Religion: Maximalism and Minimalism

You can learn more of "Religion: Maximalism and Minimalism" project an official site: http://religion-hesp.usu.ru

Project Statement

The main aim of the project is twofold.

Firstly, to provide the participants with the knowledge, analytical and conceptual tools and competences necessary to analyze and theorize;

- Various formations and roles of religion(s), in majority and in minority;

- Insider and outsider notions, concepts, and definitions of religion;

- Academic and public debates on religion and on politics of religion in the contemporary world (such as religious toleration, religious pluralism in multicultural world as well as a role the main religions play in public sphere of contemporary democratic society).

Specific attention will be paid to contemporary discussions about the discursive importance and power of the notion of religion, to discussions about the 'right' location of religion in the society and in regard to politics, and to the possible benefits, in analytical as well as political reasoning, of operating with categories such as 'maximalist' and 'minimalist' ways of seeing and practicing religion.

Secondly, the aim is to develop competences and skills necessary for the application of acquired knowledge and analytical skills to teaching and to the development of study programs focusing on religion and debates on religion in the contemporary world. Consequently, a substantial part of the course will be devoted to the training of the participants in using contemporary theories of classroom teaching in order to enable them to integrate the acquired knowledge in under-graduate courses.

Implied in this, of course, is the aim to enable the participants to gain insight in as well as access to the current international academic discussions on the topic. The key resource persons are all international experts in their respective fields, and they are all equally skilled lecturers.