Courses in English and German in the academic year 2015/2016
(last updated 11 February 2016)
*The summer semester 2016*

Courses intended for all students

Czech for Foreign Students - Beginners - RET9534
Practice, 2 hours/week, 4 credits, Teacher: Dr. Hana Slavíčková
Information about the nature and characteristics of the language, pronunciation, spelling. Comparison with English (language the course is taught in). The aim is to cover the material in the first 7-8 lessons of the textbook New Czech Step by Step (greetings, numbers, months, colours, time….. basic grammar) in written and spoken form.

Courses recommended for students of Theology

Bible and History in the Iron Age - RET10421 (Biblical texts in light of the epigraphical discoveries from the Iron Age)
Lecture + Practice, 2 hours/week, 2 credits, Teacher: Jan Dušek, Th.D.
Our objective is to scrutinize the Old Testament texts which concern the period of the Iron Age in the light of the North-West Semitic epigraphic sources. We will study selected inscriptions written in Aramaic and in Canaanite languages, which concern the texts of the Old Testament.

Resurrection - RET2061 (in history of religion, exegesis, systematic theology)
Lecture and practice, 1 hour/week, 2 credits, Teacher: Professor Petr Pokorný

Church History: Special Issues in the Bohemian Reformation - RET3053 or RET3053A
Lecture + Seminar, 2 hours/week, 6 credits, (RET3053A 4 credits), Teachers: Professor David Holeton and Dr. Peter Morée; The course is meant for students who have basic knowledge of the Bohemian Reformation. The goal: To further deepen the knowledge of the Bohemian Reformation after the introduction course. To learn to prepare and give a presentation on one of the themes of the Bohemian Reformation. 

Church History: Churches in the Cold War - RET3054 or RET3054A 
Seminar, 2 hours/week, 6 credits, (RET3054A  - 4 credits), Teacher: Dr. Peter Morée
The communist regime after the Second World War had the aim to suppress and eventually ban religion and churches from society. They implemented a system of oppression, but they also successfully used the churches for their aims of propaganda. Which were the main stages, how did the churches in Czechoslovakia or in other European countries react? The goal: To gain knowledge about the situation of the churches between 1945 and 1989 and the specific dilemmas this reality put before them, i.e. especially in communist Czechoslovakia, with some comparison to other European countries. 

Practical Theology: The History and Celebration of the Eucharist - RET6052 
Seminar; 2 hours/week, 6 credits, Teacher: Professor David Holeton
"The best way towards unity in Eucharistic celebration and communion is the renewal of the Eucharist itself in the different churches in regard to teaching and liturgy." (Baptism, Eucharist, Ministry - Eucharist III, 28) Over recent years, most churches have undertaken a significant renewal of their Eucharistic rites and the manner in which they celebrate the sacrament. Through lectures and assigned readings in primary sources the student will become familiar with the historical development of the Eucharist and its various theologies through the ages as well as pastoral questions facing the churches today. By the end of course students should have a solid background with which to engage the contemporary reforms of the Eucharistic rites and practices of their own church as well as an understanding of the practices of other churches.

Theological Anthropology in Ecumenical Perspective - RET40505
Seminar; 2 hours/week, 6 credits, Teacher: Prof. Ivana Noble, Ph.D.
The seminar will be based on the book by Marc Cortez: Theological Anthropology: A guide for the Perplexed (T&T Clark, London-New York, 2010). It will follow the basic structure of the book divided into the themes: Imago Dei, Sexuality, Mind and Body, Free Will, and it will expand the discussion on these themes through texts from other theololgians, such as Olivier Clément, Jürgen Moltmann, Louis-Marie Chauvet and others. Students will be expected to write a seminar paper on one of the selected figures and make a short presentation, as well as read the given texts for each seminar.

The Mission of Cyril and Methodius - RET6056 (Local Languages and Local Churches)
Seminar; 2 hours/week, 6 credits, Teacher: Dr. Tim Noble
The roots and values that underlie much of European identity were forged in the Christian missions of the first millennium. Key ideas about what it is to be European were laid down in this period, for good or for ill. This course will focus on the mission of Cyril and Methodius, especially as it touches on what is now the Czech Republic. It will offer an historical introduction to them as people and to the ecclesio-political setting of their mission, at a time of transition in European power-structures. It will then concentrate on two aspects of their mission: first, on the role language and translation played in it, with their desire to translate Christian texts (the Bible and liturgical texts) into Slavonic, and the competing desire supported by the Franks to establish Latin as the only church language. It will then look at these issues today, looking at European mission outside of Europe, and the challenges to “translate” the Christian message in Europe today. It will also focus on the attempts to establish a local autonomous church, and will examine how this church was intended to be both independent and in close fraternal relationship to Constantinople and Rome. It will then go on to consider the notion of subsidiarity, and ask how churches can be formed to operate on this principle in today’s Europe, and whether the churches have something to teach about subsidiarity to politicians and civil society. Students will be expected to write a seminar paper and make a short presentation, as well as read the given texts for each seminar.

European Films as Theological Texts - RL033
Seminar; 2 hours/week, 6 credits, Teacher: Dr. Tim Noble
This course will work with a selection of European films to demonstrate both theological themes, and the search for meaning in European culture and the formation of European values in the post-war period. Among films that will be viewed are Carl Theodor Dreyer’s Ordet (The Word), Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal, Pasolini’s The Gospel of Matthew, Jean-Luc Godard’s Je vous salue, Marie, Kieslowski’s Three Colours: Red, White, Blue, and some of the Ten Commandments, Krzysztof Zanussi’s Life as a Fatal Sexually Transmitted Disease, Neal Jordan’s The End of the Affair, Vladimir Michálek’s Forgotten Light, Jan Hřebejk’s Divided We Fall, Andrei Tarkovsky’s Sacrifice and others. The course will look at how questions of faith and the search for meaning are dealt with in these films and engage students in film criticism as well as in theology.

Eastern Orthodox Theology - RET7058B (Protestant Perspective)
Lecture, 2 hours/week, 4 credits, Teacher: Viacheslav Lytvynenko, Ph.D.
This course alerts students to the differences between the Eastern and Western Christian mindsets and the influence of those mindsets on the way each group approaches Scripture and Christian life. Using selections from appropriate primary sources, students will study the teaching of the Eastern Orthodox Churches on the relation between Scripture and tradition and on God, humanity, and salvation. By the end of the course, students should be able to: (1) recognize the influence of cultural mindsets on the way a given group of people understands Christian theology and life; (2) explain at least six major differences between Eastern and Western cultural mindsets; (3) articulate the difference between the Western understanding of authority and the Eastern understanding of tradition; (4) explain the significance of the different approaches to the doctrines of God, creation, and fall in East and West; (5) grasp the Orthodox idea of theosis and the relation of saints and icons to salvation in Orthodoxy; (6) recognize and enumerate the major differences between official and popular Orthodoxy; (7) appreciate the fact that Orthodoxy has much to teach the Western Christian world; (8) be willing to learn from Eastern Orthodoxy, as well as evaluate it critically; (9) be willing to assess their own expressions of faith, where it is appropriate to do so.

Theological Ethics Seminar - RET5058 (Global Ethics (H. Küng) and Human Rights)
Seminar; 2 hours/week, 6 credits, Teacher: ThDr. Pavel Keřkovský

Seminar Philosophie (Deutsch) - RET7057: Gott denken (Holm Tetens: Gott denken. Ein Versuch über Rationale Theologie)
Seminar, 2 Stunden/Woche, 6 Kredite, Lehrer: Jan Kranát, Ph.D., Olga Navrátilová, Ph.D.

Lochman's Dogmatics - RET40504
Seminar, 2 hours/week, 6 credits, Teacher: Associate Professor ThDr. Petr Macek, Ph.D.
Reading a contemporary and ecumenical statement of what Christians believe by the Czech theologian Jan Milič Lochman. Getting acquainted with this internationally respected interpreter of Christian theology by reading and discussing his exposition of the Apostles’ Creed. Critical reading, assessing and debating the content of the assigned passages. The text will be made available. Each seminar will begin with student presentations designed to introduce the particular topic and its main ideas and problems so that they could be discussed by the whole class.

Theological Interpretations of Culture - RL032 (Christian Roots and Values of European Culture)
Seminar, 2 hours/week, 6 credits, Teacher: Dr. Tim Noble
This course will offer a theological reading of aspects of European culture. It will ask what memories of God are contained in art, literature, film and music from a variety of European countries, and what these cultural expressions have to say to theologians. What are people searching for, and does religious faith have anything to offer in response to this search? The course will consist of brief introductory lectures and seminars, in which students are confronted with different texts, images, and songs. The main text will be Ivana Noble, Theological Interpretation of Culture in Post-Communist Context. Literature will be both from a Czech and Central European setting (authors such as Karel Čapek and Isaac Bashevis Singer) as well as from other European countries (e.g., Ian McEwan, Primo Levi, Graham Greene). The same pattern of both Czech and foreign sources will be followed in regard to film and music, and students will be taken to one of the major Czech art galleries for the engagement with art. Three major theological questions will be present throughout these readings of culture – how is God’s place in the world perceived, how is the memory of Christ dealt with, and what is regarded as bringing ultimate fulfillment? These questions will be asked also in regard to the underlying beliefs and philosophies at the root of the European Union. Students will be expected to read the given texts for each seminar. They will not be expected to write a seminar paper, but there will be an examination at the end of the course.

Old Testament Theology - RET10425 (Current Concepts, Issues, and Methods)
Block seminar, 5-6 May 2016, 3 credits, Teachers: Prof. Manfred Oeming (Heidelberg), Prof. ThDr. Martin Prudký, doc. Mgr. Petr Sláma, Th.D., Filip Čapek, Th.D.
This year (in the summer term) an extraordinary seminar on Old Testament Theology is offered in the form of a two-day-symposium. Plenary meetings will be held in May 5-6, 2016 (Thursday and Friday, all-day-program). The seminar will be guided by Manfred Oeming (Heidelberg) and by Martin Prudký, Petr Sláma, and Filip Čapek (Prague). All students are expected to attend as active participants. Obligatory readings are to be read in advance, short papers on particular issues will be presented and discussed in the sessions (circa 30 minutes). For the purpose of mutual communication and sharing of material there is a web page available in the intranet: http://moodle.etf.cuni.cz/moodle/course/index.php?categoryid=4 (Course: RET10425). This page will be opened to those who are already enrolled. Before the meeting students are invited to consult their readings and paper preparations with the teachers.

Courses recommended for students of Social Work

Social Work in the Czech Republic I; Current Situation and Challenges – RPZ02B
Lecture and Seminar, 2 hours/week, 5 credits; Teachers: PhDr. Eva Křížová, PhD., Mgr. Daniel Bartoň, PhDr. Hana Janečková, Ph.D., PhDr. Jaroslava Šťastná. Ph.D.
The course aims to introduce major social issues and concerns in CR which are closely associated with social work: socio-economic development after 1989, current social structure and emerging problems, approaches to solving them and basic coping strategies. The course will explore theories and concepts related to social exclusion and integration, legal concerns and provide examples of practical applications to be analysed and discussed by the course participants. The course is taught over a semester (12 sessions) with one lecture or seminar each week. 

Health, culture and society; Social, cultural and religious aspects of health and health care – RPZ01
Lecture + Seminar, 2 hours/week, 5 credits, Teacher: PhDr. Eva Křížová
In this course various links between human health, disease and socio-cultural conditions will be studied. Health, disease and health care will be explored in the historical and cultural perspective. Paradigms of health and disease in ancient and modern cultures will be compared. Religious and spiritual aspects of human illnesses and treatments will be investigated. Concept of hagiotherapy will be examined. Focus on health and health promotion in religious systems will be discovered. A special focus will be paid to extreme and life changing situations like dying, suicide, lethal illness, stillbirth, abortion, loss in the family, injury etc. Archaic, traditional and modern medical systems will be compared and discussed. Medicalization of modern society will be demonstrated. Emerging model of integrated medicine of the postmodern era will be outlined and discussed. Students will be encouraged to contribute actively to the course content by means of their written essays, presentations and group discussions. This course is suitable for Erasmus incoming students who can contribute to the intercultural and international perspective in perceiving health and disease as cultural phenomena.

Person Centered Approaches and their Use in Working with Frail Old People - RPZ102 (Validation, pre-therapy, basal stimulation, videotraining of interaction, reminiscence)
Lecture and practice, 2 hours/week, 5 credits, Teacher: PhDr. Hana Janečková, Ph.D.
The course is intended for future pastors, social workers, and pastoral workers, who want to be prepared for the demographic development currently taking place, which involves a rapid increase in the number of very old people in our society, in congregations and in local communities. Students will become familiar with the social consequences of the demographic ageing of the population. The course will also provide concrete examples of appropriate working methods and approaches that will help maintain contacts for senior citizens with reduced independence, promote their dignity, and integrate them into society, while at the same time helping family members who care for them.