Courses in English and German in the academic year 2014/2015
(last updated 2 February 2015)
*The summer semester 2015*

Courses recommended for students of Theology

Old Testament Theology: From the Kingdom of Israel to the Province of Samaria – RET10422
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.

New Testament: The Gospel of Mark; Exegesis - RET2059
Lecture, 1 hour/week, 2 credits, Teacher: Professor Petr Pokorný

Theological Ethics: Human Rights - RET5056 
Seminar, 2 hours/week, 6 credits, Teacher: ThDr. Pavel Keřkovský
The course will deal predominantly with the book of Frederick M. Shepherd Christianity and Human Rights.

Systematic Theology: Czech Protestant Theologians; Significant Figures of the Czerch Protestant Tradition and their work - RET 40502
Lecture + Seminar, 2 hours/week, 6 credits, Teacher: Associate Professor Petr Macek, Th.D.
The course will be based on a seminar format that entails significant (mandatory) weekly preparation, in which participants must critically assess, discuss, and critique assigned readings. Each seminar will begin with student presentations that are designed to introduce the main problems, concepts, and categories of the assigned readings. The balance of class time will be devoted to a general and critical discussion of these readings.

Systematic Theology: Orthodox Theology in the XX. Century – RET40501
Lecture + Seminar, 2 hours/week, 6 credits, Teacher: Professor Ivana Noble, Ph.D.

Systematic Theology: Theology of Action - RET40503
Lecture + Seminar, 2 hours/week, 6 credits, Teacher: Mgr. Michaela Kušnieriková, Th.D.
The seminar will explore the topic of human action based on reading selected writings from three thinkers of the 20th century: Hannah Arendt—a political thinker, Dietrich Bonhoeffer—a Lutheran theologian and Dumitru Staniloae—an Orthodox theologian. Together we will unravel questions, such as: How are actors inter-related among each other? Where is “an other” situated during the course of action? Is there anything specific about acting of Christians? Our discussions will include reflections on the contemporary public-political issues.

Seminar in Philosophy: Reading Athanasius of Alexandria – RET7056; Selected anti-Arian Texts with an Emphasis on God and Salvation 
Seminar, 2 hours/week, 6 credits, Teacher: Dr. Viacheslav Lytvynenko

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.

Practical Theology: Urban Mission Perspectives – RET6054
Seminar in blocks, 6 credits, takes place in weeks: March 2-6, March 9-13, April 15-19, May 18-22, Teacher: Dr. Anne Marie Kool; For details of course see separate sheet.

Praktische Theologie: Die Liturgie der Brüderunität im Kontext anderer Traditionen – RET60484
Seminar, 2 Stunden/Woche, 6 Kredite, Lehrerin: Tabita Landová, Th.D.
Die alte Brüderunität (von ihren Anfängen bis 1620) wurde seit dem Toleranzpatent (1781) als Kirche wahrgenommen, deren Gottesdienst calvinistisch einfach war. Es wurde jedoch übersehen, dass in ihrem liturgischen Leben auch reichere liturgische Formen existierten, die aus der vorreformatorischen Tradition stammten. Ziel des Seminares ist es, die bisher recht oberflächlichen Vorstellungen über das liturgische Leben der alten Brüderunität zu korrigieren und deren liturgisches Leben in seiner Mannigfaltigkeit und im Kontext anderer Tradition vorzustellen.

Religious Studies: Theological Dimensions of Czech Cultural Expressions - RET8057A
Seminar, 2 hours/week, 4 credits, Teacher: Joyce J. Mauler, Ph.D.
This course will explore ways in which central existential concerns and theological themes of the Judeo-Christian tradition manifest themselves in specific Czech literary, musical, and cinematic works that are not primarily ‘religious’ or explicitly (intentionally) ‘theological.’ Exploratory lectures and extensive class discussions of The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera, a representative Czech movie, and musical compositions by Bohuslav Martinů and a variety of jazz composers will make up the heart of the course. Significant attention will be paid to the communist era, but emphasis will also be placed on learning to read musically and listen liturgically. This approach to Czech cultural expressions may enable course participants to gain insight into theological dimensions of some of the social patterns and psychological dynamics which impact the lives of the inhabitants of the contemporary world.

Reading and Discussing Contemporary Theology – RET10424
Colloquium, 4 credits, Teachers: Associate Professor ThDr. Petr Macek, Ph.D., Associate Professor Petr Sláma, Th.D.
Individual reading of a vibrant scholarly monograph and discussing it with fellow students from the Columbia Theological Seminary (CTS) in Atlanta at a colloquium held in Prague. This year we are reading the book "Speaking Christian" by Marcus J. Borg. The New Testament scholar and church activist Marcus J. Borg argues that the very language Christians use has become dangerously distilled, distorted, and disconnected from the beliefs which once underpinned it. Borg calls for a radical change to the language we use to invoke our beliefs – the only remedy that will allow the Church's words to once again ring with truth, power, and hope.
Participants are expected to: read the book by Marcus Borg; by April 26 write a short paper (3-6 thousand signs) reflecting the questions put at moodle; and actively participating in the colloquium with CTS on April 29, 9:15 - 12:30 with a break, Prague.

Courses recommended for students of Social Work

Social Work in the Czech Republic I; Current Situation and Challenges – RPZ02
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.

Social Work in Practice I - RPZ21B
5 credits, Teachers: Ing. Mgr. Ondřej Fischer, Hana Janečková, Ph.D.,
Placements will be realized only on the basis of previous arrangement