TRS4522 - World Religions: Texts & Traditions

Objectives:

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

demonstrate a detailed knowledge and understanding of major ‘World Religions’ (in Semester 1 Judaism, Christianity and Islam; in Semester 2 Buddhism, Hinduism, and Sikhism) as living traditions, with reference to texts and historical practices of their practitioners;
demonstrate an understanding of the history, nature, development and content of these religions from a reflective, informed position, including their variation and plurality;
demonstrate an understanding of the key religious and philosophical concepts of these traditions and their interpretations from primary and secondary sources;
demonstrate a critical understanding of the academic study of these traditions and their categorisations.

Content:

This module explores major world religions in detail, through primarily textual and historical analysis, examining the principal texts of the various traditions, and identifying how these texts have informed the historical development and spread of these religious traditions. Specific attention is paid to the development of variations and tensions within traditions, and the differing manners in which key texts and tenets have come to be interpreted differently by various groups. The module will also include an examination of the categorisation of 'world religions'.

Learning and Teaching Information:

The course will be taught in plenary sessions which will make use of a blend of teaching and learning methods. These will normally include: lecture-style presentations by the tutor; seminar-style discussion of a particular topic; informal prepared presentations by students, followed by discussion; other exercises as appropriate to material and group. Guidance on reading in preparation for each session and activity will be given; and learning will be supported where appropriate by VLE and other electronic resources. Guidance on research and essay-writing will be embedded in the learning and teaching process throughout the module; and may also be supported by tutorial guidance on essay plans and drafts if required. A portfolio will be used to collect smaller written assignments throughout the module, which may comprise brief research texts, learning journals, reading summaries, etc.

Lecture
Contact hours: 20

Seminar, group work, tutorial, etc
Contact hours: 20

Guided independent study
(including preparatory reading for sessions, portfolio/essay research and writing, online activities and/or examination revision).
Hours: 160

Assessment:

001 Essay 1,500 words (End of Sem 1) 40%
002 Essay 1,500 words (End of Sem 2) 40%
003 Presentation 1 x 20 minutes (End Sem 1 or 2) 20%


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