| Unit name | Magic and the Abrahamic Religions |
|---|---|
| Unit code | THRS20222 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Burberry |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | Department of Religion and Theology |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
This unit will explore the practice of magic – including ritual healing, love-charms, exorcism and beliefs about evil spirits, divination, wonder-working, etc. – in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Alongside this, it will consider theoretical questions about the nature of magic, principally what it is (e.g. the problem of essentialist definitions, emic and etic perspectives, ‘magic’ as a pejorative or othering category) and how it works (e.g. speech-act theory, magic as a technology).
The unit aims to familiarise students both with relevant primary sources from each religious tradition, including written amulets, magic recipe-books, and narrative or didactic descriptions of magic activity; and with the history of the treatment of magic in modern scholarship, tracing the story of how a subject once widely dismissed as unworthy of serious study is now receiving the scholarly attention it deserves.
The unit will largely focus on the Eastern Mediterranean region from antiquity to the mediaeval period, as this will facilitate fruitful comparisons between magic in each religion, and also make the most of current scholarship.
Each week will focus on a different theme, for example: definitions of magic, religious prohibitions against magic, or magic and medicine. The theme will be introduced in a lecture, and then more in-depth study of particular relevant sources will take place in a seminar. Students will thus have the opportunity to work on their seminar skills, and also, through the summative assessment, on their written skills.
This unit therefore aims to:
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to:
Classes will involve a combination of long- and short-form lectures, class discussion, investigative activities, and practical activities. Students will be expected to engage with readings and participate on a weekly basis. This will be further supported with drop-in sessions and self-directed exercises with tutor and peer feedback.
Students will have the opportunity to practise their oral presentation skills, to work on their seminar skills, and also, through the summative assessment, on their written skills.
Formative assessments where completion is required to award credit:
1 x 2000 word portfolio [ILOs 1, 3, 5]
Summative assessments:
1 x 2500 word essay (100%) [ILOs 1-5]
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. THRS20222).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an
assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
