Religious motifs in Russian literature 3202-S2WRM11o
Seminar (KON) Winter semester 2024/25

KNOWLEDGE

Student:

- knows the basics of Orthodox theology and ceremonials, as well as their influence on Russian culture;

- has basic knowledge of Russian spiritual folk traditions and their reflection in oral folk poetry;

- has knowledge about different forms of religious presence in Russian literature of various periods.

SKILLS

Student:

- is able to differentiate between Christian and pagan elements in the folk tradition;

- can recognize religious and biblical motifs in literary texts;

- is able to characterize particular literary periods and demonstrate differences in their attitude towards religion.

SOCIAL COMPETENCES

Student:

- is aware of values related to cultural and religious diversity, and respects its manifestations;

- is aware of his knowledge about the influence of Orthodox Christianity on Russian literature, and is ready to learn more on his own.

Written essay on the topic chosen by student and accepted by the lecturer, as well as test containing 14 questions.

Percentage tresholds required to obtain specific grades:

3,0 – above 50%

3,5 – above 60%

4,0 – above 70%

4,5 – above 80%

5,0 – above 90%

5! – to obtain this grade a student should demonstrate outstanding extracurricular knowledge

Besides the tests it is necessary to take part in classes.

The student has the right to 2 unexcused absences, each subsequent one requires justification. The lecturer decides on the recognition of absence.

Exceeding excused and unexcused absences by 50% of classes may be grounds to fail the course. The conditions for passing the course on the resit exam are the same as on the ordinary of exam.

If it is not possible to conduct classroom classes, classes will be conducted using distance communication tools, most likely Google Classroom and others recommended by the University of Warsaw.

1. A brief outline of the history of Eastern Christianity. Orthodox theology, ceremonials, customs. The peculiarity of Russian Orthodoxy.

2. The Orthodox culture: spiritual folk traditions related to celebrating feasts and life circumstances, beliefs etc.

3. Russian icon: the canon and its evolution.

4. The Bible in Russian culture and literature.

5. Russian folklore between paganism and Christianity.

6. The Orthodox influence on the Old Russian literature.

7. Russian Romanticism and religion.

8. Christianity of Fedor Dostoevski.

9. Leo Tolstoy’s religious thought.

10. The Orthodoxy in Nikolai Leskov’s work.

11. The clergyman in Russian literature.

12. The religiosity of fin de siècle.

13. Religious issues in Soviet literature and in the works of Russian emigration.

14. Sacral motifs in contemporary Russian literature.

15. “The Orthodox literary criticism”.

Lecture, discussion, text analysis