able to learn about the various ethnicities, their relations with each other and role in the region as well as about different attitude towards religious denominations existing among the region’s ethnic groups.

Week 2

Introduction to religious denominations of Central and Eastern Europe.

The lecture will cover the main characteristics of the religious denominations existing in Central and Eastern Europe (Christianity in its various interpretations, Judaism and Islam). Regional specifics of the profession of the religion among the region’s population will be shown. Additional emphasis will be made on the role of religious denominations for the historical nation-building and contemporary national identity in the region.

Week 3

Introduction to Communism and its history in Central and Eastern Europe.

The lecture will cover the main aspects of emergence, evolution and development of Communism. Students will learn about the emergence and evolution of Communism as a state ideology in the CEE countries and national peculiarities of these processes. Special emphasis will be made on the attitude of theoretical and practical Communism toward religion. Additionally, the role of Communist regimes in contemporary national identities of the region will be examined.

Week 4

Religion in the USSR in 1920-30s.

The lecture will be focused on the anti-religious policies of the early Communist regime in the USSR. Different religious denominations will be overviewed while special emphasis will be made to the situation of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Week 5

Stalin, war and church.

The lecture will present the overview of the state-church relationship in the Soviet Union at the eve and during the World War II. Students will learn the changes in the Soviet policies toward religion as an attempt to apply to people’s patriotism and the church as one of its indicators.

Week 6

Midterm test.

This is a seminar class when students will be offered practical tasks based on the overview of the previously presented material. The final part of the class will be devoted to the mid-term test.

Week 7

Religion in the post-war USSR.

This lecture will be devoted to the situation of various religious denominations in the post-war USSR. Differences in the state-religion attitudes under various post-war Soviet leaders will be examined. While different religious denominations will be overviewed, special emphasis will be made to the situation of the Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches. The final part of the lecture will be devoted to students’ presentations.

Week 8

Religion in the post-war communist Poland.

This lecture will be focused on the situation of the religion in the post-war Poland. Special emphasis will be made on the role of the Roman Catholic Church for the Polish national identity under the communism as well as on the Church’s role in the anti-communist movement in Poland. While the Roman Catholic Church will be the main focus, the religious situation of national minorities in Poland under Communism will also be considered. The final part of the lecture will be devoted to students’ presentations.

Week 9

Religion in the post-war communist Czechoslovakia and the German Democratic Republic.

This lecture will give an overview of the post-war religious policies in the communist Czechoslovakia and the German Democratic Republic. The examination of the state policies toward religion will be made with the emphasis of the regional specifics and subsequent role of the religion for the identity of certain ethnic groups (Slovaks, Hungarians and Ruthenians in Czechoslovakia, and Sorbs in the GDR). The final part of the lecture will be devoted to students’ presentations.

Week 10

Religion in the post-war communist Yugoslavia.

This lecture will be devoted to the state-religion relations in the multiethnic and multi-confessional Yugoslavia. Special emphasis will be made to the analysis of the role of religion for the nationalist anti-communist independence movements among the various ethnic groups of the country. The final part of the lecture will be devoted to students’ presentations.

Week 11

Church and International Relations in the Cold War era.

This lecture will be devoted to the role and place of religion in the international relations during the Cold War period. The influence of the international factor to the status of religious denominations in various communist countries will be examined. Church(es) will be presented both as players and objects in/of these policies. Special emphasis will be made to the role of the Holy See under the Polish-born Pope John Paul II. The final part of the lecture will be devoted to students’ presentations.

Week 12

Final debate and final exam.

The lecture will start with a short debate on the course results and will be followed by the final test.

Registration requirements

Last update: CERNOCHO/PEDF.CUNI.CZ (11.02.2011)

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