Unit information: Hinduism and Buddhism in 2011/12

Unit name	Hinduism and Buddhism
Unit code	THRS11047
Credit points	20
Level of study	C/4
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
Unit director	Professor. Gethin
Open unit status	Open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	Department of Religion and Theology
Faculty	Faculty of Arts

Description including Unit Aims

This unit provides a background and context for second and third level units concerned with Hinduism and Buddhism, and is divided into two parts. The first takes the form of a historical survey of Hinduism from the earliest times to the present day, covering problems of definition (the creation of 'Hinduism'), the religion of the Indus-Valley Civilisation, early and later Vedic religion (including the social divisions of class and caste), the Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita, Vaishnavism, Shaivism, and Shaktism. The study of Hinduism forms a backdrop for the study of the ideas and practices of Buddhism. Focusing on the development of Buddhism in India, the second part of the unit considers the figure of the Buddha, basic doctrine (the 'four truths', 'not self' and 'dependent origination'), Buddhist cosmology and karma, the Buddhist community, Buddhist meditation, and Indian Mahayana and Tantric Buddhism.

Aims:

• To provide a basic understanding of Indian religious history;

• To provide a basic understanding of Hinduism and Buddhisms key literary texts;

• To provide a basic understanding of the meaning of Indian religious thought;

• To develop written presentation skills through preparing and completing an end of unit examination.

Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of the unit students will be expected to have:

• acquired knowledge and skill to discuss aspects of Indian religious history critically;

• acquired knowledge and skill to engage critically with some Hindu and Buddhist texts;

• acquired skills through preparing and completing an end of unit examination.

Teaching Information

20 one-hour lectures (2 x one-hour per week)

Assessment Information

1 x 3-hour examination (100%).

Reading and References

• J.R. Hinnells, A New Handbook of Living Religions (Penguin, 1998); chapters on Hinduism and Jainism;

• Brockington, J.L., The Sacred Thread - Hinduism in its continuity and diversity (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1981).

• Flood, Gavin, An Introduction to Hinduism (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996).

• Cousins, L. S., Buddhism in J. R. Hinnells (ed.) A new handbook of living religions (Harmondsworth: Penguin 1998), pp. 34068.

• Gethin, Rupert, The foundations of Buddhism (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998).

• Williams, Paul, Buddhist thought: a complete guide to the Indian tradition (London: Routledge, 2000).