Intercultural Paths through Religions

Introduction

This Module is meant to offer comparative and intercultural didactic paths among the different Digital Modules.

Teachers can choose between two modalities, which correspond to section n°1 and section n° 2.

In section n° 1 of this Module the starting points are provided by the 4 theoretical modules on the study of Religions: Introduction to the Study of Religions, Comparative Religions, Philosophy of Religion and Sociology of Religion.

For each of these modules, their sections explaining theoretical formulations (for example, Myth, The Ritual Process, or Religious Themes in Political Philosophy) are accompanied by actual examples from the various religious traditions, with links to the correspondents sections of the various Digital Modules.

Using this modality, teachers can start explaining what are the basic and general theories, concepts and problems found in the study of religions, and deepen their critical understanding by applying them to actual different examples from the various religious traditions, thus enabling a comparative and intercultural approach.

In section n° 2 of this Module the starting points are provided by a series of common themes that helps gain a comparative and intercultural understanding of religions.

These themes are the following: Founder & origins; Deities & holy beings; Main doctrinal tenets; Sacred texts and other main texts; Authority and Religious organization; Main rites and Practices; Religion & society; Religion, culture & arts;, Religions & Modernity, Encounters between religions.

Under each theme links to relevant sections from each of the other Digital Modules are provided, divided by each Religious Tradition.

A final word of advice

Teachers and students are highly encourage not to take the above mentioned classification as intrinsic to the multidimensional phenomenon of religions: these classifications are just theories and concepts that should act as a tools to understand better religions, not to define and determinate them in a narrow, enclosed way.