Yoga’s roots in South-Asian religiosity

Yoga’s roots in South-Asian religiosity

Delivery institution

Faculty of Arts, Psychology and Theology
The Open University at Åbo Akademi University

Instructor(s):

Janne Kontala

Start date

27 January 2025

End date

24 March 2025

Study field

CHARM priority field

Study level

Study load, ECTS

5

Short description

This course traces the background of yoga to the pre-history, with the earliest archeological hints at yoga being from Indus culture. With the development of Vedic religion and Hinduism, yoga gets its earliest historical expressions that are preserved to our day. Some of the historically important instances are the emergence of the Shramana-movement, Upanishads, Mahabharata, Bhagavad-gita, Yoga-sutra, Tantra, Hatha-yoga, and emergence of modern Hinduism with its many reform movements.

The course introduces the central concepts and ideas germane to salvation-oriented ideologies, particularly those found in the central texts on yoga. It also covers the main theistic traditions in Hinduism, six orthodox Hindu philosophical schools, and the development from Vedic religion to Hinduism, and the developmental phases of Hinduism during its ca. 2500 year history. The emergence of modern Hinduism can be located in the 1900th century as a response to the colonial rule. All of these developmental phases can be related to the development of yoga. The development of yoga is presented in detail in the subsequent courses.

Full description

Please see the course page.

Course requirements

Preliminary qualifications for participation: Basic competences in verbal and written expression and presentation, the ability to study independently printed an online sources, and the ability to seek digital information relevant to the topics at hand.

Places available

7

Course literature (compulsory or recommended):

Litterature according to the teacher’s instructions.

Course code

RV00CU99-3002

Language

Assessment method

Final certification

Transcript of records

Assessment date

Modality

Learning management System in use

Contact hours per week for the student:

1 Kick-off lecture (not optional) at the beginning of the course, and 1 concluding lecture at the end.

Specific regular weekly teaching day/time

Prerecorded lectures, no set time.

Time zone