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Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences THEOLOGY, RELIGION AND ETHICS Module Catalogue Study Abroad Students Semester Two 2017/2018 Module Code: Module Name: Module Credits: No. of Periods: Level: Module Tutor: RT1501 Perspectives On Living Religions 30 2 Level 4 Maya Warrier Module Description: This module focuses on theory and method in the study of religion It is divided into two parts. The first part will introduce students to a range of key theoretical and methodological perspectives in the study of religion from the 19th century to the present. The second part will examine four non-Christian traditions, and explore the ways in which the theory and methodology discussed early in the module finds application in relation to particular aspects of these traditions. The first section of the module will introduce a selection of key thinkers on religion, exploring key debates to do with Euro-centrism in the study of non-Christian religions, problems in the definition of religion as a distinct area of human activity, debates on the concept of ‘world religions’, and insider and outsider approaches to religion. It will explore the origins of Religious Studies as a discipline in the late 20th century, its point of departure from Theology, and its interconnections with other disciplines such as history, anthropology and sociology. Focusing primarily on religions as they are lived and experienced through everyday practice, this part of the module will also examine analytical themes central to living religions relating, for example, to colonialism and modernity, gender issues, religion and the media, material culture, and authority and power. The second half of the module will then introduce students to the four so-called ‘world religions’ of Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism and Islam, and analyse the themes introduced in Part 1 in relation to these. Specific to: Philosophy, Religion and Ethics Theology, Religion and Ethics Assessments: 001: 002: Formative Portfolio Summative Essay Availability: Occ. A Year 17/18 Semester S2 0% 100% Module Code: Module Name: Module Credits: No. of Periods: Level: Module Tutor: RT1504 Controversies In Biblical Studies 15 1 Level 4 Module Description: The Bible is a central text in various religious communities and remains an important cultural driver in wider society. This module introduces students to the study of the Bible by looking at some key books and key intellectual controversies around their interpretation. Students will be introduced to the diversity of the Bible and its accompanying scholarship and will be encouraged to engage with a variety of questions around both their historical and literary dimensions. The module will invite students to appreciate the many, diverse ways in which meaning can be gathered from biblical texts. How the Bible has been and is read in different contexts and with respect to culture will also be important. Specific texts will be looked at in detail. Specific to: Philosophy, Religion and Ethics Theology, Religion and Ethics Assessments: 001: Oral Exam Availability: Occ. A Year 17/18 100% Semester S2 Module Code: Module Name: Module Credits: No. of Periods: Level: Module Tutor: RT1505 Introduction To Early Modern Philosophy 15 1 Level 4 Timothy Secret Module Description: The Early-Modern period: a time when parts of Classical thought were being rejected while others were being rediscovered. We will look at how a renewed focus on epistemology along with developments in the natural sciences led to a new confidence in the power of reason against superstition and illusion. To develop our skills and knowledge of the diverging rationalist and empiricist traditions that succeeded medieval scholasticism, we will focus in particular on the conceptual accounts and proofs of the existence of God, the self and world that developed in the succession of debates sparked by Descartes. By investigating their proofs for the existence of God, the immortal soul and the reality of the external world, their explanations for the existence of evil and their accounts of freedom, we will learn to analyse texts carefully and form persuasive arguments with and against them. Specific to: Theology, Religion and Ethics Assessments: 001: 002: Essay Exam Availability: Occ. A Year 17/18 50% 50% Semester S2 Module Code: Module Name: Module Credits: No. of Periods: Level: Module Tutor: RT1506 Great Christian Thinkers 30 2 Level 4 Neil Messer Module Description: The Christian doctrinal tradition has been the scene of immense intellectual energy and creativity for two thousand years. This module introduces some of its most influential figures, situating them within their hisotircal context and exploring some of the central themes in their thought. An emphasis on the acquisition of textual analysis skills and academic writing will be a major focus of the first semester, which will focus on one or two questions/thinkers/problems in order to demonstrate how lectures, reading and independent work might be utilised for effective written assessment. Students will encounter thinkers ranging from the first to the twentieth centuries, and undertaking this module will train them to read primary texts, and work within the parameters of Higher Education with increased confidence. Theologians to be included will normally include figures such as Paul, Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, Schleiermacher and Barth. Specific to: Philosophy, Religion and Ethics Theology, Religion and Ethics Assessments: 001: 002: Formative Essay In 6 Stages Summative Essay Availability: Occ. A Year 17/18 Semester S2 0% 100% Module Code: Module Name: Module Credits: No. of Periods: Level: Module Tutor: RT2128 Atheism And Its Critics 15 1 Level 5 Timothy Secret Module Description: This module will track the chronological unfolding of atheist thought from ancient atomism to the contemporary new atheist movement. We will investigate both the independent quality of arguments against the existence of a deity, whether they are found in philosophical, scientific, literary or political works, and how religious thinkers have responded to those arguments, paying particular attention to how these debates have transformed religion, religions, society and our self-understanding. Particular attention will be devoted to Spinoza and his works contribution to the French Revolution and the Pantheism controversy at the heart of romanticism. We will also look at the role of atheism in the works of the three “masters of suspicion” – Nietzsche, Marx and Freud – and whether the quality of their arguments is maintained by the new atheists. Specific to: Philosophy, Politics and Economics Philosophy, Religion and Ethics Assessments: 001: Portfolio Availability: Occ. A Year 17/18 100% Semester S2 Module Code: Module Name: Module Credits: No. of Periods: Level: Module Tutor: RT2515 Buddhism: Traditions And Transformations 15 1 Level 5 Maya Warrier Module Description: This module will familiarise students with the teachings and life-story of the Buddha, before examining the rich diversity in the forms of Buddhist belief and practice that have developed across Buddhism’s history. The first part of the course will focus on scholarship on the early history of Buddhism in the Indian subcontinent, and its spread to parts of Asia to the north, south, and east of India. The second part of the module will engage with the transformations brought about as a result of Buddhism’s encounter with modernity. Exploring particular case studies, it will examine the interaction of Buddhist traditions and values with modern concepts and institutions. This section will also explore Buddhism’s passage to the West, examining some of the factors contributing to Buddhism’s vast popularity in Western Europe and North America. Crucial to this discussion are themes to do with Orientalism and the exoticisation of Buddhism in popular (and to a lesser extent academic) representations. Specific to: History, Civilisations and Beliefs Philosophy, Religion and Ethics Theology, Religion and Ethics Assessments: 001: Exam Availability: Occ. A Year 17/18 100% Semester S2 Module Code: Module Name: Module Credits: No. of Periods: Level: Module Tutor: RT2517 The Church And Politics 15 1 Level 5 Angus Paddison Module Description: This module introduces and unpacks some of the key ways in which the Christian tradition has related to what we understand as ‘politics’. The module begins with a study of key biblical texts that relate to political questions. Then some crucial interactions between the Christianity and politics in the history of the church will be examined. Contemporary discussions surrounding the church and politics – and the relationship between the two – will be examined in detail. Specific to: History, Civilisations and Beliefs Philosophy, Politics and Economics Philosophy, Religion and Ethics Theology, Religion and Ethics Assessments: 001: Essay Availability: Occ. A Year 17/18 100% Semester S2 Module Code: Module Name: Module Credits: No. of Periods: Level: Module Tutor: RT2521 New And Alternative Religions 15 1 Level 5 Christina Welch Module Description: This module will explore issues connected with the study of New and Alternative Religions, including terminology - what is 'new', and/or 'alternative' about these religions? It will also examine a number of topics such as the role of the media, gender, leaders and followers, and converts and those born into these religions. It will look at both the global perspective of the new and alternative religions, including their development, and also through case studies, examine in-depth the socio-political context of some. Students will keep a weekly blog that reflects on their readings and learning, and in the group presentation, have the opportunity to develop their team working skills. Specific to: History, Civilisations and Beliefs Philosophy, Religion and Ethics Theology, Religion and Ethics Assessments: 001: Essay (4,000 Words) Availability: Occ. A Year 17/18 Semester S2 100% Module Code: Module Name: Module Credits: No. of Periods: Level: Module Tutor: RT2524 Religion, Ethics And War 15 1 Level 5 Neil Messer Module Description: It is often said that religion has been a major source of conflict in history, and remains so in today's world. Yet some religious traditions claim strong commitments to non-violence and peace-making, and there is a long history of theological reflection on the ethics of war. This module will explore the attitudes to war and peace found in scriptural texts of one or more traditions, and aspects of the tradition's (or traditions') history of reflecting on those texts. Students will critically investigate the relationship between religion and armed conflict in different historical and/or contemporary contexts. They will study philosophical and theological arguments about the ethics of war and peace, and will be expected to develop and defend their own ethical assessments of the uses of armed conflict and lethal force in the contemporary world. Specific to: History, Civilisations and Beliefs Philosophy, Religion and Ethics Theology, Religion and Ethics Assessments: 001: Essay (3,000 Words) Availability: Occ. A Year 17/18 Semester S2 100% Module Code: Module Name: Module Credits: No. of Periods: Level: Module Tutor: RT2526 Seven Ecumenical Councils 15 1 Level 5 Andreas Andreopolous Module Description: How did the doctrinal tradition of the Church emerge? How did the early Church deal with heresies? How was the Creed formed? What is the theological significance of the two natures of Christ? In what way did early political and cultural oppositions play a role in the formation of the Christian theology? How were Christology, Mariology, Trinitarianism and other doctrines of the Church discussed, understood and defined? This module will examine all these questions in the context of the seven Ecumenical Councils (325-787), and will guide the students through an appreciation of the theology of the early Church in its historical and cultural context. Specific to: History, Civilisations and Beliefs Philosophy, Religion and Ethics Theology, Religion and Ethics Assessments: 001: Essay (3,500 Words) Availability: Occ. A Year 17/18 Semester S2 100% Module Code: Module Name: Module Credits: No. of Periods: Level: Module Tutor: RT3515 Buddhism – Traditions And Transformation 15 1 Level 6 Maya Warrier Module Description: This module will familiarise students with the teachings and life-story of the Buddha, before examining the rich diversity in the forms of Buddhist belief and practice that have developed across Buddhism’s history. The first part of the course will focus on scholarship on the early history of Buddhism in the Indian subcontinent, and its spread to parts of Asia to the north, south, and east of India. The second part of the module will engage with the transformations brought about as a result of Buddhism’s encounter with modernity. Exploring particular case studies, it will examine the interaction of Buddhist traditions and values with modern concepts and institutions. This section will also explore Buddhism’s passage to the West, examining some of the factors contributing to Buddhism’s vast popularity in Western Europe and North America. Crucial to this discussion are themes to do with Orientalism and the exoticisation of Buddhism in popular (and to a lesser extent academic) representations. Specific to: History, Civilisations and Beliefs Philosophy, Religion and Ethics Theology, Religion and Ethics Assessments: 001: Examination (2 Hours) Availability: Occ. A Year 17/18 Semester S2 100% Module Code: Module Name: Module Credits: No. of Periods: Level: Module Tutor: RT3517 The Church And Politics 15 1 Level 6 Angus Paddison Module Description: This module introduces and unpacks some of the key ways in which the Christian tradition has related to what we understand as ‘politics’. The module begins with a study of key biblical texts that relate to political questions. Then some crucial interactions between the Christianity and politics in the history of the church will be examined. Contemporary discussions surrounding the church and politics – and the relationship between the two – will be examined in detail. As a Level 6 module seminars enable in-depth study of selected issues in the study of the church and politics. Specific to: History, Civilisations and Beliefs Philosophy, Politics and Economics Philosophy, Religion and Ethics Theology, Religion and Ethics Assessments: 001: Essay (3,000 Words) Availability: Occ. A Year 17/18 Semester S2 100% Module Code: Module Name: Module Credits: No. of Periods: Level: Module Tutor: RT3521 New And Alternative Religions 15 1 Level 6 Christina Welch Module Description: This module will explore issues connected with the study of New and Alternative Religions, including terminology – what is ‘new’, and/or ‘alternative’ about these religions? It will also examine a number of topics such as the role of the media, gender, leaders and followers, and converts and those born into these religions. It will look at both the global perspective of the new and alternative religions, including their development, and also through case studies, examine in-depth the socio-political context of some. Students will keep a weekly blog that reflects on their readings and learning, and in the group presentation, have the opportunity to develop their team working skills. Specific to: History, Civilisations and Beliefs Philosophy, Religion and Ethics Theology, Religion and Ethics Assessments: 001: Essay (4,000 Words) Availability: Occ. A Year 17/18 Semester S2 100% Module Code: Module Name: Module Credits: No. of Periods: Level: Module Tutor: RT3524 Religion, Ethics And War 15 1 Level 6 Neil Messer Module Description: It is often said that religion has been a major source of conflict in history, and remains so in today’s world. Yet some religious traditions claim strong commitments to non-violence and peace-making, and there is a long history of theological reflection on the ethics of war. This module will explore the attitudes to war and peace found in the scriptural texts of one or more traditions, and aspects of the tradition’s (or traditions’) history of reflecting on those texts. Students will critically investigate the relationship between religion and armed conflict in different historical and/or contemporary contexts. They will study philosophical and theological arguments about the ethics of war and peace, and will be expected to develop and defend their own ethical assessments of the uses of armed conflict and lethal force in the contemporary world. Specific to: History, Civilisations and Beliefs Philosophy, Religion and Ethics Theology, Religion and Ethics Assessments: 001: Essay (4,000 Words) Availability: Occ. A Year 17/18 Semester S2 100% Module Code: Module Name: Module Credits: No. of Periods: Level: Module Tutor: RT3526 Seven Ecumenical Councils 15 1 Level 6 Andreas Andreopolous Module Description: How did the doctrinal tradition of the Church emerge? How did the early Church deal with heresies? How was the Creed formed? What is the theological significance of the two natures of Christ? In what way did early political and cultural oppositions play a role in the formation of Christian theology? How were Christology, Mariology, Trinitarianism and other doctrines of the Church discussed, understood and defined? This module will examine all these questions in the context of the seven Ecumenical Councils (325-787), and will guide the students through an appreciation of the theology of the early Church in its historical and cultural context. Specific to: History, Civilisations and Beliefs Philosophy, Religion and Ethics Theology, Religion and Ethics Assessments: 001: Essay (3,500 Words) Availability: Occ. A Year 17/18 Semester S2 100%