Taught Masters in 2012/13

This course is designed to introduce postgraduate students in the School of Divinity to the research culture of the School, the norms of the different disciplines within Divinity and Religious Studies, and the resources available in the School (including library and computing facilities). It will also address critical thinking, succinct critical speaking, initial advice on postgraduate research, and good and bad scholarly practice.

Assessment
1000-word review of a research seminar paper (25%); Oral presentation (25%); 2000-word book review (50%).

Course organiser: DR SARA PARVIS
Credits: 40
Delivery period: Full year

Course summary (PDF): Approaches to Research in Divinity and Religious Studies

This course provides students with the experience of reading a number of Koine Greek texts from biblical literature and other early Christian texts.

Assessment
40% Translation notebook with text critical notes. 60% on exegetical essay including text-critical analysis.

Course organiser: DR PAUL FOSTER
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 1

Course summary (PDF):
Advanced Greek Readings (BIST11003)

This course aims to consolidate reading of classical Hebrew and to enrich experience of textual history and exegesis of the Hebrew Bible.

Assessment
Seminar presentation, 20%
Exegetical essay (3000 words), 80%

Course organiser: PROF HANS BARSTAD
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 2

Course summary (PDF):
Advanced Hebrew Texts B (BIST11012)

The aim of the course is to develop critical reading of large parts of the biblical prophetic corpus. It considers the depiction of prophets and seers and 'men of God' in the books of the Bible. And it looks in turn at the Hebrew books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and the 'Book of the Twelve'.

Assessment
3000-word essay

Course organiser: PROF HANS BARSTAD
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 1

Course summary (PDF):
Hebrew Prophecy (BIST11004)

An examination of theological themes in Jewish and Christian interpretation of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament.

Assessment
Summative: 50% critical assessment portfolio (weekly essays); 50% 3000-word research essay; formative: seminar leadership and participation.

Course organiser: DR DAVID REIMER
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 1

Course details on DRPS:
Hebrew Scripture Theology (BIST11009)

This course focuses on detailed exegesis of selected texts from the Greek New Testament. Emphasis will be given to linguistic, theological, historical and literary issues.

Assessment
Exegetical Essay of 5,000 words, 90% assessment. Class Participation 10%.

Course organiser: DR HELEN BOND
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 2

Course summary (PDF):
New Testament Exegesis (BIST11017)

This course explores the ways in which the core biblical texts of creation and miracle have been understood and interpreted by Christians, scientists and biblical scholars in the light of modern science.

Assessment
20% presentation, 80% essay

Course organiser: DR MARK HARRIS
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 1

Course summary (PDF):
Science and Scripture (THET11038)

Introducing students to the School's research culture, the norms of the different disciplines within Divinity and Religious Studies, and the School's resources (including library and computing facilities), this course also addresses critical thinking, succinct critical speaking, research project approaches and best scholarly practice.

Assessment
1000-word review of a research seminar paper (25%)
Oral presentation (25%)
2000-word book review (50%)

Course organiser: DR SARA PARVIS
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Full Year

Course summary (PDF):
Approaches to Research in Divinity and Religious Studies (DIVI1009)

The course is designed to enable postgraduate students to understand and critique key figures and approaches in twentieth century and contemporary Christian ethics, to deepen skills in Christian moral reasoning, and to mobilise such skills in relation to contemporary moral issues such as international conflict and its representation in the mass media.

Assessment
A 3-4,000 word essay. The title and outline of the essay are to be agred with the course manager.

Course organiser: PROF JOLYON MITCHELL
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 1

Course summary (PDF):
Christian Ethics (THET11008)

To provide candidates with a multidisciplinary understanding of ecological ethics. Mobilising insights and perspectives from anthropology, ecology, ecological economics, philosophy and theology the emphasis will be upon the contrasting ways in which human cultural practices frame human-nature interactions in premodernity, modernity and postmodernity.

Assessment
Students will be asked to submit a 3000 word essay..

Course organiser: PROF MICHAEL NORTHCOTT
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 1

Course summary (PDF):
Ecology, Ethics and Spirit (THET11011)

This is a postgraduate course and the core module for Theological Ethics with special reference to the Media programme. The aim of this course is to develop skills for the critical evaluation of different media from a range of theological perspectives.

Assessment
A 3000 word essay analysing specific aspect of theological significance related to the media and topics covered in the course. Plus at least one presentation per term..

Course organiser: PROF JOLYON MITCHELL
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 2

Course summary (PDF):
Media Literacy and Theology (THET11006)

This course is designed to enable students to: Deepen their critical abilities to interpret film; Understand key concepts in film criticism and theory; Evaluate specific theological and religious approaches to film. Deconstruct underlying world-views embodied in cinematic narratives and characterisations.

Assessment
Students will be asked to submit a 3,000 word essay.

Course organiser: PROF JOLYON MITCHELL
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 2

Course summary (PDF):
Film and Religion (THET11024)

The course will examine the philosophical assumptions implicit in different judgments about anthropogenic climate change, ethical dilemmas arising from these judgements, and competing responses to these dilemmas among natural scientists, philosophers, social theorists and theologians.

Assessment
Formative assessment will be given on weekly blog discussion of set texts.
Summative assessment will be as follows:

• A mid-semester essay of 2000 words (40%)
• An end of semester essay of 3000 words (60%)

Course organiser: PROF MICHAEL NORTHCOTT
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 2

Course summary (PDF):
The Ethics of Climate Change (THET11033)

Introducing students to the School's research culture, the norms of the different disciplines within Divinity and Religious Studies, and the School's resources (including library and computing facilities), this course also addresses critical thinking, succinct critical speaking, research project approaches and best scholarly practice.

Assessment
1000-word review of a research seminar paper (25%)
Oral presentation (25%)
2000-word book review (50%)

Course organiser: DR SARA PARVIS
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Full Year

Course summary (PDF):
Approaches to Research in Divinity and Religious Studies (DIVI1009)

The aim of the course is to help students to understand the dynamics of conflict and to develop strategies for handling it positively in a ministry setting.

Assessment
Following the normal practice in the School of Divinity, all students will be assessed on the basis of a 3,000 word essay.

Course organiser: DR CECELIA CLEGG
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 2

Course summary (PDF):
Handling Groups and Conflict (THET11022)

This course equips students with the skills to carry out theoretical, ethical and practical aspects of fieldwork, including the very particular issues faced in this field.

Assessment
20% joint research exercise, 80% individual research project

Course organiser: DR ELIZABETH KOEPPING
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 2

Course summary (PDF):
The Practice of Fieldwork in the Study of Religion (REST11020)

This course explores in depth different theological perspectives on reconciliation at individual and societal levels.

Assessment
25% - weekly written reflections on texts for the PG seminars; 75% - 3000 to 4000 word essay.

Course organiser:
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 1

Course details on DRPS:
Theological Perspectives on Reconciliation (THET11036)

Introducing students to the School's research culture, the norms of the different disciplines within Divinity and Religious Studies, and the School's resources (including library and computing facilities), this course also addresses critical thinking, succinct critical speaking, research project approaches and best scholarly practice.

Assessment
1000-word review of a research seminar paper (25%)
Oral presentation (25%)
2000-word book review (50%)

Course organiser: DR SARA PARVIS
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Full Year

Course summary (PDF):
Approaches to Research in Divinity and Religious Studies (DIVI1009)

An exploration of key issues recently explored in the science-theology field. Attention will be given to Big Bang cosmology, biological evolution, the neurosciences, the soul/mind problem, and the end of the universe. The aim is to foster an in-depth understanding of the role of religious belief in modern scientific practice and the challenge of science to religious orthodoxies.

Assessment
20% on seminar presentation of 1,000 words and participation in weekly seminars; 80% on one essay of 3,000 words.

Course organiser: DR MARK HARRIS
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 2

Course summary (PDF):
Cosmos, Cell and Creator (THET11035)

This course aims to provide a broad overview of some of the most salient developments in the history of the relations between science and religion. It is offered as an option within the MTh (Theology in History) programme, but is also available to other MTh/MSc programmes in the School of Divinity and more widely in the College of Humanities and Social Science.

Assessment
One 3000 word essay to be submitted. Students should write an essay on one of the seminar themes.

Course organiser: PROF DAVID FERGUSSON
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 1

Course summary (PDF):
History of Science and Religion in the Christian Tradition (THET11015)

The course will examine the philosophical assumptions implicit in different judgments about anthropogenic climate change, ethical dilemmas arising from these judgements, and competing responses to these dilemmas among natural scientists, philosophers, social theorists and theologians.

Assessment
Formative assessment will be given on weekly blog discussion of set texts.
Summative assessment will be as follows:

• A mid-semester essay of 2000 words (40%)
• An end of semester essay of 3000 words (60%)

Course organiser: PROF MICHAEL NORTHCOTT
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 2

Course summary (PDF):
The Ethics of Climate Change (THET11033)

To provide candidates with a multidisciplinary understanding of ecological ethics. Mobilising insights and perspectives from anthropology, ecology, ecological economics, philosophy and theology the emphasis will be upon the contrasting ways in which human cultural practices frame human-nature interactions in premodernity, modernity and postmodernity.

Assessment
Students will be asked to submit a 3000 word essay..

Course organiser: PROF MICHAEL NORTHCOTT
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 1

Course summary (PDF):
Ecology, Ethics and Spirit (THET11011)

This course explores the ways in which the core biblical texts of creation and miracle have been understood and interpreted by Christians, scientists and biblical scholars in the light of modern science.

Assessment
20% presentation, 80% essay

Course organiser: DR MARK HARRIS
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 1

Course summary (PDF):
Science and Scripture (THET11038)

This course examines the cultural impact of "Scientific Revolution" figures - such as Galileo, Descartes, Francis Bacon, Isaac Newton - on the Enlightenment, and how scientific ideas first came to supplant the authority of religion.

Assessment
One essay, 3000-4000 words

Course organiser: PROFESSOR JOHN HENRY (SPS)
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 2

Course summary (PDF):
Man and the Natural World in the Enlightenment (PGHC11205)

This course will offer detailed seminars on key philosophical issues in the philosophy of time, tense and persistence, both classical and modern. No detailed logical or metaphysical expertise will be assumed, and the course is intended to be accessible to students with a wide range of philosophical interests and aptitudes.

Assessment
One 2500 word essay

Course organiser: DR ALASDAIR RICHMOND (PPLS)
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 1

Course summary (PDF):
Philosophy of Time (PHIL11081)

Using some of the world’s greatest literature, spanning 2000 years, this course looks at imaginative ways into the science-religion debate and the dilemmas of faith.

Assessment
20% presentation, 80% essay

Course organiser: DR MARK HARRIS
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 2

Course summary (PDF):
Science and Religion in Literature (THET11037)

An exploration of the thought of eleven key figures - Pascal, Priestley, Miller, Huxley, Eddington, Teilhard, Bonhoeffer, Moltmann, Pannenberg, Peacocke, Polkinghorne - and how their work changed the face of the science-religion debate.

Assessment
20% presentation, 80% essay

Course organiser: DR MARK HARRIS
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 2

Course summary (PDF):
Key Thinkers in Science and Religion (THET11039)

This course will offer detailed seminars on key philosophical issues in evolution and evolutionary theory. No background in biology or life-sciences will be assumed, and the course is intended to be accessible to students with a wide range of philosophical interests and aptitudes.

Assessment
One 2500 word essay

Course organiser: DR ALASDAIR RICHMOND ( PPLS)
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 1

Course summary (PDF):
Philosophical Issues in Evolution (PHIL11083)

This course explores the ways in which the core biblical texts of creation and miracle have been understood and interpreted by Christians, scientists and biblical scholars in the light of modern science.

Assessment
20% presentation, 80% essay

Course organiser: DR MARK HARRIS
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 1

Course summary (PDF):
Science and Scripture (THET11038)

Introducing students to the School's research culture, the norms of the different disciplines within Divinity and Religious Studies, and the School's resources (including library and computing facilities), this course also addresses critical thinking, succinct critical speaking, research project approaches and best scholarly practice.

Assessment
1000-word review of a research seminar paper (25%)
Oral presentation (25%)
2000-word book review (50%)

Course organiser: DR SARA PARVIS
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Full Year

Course summary (PDF):
Approaches to Research in Divinity and Religious Studies (DIVI1009)

This core course explores the evolution and development of some central themes and concepts in the academic study of religion such as:

• Religion and Globalization
• Secularization/Desecularization
• Religion as Social Capital
• Religion and Visual Culture
• Material Culture and Religion
• Orientalism/post-colonialism
• Study of myth and/or ritual
• High/low dichotomy in the Study of Religion
• Spirituality and Religious Experience
• Contemporary Atheism, Irreligion and rejection of religion
• Religion, Violence and Conflict
• Religion and Rational Choice Theory
• Religion and Politics
• Religion and Marginalization
• Religion and Land
• Time and Space
• Authority, Power and Transmission of religion
• Inter-religious dialogue

Course organiser: DR AFE ADOGAME
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 2

Course details on DRPS:
Selected Themes in the Study of Religion (REST11008)

This core course explores key theoretical and methodological issues in the study of religion by reviewing of some of the foundational figures associated with the development of Religious Studies as a discipline, critically examining the relationships between phenomenology, history, philosophy, theology, cultural studies and the social sciences, analysing the significance of the new cognitive science of religion and engaging with pressing issues in the study of religion, such as the insider-outsider problem and the socially engaged scholar of religion. Assessment
Students are required to write a 3,000-4,000 word essay on an agreed topic.

Course organiser: DR ARKOTONG LONGKUMER
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 1

Course summary (PDF):
Theory and Method in the Study of Religion (REST11012)

This course examines the process of Christian expansion into Asia over the last 2000 years; the power, purpose and response of the missionized and the missionizing, and the interaction of Christianity with various local religious traditions and expectations: it thus touches upon politics, comparative religion and anthropology.

Assessment
Students will be asked to submit a 3000 word essay at the end of the course. Class participation = 10%

Course organiser: DR ELIZABETH KOEPPING
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 2

Course summary (PDF):
Christian History in Asia (WRCH11008)

This course will explore popular Hindu traditions, and will investigate its diversity through history, power and agency. It will challenge the homogenised 'world religions' model using anthropological methods in understanding religions, and highlight the significance of perspectives using ethnographic, textual, theoretical, and visual sources.

Assessment
One essay of 3000-3500 words.

Course organiser: DR ARKOTONG LONGKUMER
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 1

Course summary (PDF):
Hindu Traditions: Critical Investigations (REST11018)

This course investigates the popular field of beliefs and practices known as 'new age' or 'holistic' 'spirituality'. Methodology combines empirical study, historical contextualization and theoretical analysis. The aim of the course is to explain the history, structure and popular appeal of the phenomenon through multi-causal analysis. We begin with the problem of demarcating a highly fluid field of beliefs, practices and people, examining various definitions of 'new age', as well the theoretical cogency of defining 'new age' as a form of 'religion'. We examine the role of authority and tradition in the development of a culture of 'seekership', spread via networks, small groups and model biographies. Using qualitative and quantitative data, we study the socio-demographic base of 'new age' in the context of patterns in religious pluralization and consumption in the modern world. Finally, we assess the overall social and public significance of 'new age spirituality'.

Assessment
Students are required to write a 3,000-4,000 word essay on an agreed topic.

Course organiser: DR STEVEN SUTCLIFFE
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 1

Course summary (PDF):
New Age Spirituality in Contemporary Culture (REST11010)

The course will explore how scripture, theology and social realities reflect the complex and competing claims around issues of gender and ethics in Islamic thought and society. Through a variety of primary and secondary sources (in English), the course will look at select ethical themes including medical ethics and criminal law as well as the feminist and human rights debates which continue to challenge and shape Muslim societies and their understanding of spiritual and legal equality.

Assessment
One essay of 3,000-4,000 words = 100%.

Course organiser: PROF MONA SIDDIQUI
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 1

Course summary (PDF):
Reflections on Gender and Ethics in Classical and Contemporary Islam (REST11016)

The course will acquaint students with the new African religious diaspora, providing an overview of the historical development and variety of African Christian religious communities particularly in Europe and North America. The course also identifies emerging themes and trends in the study of African religious diaspora; and highlights the public role and social relevance of African Christian communities in civic life.

Assessment
One, 3,000 word essay.

Course organiser: DR AFE ADOGAME
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 1

Course details on DRPS:
Religion and the New African Diaspora (REST11002)

Are nations natural or imagined? And how does religion contribute to this discussion? This course will address these issues and explore the limits and possibilities of nationhood by examining a variety of theoretical problems in the study of nationalism and religion.

Assessment
3000-3500 word essay (60%), book review (20%), class participation and presentation (20%)

Course organiser: DR ARKO LONGKUMER
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 2

Course details on DRPS:
Religion and Nationalism: Theory and Performance (REST11002)

A survey of visual representations of the Holocaust in art, museums and film. These representations will be analysed with methods in Religious and Cultural Studies. Students will be introduced to artworks beginning with such iconic images as Chagall's crucifixion series. Secondly, students will discuss the representation of the Holocaust in museums, focusing on exhibitions in Britain such as the Imperial War Museum Holocaust Exhibition. Thirdly, students will analyse filmic representations of the Holocaust ranging from documentaries such as Alain Resnais' Night and Fog to more recent productions such as Paul Verhoeven's Black Book and Stefan Ruzowitzky's The Counterfeiters. An analytic thread through this diverse material will be the identification of religious motifs and inscriptions of Jewishness.

Assessment
One essay of 3000-4000 words.

Course organiser: DR HANNAH HOLTSCHNEIDER
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 2

Course summary (PDF):
The Holocaust in Visual Culture (REST11017)

This course equips students with the skills to carry out theoretical, ethical and practical aspects of fieldwork, including the very particular issues faced in this field.

Assessment
20% joint research exercise, 80% individual research project

Course organiser: DR ELIZABETH KOEPPING
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 2

Course summary (PDF):
The Practice of Fieldwork in the Study of Religion (REST11020)

Introducing students to the School's research culture, the norms of the different disciplines within Divinity and Religious Studies, and the School's resources (including library and computing facilities), this course also addresses critical thinking, succinct critical speaking, research project approaches and best scholarly practice.

Assessment
1000-word review of a research seminar paper (25%)
Oral presentation (25%)
2000-word book review (50%)

Course organiser: DR SARA PARVIS
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Full Year

Course summary (PDF):
Approaches to Research in Divinity and Religious Studies (DIVI1009)

The course is concerned with some of the major phases of theological debate and clarification in both Western and Eastern Christianity down to the late medieval centuries, and with their credal and other definitional outcomes.

Assessment
The course will be examined by a 3,000 word essay based on one of the key texts studied in the seminar.

Course organiser: DR SUSAN HARDMAN MOORE
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 1

Course summary (PDF):
Creeds, Councils and Controversies: Patristic and Medieval (ECHS11003)

The aim of the course is to enable students to understand and reflect critically upon the historical contexts in which theology has been developed and assailed, c 1500-2000. The course therefore explores major challenges to faith that have shaped theology in the period, namely confessional divisions of the Reformation era; the development of biblical criticism; the rise of modern science; the spread in the West of industrial society, secularism, Christian pluralism; the globalisation and diversification of Christianity via the overseas mission movement; Nazi ideology.

Assessment
Students must submit a 3,000 word essay.

Course organiser: PROF JANE DAWSON
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 2

Course summary (PDF):
Creeds, Councils and Controversies: Reformation and Modern (ECHS11004)

The thought of Augustine in the context of the Christian and educational culture of his day and the decline of the Roman Empire in the West. The course will concentrate on the Confessions, the City of God, and On the Trinity, with a brief look at On Christian Teaching (De Doctrina Christiana) and some of Augustine's sermons.

Assessment
Formative: one 1000-word blog commentary.
Summative: one 3,000-4,000 word essay.

Course organiser: DR SARA PARVIS
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 2

Course summary (PDF):
Augustine: Confession, City of God, On the Trinity (ECHS11014)

This course will look at major developments in Byzantine theology from the Council of Chalcedon to the aftermath of the Fall of Constantinople. The course will focus on a representative series of major texts, including conciliar documents, saints' lives, and writings of major theologians such as Maximus the Confessor and Gregory Palamas. Consideration will be given to the reciprocal influence between social and political questions on the one hand, and theological articulations on the other.

Assessment
One 1,000-word online commentary; one 2,000-3,000 word essay on a topic to be agreed with the course instructor.

Course organiser: DR SARA PARVIS / DR PAUL PARVIS
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 1

Course summary (PDF):
Byzantine Theology 451-1672 (ECHS11016)

The aim is to consider the character of Calvinist theology and piety in England, New England and Scotland, at a critical stage in the evolution of international Calvinism.

Assessment
Students are required to write an essay of 3000 words.

Course organiser: DR SUSAN HARDMAN MOORE
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 1

Course summary (PDF):
Calvinist Theology and Piety in Britain and America, c. 1590-1660 (ECHS11006)

This course offers the opportunity for sustained critical engagement with Friedrich Schleiermacher's The Christian Faith, one of the landmark works of nineteenth-century theology. The course will proceed carefully through this text, exploring its methodology and investigating a range of theological loci en route. At each stage, the course seeks to promote a critical yet constructive dialogue between Schleiermacher and alternative theological positions.

Assessment
The assessment will be based on an essay of 3.000-4.000 words.

Course organiser: DR PAUL NIMMO
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 1

Course summary (PDF):
Friedrich Schleiermacher's The Christian Faith (THET11029)

It will study the Scottish Church during one of the most important periods in its history, when it was by far the wealthiest and most powerful institution in the kingdom and exerted a dominant influence upon the lives of the Scottish people and it will examine the beliefs and practices of late medieval Christianity within the Scottish context.

Assessment
Essay (100%)

Course organiser: PROF JANE DAWSON
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 2

Course summary (PDF):
People, Prelates and Purgatory: Religious Perspectives in Late Medieval Scotland (ECHS11008)

An exploration of religion and the Enlightenment in its national contexts in Europe and North America.

Assessment
An essay of 3,000-4,000 words.

Course organiser: PROF STEWART BROWN
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 1

Course summary (PDF):
Religion and the Enlightenment: The Birth of the Modern (ECHS11013)

This course offers the opportunity for sustained critical engagement the phenomenon of religion in modernity and post-modernity and engages with three critical thinkers: Kant, Marx, and Derrida.

Assessment
The assessment will be based on an essay of 3,000 words. Students will be required, as a result of a search strategy, to identify resources to enable a final essay.

Course organiser: DR MICHAEL PURCELL
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 2

Course summary (PDF):
Religion and Philosophy (THET11031)

This course offers the opportunity for sustained critical engagement with the reparative reasoning of three classic twentieth century philosophers, Peirce, Collingwood and Wittgenstein. It examines their proposed repairs of philosophy, and considers their implications for theology.

Assessment
There will be two essays required, each of 3000-4000 words. The first, due in the middle of the semester, will be graded but the mark will not count towards the course mark. The second, due at the end of the semester, will be graded on the agreed common marking scale, and will produce the grade for the course.

Course organiser: DR NICK ADAMS
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 1

Course summary (PDF):
Reparative Reasoning in Peirce, Collingwood and Wittgenstein (THET11032)

The notion of 'sacrament' is bound up with the notions of 'sign', 'symbol', 'presence', and 'representation', and has been a divisive focal point among Christian traditions. Yet, since Derrida's deconstruction of the sign, understanding 'sacrament' in terms of presence and signfication have become a problem and a challenge.

Assessment
Students will be required to write a 3000 word essay.

Course organiser: DR MICHAEL PURCELL
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 1

Course summary (PDF):
Sacramental Theology in a Postmodern Context (THET11016)

The course, which is intended primarily for students of the MSc in First Millennium Studies, will provide an overview of the politics and theology of the Seven Ecumenical Councils recognised in the first millennium by both East and West.

Assessment
3000-word essay, 100%.

Course organiser: DR SARA PARVIS
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 1

Course summary (PDF):
The Seven Ecumenical Councils 325-787 (ECHS11010)

Introducing students to the School's research culture, the norms of the different disciplines within Divinity and Religious Studies, and the School's resources (including library and computing facilities), this course also addresses critical thinking, succinct critical speaking, research project approaches and best scholarly practice.

Assessment
1000-word review of a research seminar paper (25%)
Oral presentation (25%)
2000-word book review (50%)

Course organiser: DR SARA PARVIS
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Full Year

Course summary (PDF):
Approaches to Research in Divinity and Religious Studies (DIVI1009)

The first part of a core course for candidates for this Masters course which offers them the opportunity to study in depth Christian history, thought and practice in and from Africa, Asia and Latin America. Primary attention is given to methods for the study of indigenous forms and expressions of Christianity, to issues of culture and gender, and to changing patterns of relationship between Christianity in the West and other parts of the world. Issues of religious pluralism feature significantly in terms of the interaction between Christianity and other religious traditions.

Assessment
Students are required to write a 3000 word essay.

Course organiser: DR ELIZABETH KOEPPING
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 1

Course summary (PDF):
Concepts and Methods in the Study of World Christianity (WRCH11017)

The second part of a core course for candidates for this Masters course which offers them the opportunity to study in depth Christian history, thought and practice in and from Africa, Asia and Latin America. Primary attention is given to methods for the study of indigenous forms and expressions of Christianity, to issues of culture and gender, and to changing patterns of relationship between Christianity in the West and other parts of the world. Issues of religious pluralism feature significantly in terms of the interaction between Christianity and other religious traditions.

Assessment
Students are required to write a 3000 word essay.

Course organiser: DR AFE ADOGAME
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 2

Course summary (PDF):
Selected Themes in the Study of world Christianity (WRCH11018)

This course examines the process of Christian expansion into Asia over the last 2000 years; the power, purpose and response of the missionized and the missionizing, and the interaction of Christianity with various local religious traditions and expectations: it thus touches upon politics, comparative religion and anthropology.

Assessment
Students will be asked to submit a 3000 word essay at the end of the course. Class participation = 10%

Course organiser: DR ELIZABETH KOEPPING
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 2

Course summary (PDF):
Christian History in Asia (WRCH11008)

Christian Theologies in/from Asia are as varied as the historical and cultural contexts in which they arise. They can challenge (and be challenged by) the existential assumptions underlying theological writings originating from the more traditional 'owners of the faith'. The course covers general issues of inculturation, linked to theologians such as Schreiter, Shorter, Bevans, then takes a more regional approach, considering writings from India, China, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Malaysia.

Assessment
Students are required to complete a 3000 word essay.

Course organiser: DR ELIZABETH KOEPPING
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 1

Course summary (PDF):
Christian History in Asia (WRCH11006)

The course explores some of the major themes in the history of Christianity in Africa since the late nineteenth century. Topics include black missionaries and indigenous leadership, African culture and African churches, women in African Christianity and Church and State in independent Africa. As far as possible these themes will be studied from an afro-centric perspective.

Assessment
Students will be asked to submit a 3000 word essay, on a topic to be agreed with the course manager.

Course organiser: PROF BRIAN STANLEY
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 2

Course summary (PDF):
History of Christianity in Africa (WRCH11003)

This course equips students with the skills to carry out theoretical, ethical and practical aspects of fieldwork, including the very particular issues faced in this field.

Assessment
20% joint research exercise, 80% individual research project

Course organiser: DR ELIZABETH KOEPPING
Credits: 20
Delivery period: Semester 2

Course summary (PDF):
The Practice of Fieldwork in the Study of Religion (REST11020)