Seminar : Methodology of the analysis of religious facts

Teacher(s)

Christians Louis-Léon; Leclercq Jean (coordinator); Saroglou Vassilis; Servais Olivier;

Language

French

Main themes

In order to achieve these methodological aims, the seminar work will focus among other on
- (a) the case study under its multiple forms (e.g. participant observation, interview),
- (b) the quantitative approach (e.g. questionnaires and tests), and
- (c) the hermeneutics of texts and content analysis (e.g. historical-critical method, structural analysis). Exercises will provide the opportunity to understand in a practical way the logic proper to each method (passive understanding of all three types of methods and ability to use at least one of them).
For a thematical point of view,
- each seminar will address a fresh research issue - the various theories devised to study the contemporary transformations of religion (such as secularization or post-modernity) will be taken up

Aims

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :
1	- understand the different methodological approaches, qualitative as well as quantitative, required for the analysis of religious facts within the main disciplines of the sciences of religions
2	- identify the specific character of these approaches and their complementarity
3	- use at least one of these approaches, particularly in the preparation of the thesis required for the Master degree (see also "Other information")
4	- analyse a religious fact from interdisciplinary approaches
5	- grasp the contributions of the various disciplines and paradigms to the concrete analysis of a religious fact
6	- show the complexity of religious phenomena.

Faculty or entity

CISR