Syllabus
Semináře probíhají blokově (v celkovém rozsahu 18 výukových hodin). Výběr semináře zaznamenává student do ISP. Semináře jsou organizovány formou aktivní účasti doktorandů. Doktorandi přebírají zodpovědnost za dílčí téma, vedou a korigují četbu zadaného díla, jeho překlad, interpretaci a moderují diskuzi. Kromě badatelských cílů tak semináře plní rovněž funkci didaktickou, doktorandi se učí vést odborné semináře.
V případě omezení distanční výuky v souvislosti s pandemií probíhá výuka distanční formou za využití prostředí Moodle a programu MS Teams.
Zahrnuje dva základní rámce směřování, mezi nimiž volí doktorand po konzultaci se školitelem a zvolené směřování zaznamenává do ISP.
V rámci zvoleného směřování je pak konkrétní dílčí téma semináře upřesněno při zohlednění ISP studenta, resp. tématu jeho disertace, a aktuálního stavu bádání daného problémů (nová monografie, monotematické číslo relevantního periodika atp.). Anotace jednotlivých kurzů uvedené v akreditačním návrhu proto charakterizují pouze základní osnovu kurzů.
Annotation
The annotation of the seminar includes two basic course focus frameworks, from which the doctoral student chooses after consultation with his or her supervisor. Within the chosen focus, the specific topic of the seminar will be specified taking into account the ISP of the student, or the topic of his or her dissertation, and the current state of research of the given problems (new monograph, monothematic issue of the relevant periodical, etc.). Therefore, the annotation characterizes only the basic outline of partial areas of focus, and informs about the general framework from which one specific problem is chosen for a specific semester. The course is organized in the form of active participation by doctoral students. Doctoral students take responsibility for partial topics, supervise, and correct the reading of a given section of the work and its interpretation, and moderate the discussion. The unifying framework is an analysis of early
Christian literature in the literary and philosophical context of the time period.
A) In the course, students focus on the function of Jewish biblical quotations and allusions in the canonical gospels with special emphasis on the Gospels of Mark and John. The starting point of the course is a reflection on the literary context of early Judaism and the wider Greco-Roman world in order to explain the relationship between history and myth. Attention is paid to the current state of research and the use of various approaches (historical criticism, literary criticism, and the theory of social memory). The aim of this part of the course is to develop knowledge of hermeneutics and methodology. After examining selected representatives of current research, students will analyse the function of the Old Testament in Mark’s and John’s narrative. The course will end with selected case studies from each of the two Gospels. The course is taught in English.
Selection of topics:
- Versions of the Old Testament in the 1st century and early Jewish interpretive strategies.
- Historiography and mythography in antiquity
- Current approaches to the study of the Old Testament in the Gospels
- Mark’s application of the Old Testament
- John’s application of the Old Testament
B) In the course, students focus on two main points: 1) the various schools of philosophy that offered rational systems of orientation (“Orientierungssysteme”) and competed with Christianity in this regard, at least with regard to the intellectual elite in the Roman Empire; 2) the various strategies of the “Church Fathers” to address this challenge through the integration and/or rejection of philosophy as such, or of entire systems and/or elements of philosophy. The course is taught in English.
Selection of topics:
- “Dogmatic schools” offering ethical systems based on different philosophical worldviews: Middle Platonism; stoicism; epicureanism.
- Scepticism as an alternative to all “dogmatic” schools.
- Explicitly by rejecting and criticizing Christianity, such as Julian the Apostate, or
- Reaction to Christianity by taking a neutral stance by preserving pagan traditions without controversy with
Christianity, such as Themistius.
- Christianity presented as “(true) philosophy” (Justina, “philosopher and martyr”).
- Christianity presented as philosophical monotheism (Minucius Felix).
- Philosophy condemned as incompatible with Christianity (Tertullian).
- Philosophy considered as preparation for (Christian) theology (Origen).
- Philosophy considered beneficial in the context of conversion (Augustin).