Animal sacrifice and its critics between past and present
The virtual component will take place over seven Mondays, each session lasting approximately three hours. The first part of each session will feature a lecture by two professors from one of the participating universities and other invited scholars, focusing on a specific aspect of sacrifice across different cultures. Monday 3 March 2025: Introduction (2h). Instructors: Marianna Ferrara & Pierluigi Lanfranchi. Theoretical Sacrifice: themes, problems, consequences. Monday 10 March 2025: 16-19 (3h, including discussion). Instructor: Pierluigi Lanfranchi. 1) Attitudes of Judaism, Christianity and Islam toward animal sacrifice (Pierluigi Lanfranchi; J.B. Rives; Brannon Wheeler). 2) Animal sacrifice in the Caucasus: practice and polemics (Yulia Antonian; Kevin Tuite); Viewing session of the documentary: Matagh. A Sacrifice for Safety (2024). Discussion. Monday 17 March 2025: 16-19 (3h, including discussion). Instructor: Adrian Stoicescu. 1) From animal sacrifice to the metaphor of human sacrifice - a case study on the folk text memory of construction rituals. 2) Animal sacrifice - from traditional practice to urban legend and movies. Counter-narratives to propaganda. Watching the 20-minute episode The Greedy Policeman from Tales from the Golden Age (2009) - set up the in communist Romania before the collapse of iron curtain. Discussion. Monday 24 March 2025: 16-19h (3h, including discussion). Instructor: Nadia Cattoni. 1) Blood sacrifice in Hindu traditions 2) Sacrifices in the Polemics between Christian Missionaries, Colonial Administrators, and Indian Intellectuals (India, 19th-20th Centuries) Discussion. Monday 31 March 2025: 16-19h (3h, including discussion). Instructor: Philippe Bornet. 1) Imagining Indian Rituals: The Place of India in Theories of Sacrifice (Philippe Bornet) 2) Ritual sacrifice and cultural contestation in Nepal (Chiara Letizia) Monday 14 April 2025: 16-19h (3h, including discussion). Instructor: Marianna Ferrara. 1) Sacrifice and sociological theories (Raquel Weiss) 2) Food and animals in Candomblé rituals (Giovanna Capponi) Discussion. Monday 21 April: 3h. Students will participate in a concluding discussion to summarize and highlight the most important aspects covered throughout the course, focusing on its main topics. Uncover the roots and question the rituals with a deep dive into animal sacrifice across time and religions
Application Deadline
Virtual Part starting date
2025-03-03
Virtual Part closing date
2025-04-21
Total student workload
150
Specific field of studies
Religious Studies, Anthropology, Sociology, Classical Literature, History of Christianity, Archaeology, South Asian Studies.
Pre-requisite for selection
CV
Motivation Letter
Academic pre-requisites for applicants
This course is open to Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD students at CIVIS member universities with a high interest in Anthropology, History, Sociology, Classical Literature, and History of Religions.
Participants should have a good level of written and spoken English (B2).
Physical Part starting date
2025-06-30
Physical Part Description
The in-person component of the project on animal sacrifice will take place from June 30th to July 4th, 2025, in Rome, hosted by the Faculty of Letters and Philosophy at Sapienza University of Rome. Venue: Sapienza Campus, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5.
During this week, students and teachers will be invited to explore key aspects of sacrifice across different cultures. The program includes visits to significant museums and cultural sites in Rome, such as the Museum of Civilizations and the Giuseppe Tucci Museum of Oriental Art, featuring exhibits related to the themes discussed in the virtual sessions.
Students will present their research projects on-site, providing insights based on specific works and artifacts pertinent to their studies.
Schedule:
30 June
Thematic itinerary 1: “The notion of sacrifice in ancient world”.
Morning: Welcome meeting and formation of groups for in-person activities.
Afternoon: Visit to the archaeological site of Ostia Antica with an expert guide.
1 July
Thematic Itinerary 2: “Voices of Dissent: Critiques of Sacrifice in Late Antiquity”.
Morning: Lecture and group work.
Afternoon: Visit to the Ara Pacis and other cultural sites.
2 July
Thematic Itinerary 3: “Eastern philosophies against Sacrifice: Buddhism and Jainism”.
Morning/Afternoon: Lecture at the Museum and Exploration of the Giuseppe Tucci Museum of Oriental Art, highlighting Buddhist critiques of Vedic animal sacrifices in ancient India, featuring artifacts and texts that promote non-violence.
3 July
Thematic itinerary 4: “Challenges in Classifying Rituals as Sacrifices". Morning: Lecture.
Afternoon: Visit to the Museo delle Civiltà with an expert guide.
4 July
Thematic itinerary 5: Final discussion of the group works.
Morning: presentation of the group works.
Afternoon: visit to Rome.
Physical Part closing date
2025-07-04
Language level required
B2
Field of studies related to the course
Social Science and Humanities
Course location
Rome, Italy
Course language
English