HISTORY OF CLASSIC RELIGIONS

This course is linked to other domains in the field of Sciences of Antiquity and to Anthropological Studies: the course is one of the core educational activities characterizing the Master’s Degree Programme in Ancient Civilizations: Literatures, History and
Archaeology.
The interdisciplinary Approach leads one to obtain methodologies of research and didactic skills and tools in order to study cultures and traditions related to other areas, too.
The course aims to give students methodological and cultural requirements for professional, cultural and didactic activities within : communication domain, scientific spread, analysis of historical and social processes.
For further information please : scrippa@unive.it

Starting from the observation that the divination is" the primary institutional means of articulating the epistemology of a people", attending the course and practicing individual study allow students to acquire specific knowledge: critical instruments for a historical-comparative ( religious and anthropological) analysis and the competencies to approach a subject which is controversial but crucial in most cultures both for the fundamental role closely interconnected with different areas of society ( politics, war, knowledge,relation with the nature etc.) and for the various analysis instruments involved( History, anthropology, archeology, linguistics,epigraphy, etc)
The students will acquire cognitive abilities in order to sketch a scientific research; these abilities will be used in possibile various working contexts.

General cultural and historical competencies.
Students who never attended a course of History of Religions are advised to preliminarily read some introductory texts ( see Bibliography).

DIVINATION

In the ancient Mediterranean area, divinatory practices display several
procedures which sometimes are opposed (oral-written;
inductive-deductive prophecy, cosmogonical theories, use of materials and
objects, trance and ecstasy, etc). This course aims, from a
comparative-historical perspective, to
highlight the articulation of writing and orality in
various procedures of ancient civilizations ( with examples concerning Ancient China too). Furthermore, particular attention will be given to use of 'glossolalia'(example: the Sibyls)
The specific purpose of the course 2018-2019 will be to analyse the
connections and interactions
between the divination procedures and other forms of knowledge and notably the role of gender identity according to various typologies of divination.

A. Brelich Introduzione alla storia delle religioni ed ateneo 2005, pp. 1-70
Massenzio, M. Sacro e identità etnica. Franco Angeli Milano 1994 ( I cap.)
J.P. Vernant Divinazione e razionalità Einaudi Torino 2002( introduction)
Crippa ( a cura ) Corpi e saperi Pendragon 2019 : only 1 article
Cicerone De divinatione a cura di Timpanaro Garzanti 1988( solo introduzione parti a scelte su pratiche divinatorie)
Manetti G. Le teorie del segno nell'antichità classica, Bompiani 1987 ( capitolo a scelta)
AAA. La Sybille. Parole et représentation, PUde Rennes 2004( un capitolo a scelta)
G.Lloyd La curiosita nei mondi antichi - Grecia e Cina, Donzelli 2002 ( un capitolo a scelta).
From Atlante delle religioni UTET 1998; 1 chapther of Section Scritture e tradizioni, pp, 262-325.




-in any case, everyone must write a thesis of max 15 pages, notes and bibliography included, relating to the topic of the course. it is also possible to agree on an alternative personal program.

Upon request of the students, it is possible to:

1) integrate the bibliography with some texts of in-depth analysis of the student's ongoing research, also in view of the master's degree

2) agree with the teacher a specific individual program consistent with the research carried out by the student and with the specific area of ​​study of the student himself/herself.

The choosen Method to evaluate the student's Knowledge consists in a short written text ( tesina) on the topics of the course; the text will be discussed during the examination, with result recording.Through this examination it will be possible to verify competencies, cognitive abilities and knowledge acquired by students.

written and oral

28-30L: mastery of the topics covered in class and in the manuals; ability to prioritize information; use of appropriate technical terminology;
26-27: good knowledge of the topics covered in class and, to a lesser extent, in the manuals; fair ability to organize information and present it orally; familiarity with technical terminology;
24-25: not always in-depth knowledge of the topics covered in class and in the manuals; orderly oral presentation but with not always correct use of technical terminology;
22-23: often superficial knowledge of the topics covered in class and in the manuals; unclear oral presentation and lacking in technical terminology;
18-21: knowledge of the topics covered in class and in the manuals is at times incomplete; confused oral presentation, with little use of technical terminology.

Lecture and seminars.
Moreover, further activities of course are the seminar POIKILIA and the visite to Grottanelli's library at BAUM.

For further information: scrippa@unive.it

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Human capital, health, education" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development