Syllabus
The first class will be dedicated to a methodological introduction. As for the rest of the classes, since the theme changes every semester, the students will receive a reading schedule at the beginning of the course.
The schedule will also establish the main themes each class will cover. The semester will be closed by two or three fully analytical sessions.
Annotation
The class is conceived as an active workshop and its goal is to read and analyse works of contemporary popular fiction and its core motifs that relate both to traditional and alternative religions. Every semester of the course is based on different set of literary works written originally in English language, which will be read and analysed during the semester.
Over the years, we will thus have a chance to go, p.e., through Dan Brown’s Robert Langdon novels, J. R.
R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, Robert Holdstock’s novels, Frank Herbert’s Dune, C.
S. Lewis’ Narnia series, David Eddings’ Belgariad/Malloreon saga, etc.
The students will gain practical knowledge of important worldwide Pop-Cultural phenomena as well as the ability to see through the story and grasp both the core cultural motifs and their religious/spiritual context, both alternative and traditional.