| Unit name | Symposium I in Religion and Theology |
|---|---|
| Unit code | THRS10029 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | C/4 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Professor. D'Costa |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
none |
| Co-requisites |
none |
| School/department | Department of Religion and Theology |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
In this mandatory unit, students will be assigned to two different symposium groups (one focusing upon Judeo-Christian religions and one upon Asian religions) and will participate in two parallel sets of ten weekly hour-long seminars. The tutor of each small group will guide students through the discussion and analysis of a central theme or key text in theology and religious studies, introducing students to the study of religion and theology through the study of a specialist body of material. Emphasis will be placed on (a) student participation, which will take the form of (i) oral presentation of independent work and (ii) working with other students to develop close readings of a text or texts; and (b) enhancing essay writing skills.
On successful completion of this unit students will have:
(1) learnt how to explore a body of religious material through critical reading and engaged discussion; (2) practised and received feedback on their capacity for oral expression; (3) developed methodological skills in the study of religion and theology; (4) demonstrated the ability to identify and critically evaluate pertinent evidence/data in order to illustrate/demonstrate a coherent argument in both oral and written form.
2 x 1-hour seminar per week.
Students will be assigned to two different symposium groups (one focusing upon Judeo-Christian religions and one upon Asian religions) and will participate in two parallel sets of ten weekly hour-long seminars, with the total assessment for the unit comprising: 2 x oral seminar presentations of approx. 15 mins (50%) and 2 x 1500 word essays (50%) based on the material presented. The presentation will assess (1) students’ ability to explore a body of pertinent material through critical reading and engaged discussion; (2) their capacity for oral expression. The essay will assess (3) methodological skills and (4) the ability to identify and evaluate data in order to demonstrate a coherent argument.
Muhammad Ataur Rahim, Jesus in the Quran Fa-Hsien, A Record of Buddhist Kingdoms Charles Amjad-Ali, Future of Christian Muslim Dialogue John Hick, Life and works Alan Unterman, The Kabbalistic Tradition: An Anthology of Jewish Mysticism Augustine, City of God Karl Rahner, Foundations of Christian Faith: Introduction to the Idea of Christianity
