HU Credits:
2
Degree/Cycle:
2nd degree (Master)
Responsible Department:
German Language & Literature
Semester:
1st Semester
Teaching Languages:
Hebrew
Campus:
Mt. Scopus
Course/Module Coordinator:
Amir Engel
Coordinator Office Hours:
Wed. 9-10
Teaching Staff:
Dr. Amir Engel
Course/Module description:
It is something of a truism to describe the turn of the twentieth century as a moment of radical change. New scientific discoveries in, for example, organic chemistry and quantum mechanics revolutionized the way the universe was understood and made unimaginable technologies possible. As a result, it seemed, established religions, which had shaped the social realm for centuries, experienced a sharp decline in influence as church attendance dropped dramatically. Scholars tended to believe that this moment meant that secularization was entering its decisive stage. But this was not to be. More recent studies have shown that the history of religion in the twentieth century is much more complicated. We know, for example, that even during this “late modern” period, religious institutions continued to exude power and influence society. We also know, no less importantly, that new religions, new spiritual teachings, and new cosmological theories gained tremendous popularity. The purpose of this seminar is to examine some of the most influential esoteric trends in the first part of the twentieth century and to reflect on their role in shaping the period’s history.
Course/Module aims:
See description above
Learning outcomes - On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
See description above
Attendance requirements(%):
100
Teaching arrangement and method of instruction:
Course/Module Content:
The reading material includes methodological considerations about how to approach esoteric thoughts, chapters in esoteric history, and primary sources:
Faivre, Antoine. 1998. “Questions of Terminology Proper to the Study of Esoteric Currents in Modern and Contemporary Europe.”
Hanegraaff, Wouter J. 2012. Esotericism and the Academy.
———. 2013. Western Esotericism: A Guide for the Perplexed.
Josephson-Storm, Jason A. 2017. The Myth of Disenchantment: Magic, Modernity, and the Birth of the Human Sciences
Stuckrad, Kocku von. 2005. “Western Esotericism: Towards an Integrative Model of Interpretation.”
Kurlander, Eric. 2017. Hitler’s Monsters: A Supernatural History of the Third Reich.
Treitel, Corinna. 2004. A Science for the Soul: Occultism and the Genesis of the German Modern
Rudolf Steiner, Esoteric Development.
-------- An Outline of Esoteric Science.
Buber, Martin. Drei Reden über das Judentum.
——— The Legend of the Baal-Shem.
Pinthus, Kurt Menschheitsdämmerung: Dawn of Humanity: A Document of Expressionism
Nietzsche, Friedrich. Untimely Meditations
Required Reading:
See list above
Additional Reading Material:
Course/Module evaluation:
End of year written/oral examination 0 %
Presentation 0 %
Participation in Tutorials 10 %
Project work 70 %
Assignments 20 %
Reports 0 %
Research project 0 %
Quizzes 0 %
Other 0 %
Additional information:
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