| Unit name | Living Religions |
|---|---|
| Unit code | THRS10028 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | C/4 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Dr. Langer |
| Open unit status | Open |
| Pre-requisites |
none |
| Co-requisites |
none |
| School/department | Department of Religion and Theology |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
The various religious traditions of the world offer significant expressions of cultural values and ideas about the meaning of life and death. Understanding the past, and the present state of the world is not possible without some knowledge of these traditions. This unit introduces students to the history, practices and ideas of some the world’s principal living religions, focusing in particular on Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism. With reference to matters such as ethics, sexuality, politics and law, the unit considers how the diverse ways these religions answer questions about the world and the place of human beings within it have shaped and continue to inform the way people, both individually and collectively, live their lives and seek to find meaning and purpose.
On successful completion of this unit students will have:
(1) developed an understanding of the history, practices and ideas of some of the world’ principal living religions; (2) developed an understanding of how religious traditions have informed and continue to inform cultural values and ideas about the meaning of life; (3) demonstrated an ability to analyse and explain the history, practices and ideas of some of the world’s principal living religions; (4) demonstrated the ability to identify and evaluate pertinent evidence/data in order to illustrate/demonstrate a cogent argument.
2 x 1 hour lecture, 1 x 1 hour lecture and 1 x 1 hour discussion group per week
One unseen examination of two hours.
The exam will assess (1) students’ knowledge and understanding of the history, ideas and practices of some of the world’s principal living religions; (2) the student’s grasp of how religious traditions have informed and continue to inform cultural values and ideas about the meaning of life, (3) their ability to analyse and explain the history, practices and ideas of some of the world’s principal living religions and (4) the ability to evaluate data and demonstrate a cogent argument.
Bowker, John, Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (1999) Hinnells, John R. (ed.), The Penguin Handbook of the World's Living Religions (2010) Smart, Ninian, The world's religions 2nd ed. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998) Taylor, Mark, Critical Terms for Religious Studies (New edition; Chicago, University of Chicago Press, 1998).
