54
History of Religions
UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI NAPOLI "L'ORIENTALE"
Overview
Date/time interval
Syllabus
Course Objectives
EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES
The course will be divided into two parts. In the first part, students will be introduced to the comparative study of religion from a historical and anthropological perspective. Key issues will be addressed, including problems of definition (the concept of religion; analytical categories in the study of religion), classification (the possibility of distinguishing religion from other spheres of culture; typologies of religion), and comparison (methods and criteria of historical comparison), with examples drawn from the history of the discipline. The second part will be entirely dedicated to the analysis of literary sources, with a focus on the role of the production and transmission of “sacred” narratives in the development of major ethical-religious systems. Students will be encouraged to reflect on the biocultural foundations of religious imagination, and on how this can be understood not only as a tool for cognitive adaptation, but also as a mode of anthropological participation in the complexity of the real.
ABILITY TO APPLY KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING
• Over the course, students will acquire familiarity with the technical vocabulary, methodology, and theoretical foundations of the comparative study of religion, from a historical and anthropological perspective. By the end of the course, they will be able to apply this knowledge to the interpretation of complex texts and issues across cultures, in line with the general objectives of their study programme.
FURTHER LEARNING OUTCOMES
Independent judgement:
• Ability to engage critically with complex texts and issues, while remaining aware of the partial nature of one’s own perspective and of the specific competencies required for their interpretation.
• Ability to distinguish the interpretive techniques and criteria that are specific to the history of religions (which, as such, are not based on confessional commitments) from the assumptions and goals that may be found in the religious traditions under analysis.
Communication skills:
• Mastery of the technical vocabulary of the history of religions, and ability to construct arguments based on the conceptual tools and problematics of the discipline.
• Understanding of issues related to cultural distance, even in relation to texts and concepts that may appear familiar, and ability to apply the acquired skills in contexts of intercultural communication and comparison.
Learning skills
• Ability to address methodological and theoretical issues in the study of religion, within a scholarly tradition that operates at the crossroads of multiple disciplines (archaeology, philology, anthropology, social sciences, etc.) and is characterised by a broad diversity of approaches and critical perspectives.
Course Prerequisites
Some of the materials analysed in class (including supplementary readings and audio/video recordings) may be in English. A basic knowledge of the language will be helpful, but is not strictly required.
PRIOR COURSE REQUIREMENTS
There are no formal prerequisites for this course. An adequate command of the Italian language and the general critical skills acquired during secondary education will be sufficient.
Teaching Methods
The primary method of instruction will be traditional lectures. However, active class discussion will be strongly encouraged, especially during the second part of the course. To foster debate and engagement, students may be assigned short individual or group tasks. Supplementary materials such as selected readings, video clips (e.g. film excerpts, ethnographic footage, or interviews with scholars) will also be used. Throughout the course, the instructor will provide study materials and bibliographic suggestions for further exploration. Attendance is highly recommended; students will be considered as attending if they participate in at least 75% of in-class activities. Those unable to attend regularly are encouraged to contact the instructor in order to arrange an alternative exam programme. Upon request, non-attending students will be granted access to the final set of course handouts.
Assessment Methods
The exam will be oral and conducted in Italian (or in English upon request). The first part of the interview will assess the student’s general understanding of the main topics and key concepts discussed in the course, based on the textbook and required critical readings. The second part of the interview will focus on the analysis of a specific historical-religious context. The student will be expected to (a) identify the main interpretive issues raised by the chosen context from a historical-religious perspective; (b) reflect on the specific competencies required for a critical interpretation of the context; (c) consider the exemplary relevance of the context for the overall themes addressed in the course.
Final grades will be assigned on a 30-point scale: 28–30 with distinction (solid and comprehensive understanding of course topics; strong capacity for critical analysis; effective use of technical vocabulary in the study of religion); 24–27 (schematic understanding of course topics; limited critical analysis; imprecise use of disciplinary terminology); 18–23 (partial or superficial understanding of course topics; weak analytical skills; lack of appropriate technical vocabulary).
Texts
READING ASSIGNMENTS (Attending Students Only)
1) Course Handbook – Ricettario di Storia delle Religioni 2025/2026 (course reader and teaching materials compiled by the instructor; available as a single PDF at the end of the course).
2) Critical Reading – J.Z. Smith, Una questione di classe. Saggi di introduzione alla storia delle religioni, a cura di L. Walt (Brescia: Morcelliana, 2024): chapters 4–5, 7–8, 11, and 15.
3) Anthology of Texts – P.C. Bori and S. Marchignoli, Per un percorso etico tra culture. Testi antichi di tradizione scritta (Rome: Carocci, 2015): in-depth study of one selected section, according to the guidelines provided during the course.
NOTE: Students will be considered attending if they have participated in at least 75% of the classroom activities.
STANDARD READING PROGRAMME FOR NON-ATTENDING STUDENTS
1) Introductory Materials – Articles available on the instructor’s UNFIND page > “Risorse Utili” > Non-Attending Students Materials: (1) W. Burkert, “Cultura in un paesaggio: situare la religione”; (2) N. Spineto, “Storia delle religioni”.
2) Critical Reading – J.Z. Smith, Una questione di classe. Saggi di introduzione alla storia delle religioni, edited by L. Walt (Brescia: Morcelliana, 2024): chapters 4–5, 7–8, 11, and 15 (for a contextual overview of the chapters, students are encouraged to read the introduction by L. Walt, esp. pp. 11–32 and 77–94).
3) Supplementary Reading (mandatory only for students with 9 credits) – One of the following texts:
• P.C. Bori, Per un consenso etico tra culture e Lettera sui monoteismi (rev. ed., Bologna: Marietti, 2023).
• W. Doniger, I miti degli altri. La caverna degli echi (Italian transl., Milan: Adelphi, 2003): introduction and first three chapters (pp. 15–131).
• M. Sahlins (with F.B. Henry Jr.), La nuova scienza dell’universo incantato. Un’antropologia dell’umanità (quasi tutta) (Italian transl., Milan: Raffaello Cortina, 2023).
NOTE: Non-attending students are invited to check the instructor’s personal webpage (sections “Avvisi” and “Risorse utili”) for possible updates to the reading list. An alternative reading list (also in English or French) can be arranged via email, depending on students’ specific interests or learning needs.
Contents
COURSE TITLE
Playful Acts of Imagination: Reimagining Religion
KEY TOPICS
Part I – Introduction to the History of Religions
1) What is the History of Religions?
2) Religion: The Word and the Thing
3) (Re)Imagining Religion
4) Classifying Religions
5) Comparing Religions
6) On the Origin of Stories: An Exercise in Interpretation
Part II – Playful Acts of Imagination
1) How to Read a Religious Text
2) Reimagining Myth
3) Reimagining Ritual
4) Reimagining Canon
5) Reimagining the Community
6) Thinking through Stories: An Exercise in Comparison
Course Language
Italian
More information
Every effort has been made, where possible, to avoid the use of gender-exclusive language in the course description. “To rectify names” is a Confucian principle—but the instructor remains cautiously skeptical about the existence of a perfect language (or the possibility of inventing one).