The course addresses the role of religion in the constitution of Western Civilization in general and the specific contribution of the monotheistic traditions to this process in particular.
Many of the basic “secular” values have originated in the religious setting, therefore, the religious experience should be paid due attention so that such social phenomena as minority issues, racism, or nationalism can be understood.

A general introduction into the study of religion, students will be explained elements of the three major monotheistic systems Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, in both phenomenological (comparative) as well as historical perspectives. The general principles are then applied to concrete periods of European history, with special attention paid to interaction among the three religions/cultures in given historical and geographical contexts. Their respective contributions to the shaping of the European culture will be examined and their role in this multicultural process will be evaluated. The historical-phenomenological survey will be completed with an assessment of the contemporary situation.

The course consists of in-class lectures, readings of relevant texts and discussions of current issues. The course is concluded with a round-table conference on one of the chosen topics (to be determined by the instructor after discussion with students).
Course requirements: active class participation, readings, and three short quizzes (Judaism, Christianity, Islam); final essay (10-15 pages), the topic of which will be chosen by the student after consultation with the instructor.

The course meets twice a week for total of three hours, for 15 weeks.

Milan Lyčka

Dr. Milan Lyčka, Assistant Professor, Institute of Philosophy and Religious Studies at the Charles University Prague, is a specialist in religious studies. For many years, he has devoted his research to study of interaction between different cultural and religious sys­tems and their mutual influences and co-existence. He has recently served as a Deputy Head of Mission (Embassy of the Czech Republic, Tel-Aviv, Israel). He has authored nu­merous articles on Judaism and Christianity, translated several books on religious issues, and served on the editorial board of OIKOYMENH, a publishing house specialized in re­ligious studies and philosophy.