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Visiting Student and Broad Curriculum Module Directory Information Trinity Module Name and course code

Credits(ECTS)

Quota

Duration and semester

Prerequisite Subjects

Course Description and Learning Outcomes

Assessment Contact Hours

Contact Person

REU12731Jewish Thought & Practice

5 None Michaelmas No Prerequisite

This module introduces key social, cultural, and religious aspects of Jewish thought and practice fromantiquity to our own time. The focus of this module is on Judaism as a major world religion that has shapedWestern Civilization.

Rabbinic textual traditions that underpin Jewish religious thought—especially theMishnah, Talmud, and Midrashim—are explored. Calendar, festivals (esp. Day of Atonement, New Year,Festival of Booths, Passover, Hanukkah), and rites of passage (e.g. birth, circumcision, Bar/Bat Mitzvah,marriage, divorce, death) are studied both within the classroom as well as, when appropriate, in visits tolocal Jewish synagogues.

Contemporary Jewish movements and the history of their traditions (e.g., Modern Orthodoxy, Reform, Conservatism) come into view along with their different beliefs and practices (e.g.,kashrut, Sabbath, worship, prayer).

National movements within

This module is assessed by a portfolio of 3 pieces of work each worth 33%:

(1) a Wikipedia-style entry on an assigned topic;

(2) a 1,000-word book review; and

(3) notes from lectures.

22 Prof. Benjamin Wold

modern Judaism (e.g., Zionism, diasporanationalism) are also considered.

Learning Outcomes: On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:

1. Articulate key characteristics of the Mishnah, Talmud, and Midrashim.

2. Describe how different Jewish holidays and rites are observed.

3. Distinguish between different Jewish movements.

4. Define Zionism and diaspora nationalism.

5. Recall prominent leaders and thinkers in Jewish history.

6. Use basic research tools in Jewish Studies.

REU12701Approaches to the Study of Religion


Religion as a cultural phenomenon is interrelated with all aspects of human life. A broad range of approaches are applied within the academic study of religion.

After a short overview of the

70% Research Essay 2000-2500 words; 30 % exercise (1000 words)

22 Professor Alexandra Grieser

disciplinary history of this subject, the course will provide an introductory understanding of ‘classical’ approaches such as the sociology, the anthropology and the psychology of religion, and of more recently emerging concepts such as the economy or the aesthetics of religion.

Learning Outcomes:On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:Recognize religion as a complex and interrelated cultural phenomenon.

Identify key approaches in the development of the academic study of religion Recognize the multi-methodical structure of the discipline and distinguish different methodologies and perspectives.

Characterise classical positions and their foundational concepts and relate them to their historical, social and philosophical contexts.

Apply concepts to empirical cases.Critically reflect on their own notion of and interest in religion.

REU12712 Introduction to Philosophy


This course introduces students to the study of philosophy. It explores the major themes pursued and arguments put forward by Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Descartes, Hume, Kant, and Wittgenstein.

Annual examination (60%) and written assignment (1,000 words) (40%).

22 Dr Ciarán McGlynn

It will explore the views of these thinkers on questions like: What is the nature of reality? What is knowledge, and is it possible? How is the mind related to the body? What is meant by virtue ethics? Students will be taught how to critically engage with these views.

Learning Outcomes: On successful completion of this module students will be able to:

Read philosophical texts in their historical context

Identify and critically evaluate philosophical theories and arguments

Write essays in a critical and dialectical manner

REU12101Introducing the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible


This module aims to introduce students to the literary genres and theological contours of the Hebrew canon and its transmission, translation and interpretation in antiquity and in contemporary culture.

The variety of terms used to designate the ‘Hebrew Bible’ (e.g. Old Testament, Hebrew Scriptures, Tanak) indicate the richness of traditions related to these writings, the various ways that they are viewed, and also their life within different communities at different

Review of a biblical film (1250 words) (50%), In-class test (50 min) (50%).

22 Prof. David Shepherd

times. This module will orient students to the literary and theological contours of the Hebrew canon, introducing them to the rich variety of genres within.

The exploration of the Pentateuch and Chronicler’s History will provide a historiographical framework and develop students’ ability to identify literary themes while interrogation of the Prophets, Psalms and Wisdom Literature will demonstrate the incredible diversity of literary and theological genres contained within the Hebrew Bible.

Students will also be introduced to the interpretation of the Hebrew Bible in antiquity and in contemporary culture

Learning Outcomes:On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:1. Understand the diversity of canonical contents and contours within the Hebrew Bible.

2. Identify key figures and events described in the Hebrew Bible.

3. Trace and analyse key themes in the Hebrew Bible.

4. Appreciate the complexities of the Hebrew Bible’s transmission and translation and interpretation

in antiquity.

5. Reflect on their own work for the purposes of their scholarly development.

6. Critically evaluate the reception of the Hebrew Bible in contemporary popular culture

REU12301Introducing Theology: Key Questions


The module examines key questions and turning points in theological thinking from Antiquity to Modernity. Beginning with the development of monotheism, the achievements in Christology in the ecumenical councils and the schism East and West.

It will investigate biblical sources of the doctrine of God; outline the debates on imago Dei, free will and original sin in theological anthropology, compare models of salvation, and discuss theologies of history on theodicy and eschatology.

New challenges to and responses from theology in relation to modernity’s turn to subjectivity, critiques of religion (from philosophy and the social, medical and natural sciences), and the place of theology as a subject in the modern university will conclude the module

1. locate key themes, authors and turning points on a timeline from Antiquity to the present

2. appreciate the distinct methods of disciplines and their normative standards

3. deal with ambiguity and

Summative assessment: 60 % exam (1.5 hours), Formative assessment: 30 % essay of 1200 words and review report of 500 words (10%)

22 Prof. Cathriona Russell, Prof. Maureen Junker-Kenny

productive conflict in sources, such as biblical texts and their history of reception

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:

1. relate the development of key themes in Christian theology to the intellectual contexts of the reception of the New Testament

2. distinguish critically between eras and their key concerns and categories of thinking in outlining the historical development of theological discourse 3. relate historical and philological research in biblical studies to systematic theology

4. present through appropriate media some major theological achievements in each epoch

5. demonstrate historical and hermeneutical skills in placing authors in the eras they encountered, shaped and created

6. Discover changes in frameworks for learning by analysing reasons for and against teaching theology as a

subject at the modern university.

REU12501Ethics Matters: Global Questions, Ethical Responses


This module aims to examine the importance of ethics in today’s world through the lens of a range of critical contemporary moral issues.

The moral issues to be interrogated may vary from year to year but will focus on political, social and economic ethical questions, for example, global inequality, political violence and genocide, immigration, environmental issues, international finance and globalisation, technology and artificial intelligence, issues in biomedical sciences and ageing.

Through an analysis of these critical issues, students will be introduced to modes of ethical analysis and reflection, to ethical reasoning and argumentation, and to key theological and philosophical moral categories and traditions. Briefly provide details of module syllabus. The module will begin with a consideration of the nature of ethical analysis and investigation, and discuss the importance of bringing an ethical analysis to bear on a range of contemporary issues.

Students will be introduced to some of the major philosophical and religious/theological approaches to ethics, drawing on a range of

300 word analysis of a case, identifying ethical questions. Formative Assessment, 15%Oral presentation Formative Assessment 15%1,500 word essay Summative assessment 70%

22 Prof. Jacob Erickson, coordinator of co-taught module

traditions from across the globe. Key ethical categories, modes of ethical reasoning and traditions of argumentation will be considered. These theoretical dimensions will be analysed, both in their more abstract manifestations and as they are raised through key contemporary socio-political issues, for example global inequality, political violence and genocide, immigration, environmental issues, international finance and globalisation, technology and artificial intelligence, issues in biomedical sciences and ageing

Learning Outcomes:On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:

1. Understand and analyse modes of ethical reflection and analysis;

2. Understand and analyse some of the different philosophical and religious approaches to ethical reasoning and argumentation;

3. Interrogate a number of contemporary moral issues through the lens of ethical reasoning;

4. Identify key ethical dimensions of a range of contemporary issues in political life including for example economic inequality, political violence, immigration, globalisation,

and technologyREU23901The Historical Jesus and the Gospel


Who was the historical Jesus – the Jewish Galilean whose activities and death resulted in the emergence ofChristianity? This module explores questions about Jesus the man, his world, his social and literaryEnvironment, his disciples, and their literary activities.

The history of research on the historical Jesus (i.e., the so-called “three quests”) orient this module before turning to a sustained study of the earliest witness to his life and those of his followers, namely the synoptic gospels: Matthew, Mark, and Luke. When studying the context of Jesus and the gospels their environments and social milieu are introduced vis-à-vis material culture and archaeology.

Key themes, particularly ancient Jewish “Messianism” as it relates to the portrayal of Jesus as “Christ,” are considered in light of Qumran Discoveries (e.g., so-called “4QMessianic Apocalypse”).

Students are also inducted to the various historical and literary methods and approaches used when studying the synoptic gospels.

Learning Outcomes: On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:

This module is assessed by a portfolio of 4 pieces of work each worth 25%: (1) Gobbet 1; (2) Gobbet 2; (3) a Wikipedia-style entry on assigned topic (including images); and (4) a 1,000 word book review.

22 Prof. Benjamin Wold

1. Assess the distinguishing characteristics of each “quest” for the historical Jesus.

2. Appraise at least three approaches to resolving the synoptic problem.

3. Debate approaches/methods historians have developed to read the gospels.

4. Dialogue at an intermediate level about philosophical and religious movements with which Jesus has been associated (e.g., Cynics, apocalyptic prophets, etc.).

5. Compare and contrast Jesus with other religious leaders/figures contemporary to him.

REU33101Eucharistic Theology


This module will examine the claim across churches that the Church is most itself when it gathers to celebrate the Eucharist.

The module will trace the origins of the Eucharist in the New Testament, and how this was understood in selected early church

Annual examination (70%) and essay (30%)

22 Prof. Fáinche Ryan

writings. Some disputes over the Eucharist that have arisen over the centuries will be discussed, as well as the attempts of various churches to articulate a new synthesis in contemporary ecumenical dialogue.

To this end the bilateral discussion on Eucharist (ARCIC), and the relevant section of the Lima Statement of convergence from the 1982 World Council of Churches will be explored.

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:Assess theories relating to the origins of the Eucharist in the New Testament.

Debate and critique the patristic theories, the medieval synthesis as well as contemporary directions in Eucharistic theology.

Identify relationships between different theologies of church, ordained ministry, and Eucharist.Analyse and appraise current directions in ecumenical discussions.Evaluate contemporary positions relating to Eucharist.

Contribute to debate on

contemporary diverse theologies of Eucharistic practice.

REU33111Mission, Culture and Diversity in a Global World


A biblical survey of the idea of ‘mission’ will examine selected passages from Genesis, Exodus, the Psalms, Job, Jonah, and the Prophets (especially Deutero-Isaiah). The context and content of the mission of Jesus will also be studied, as well as the various New Testament paradigms of mission found in Lucan, Pauline and Johannine communities.

The module will analyse the general trends in Christian mission history from approximately the European age of exploration to the present day (late fifteenth century to the twenty first century), with a particular emphasis on the Irish missionary movement.A brief survey of the theology of mission to the present day will cover the three major Christian traditions, eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant.

Participants will be invited to identify and explore key features in an emerging ecumenical paradigm of mission and Prof.aw them together into a coherent vision under four headings: the source of mission (the missio Dei); the goal of mission (Reign of God); agents of mission (Holy Spirit; entire church;

Continuous Assessment: 40% class presentation (5-8 mins) and 60% essay 2000 words.

22 Dr Michael Kirwan

specific ecclesial groups); forms of mission (witness and liberation, proclamation and inculturation, inter-faith dialogue, community building).

Learning Outcomes: On successfully completing this

module a student should be able to:

Analyse the historical trends in Christian mission from the fifteenth century to the twenty first.

Appraise the significance of the Irish missionary movement from the mid nineteenth century to the present.

Differentiate diverse theologies of mission that have operated in the course of the history of Christianity down to the present day covering the three major Christian traditions of Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Protestant.

Explain the emerging ecumenical paradigm of mission.

REU24111Messengers of God: Prophets and Prophecy in the Hebrew Bible


This module aims to facilitate students’ deeper acquaintance and critical engagement with the phenomenon of prophecy as we meet it in the so-called ‘Latter Prophets’ of the Hebrew Bible. This module introduces the phenomenon of ‘prophecy’ as we find it represented in the ‘Latter

SF: Weekly critical reflections (totalling 2500 words)JS: Weekly critical reflections (totalling 1000 words) (50%) and Essay (1500


Prophets’ of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament.

In doing so, it explores writings associated with the pre-exilic, exilic and post-exilic periods including Amos, Ezekiel, Daniel, Malachi and especially Isaiah, whose voice resonates throughout these periods, echoes down into the Common Era and is heard prominently in the Christian tradition.

Learning Outcomes:


1. Understand the historical situations out of which these prophetic voices emerge within the Hebrew Bible.

2. Analyse the ethical interests of the prophetic tradition.

3. Evaluate the relationship between prophecy and the apocalyptic tradition.

4. Interrogate the Christian appropriation of the prophetic tradition.

5. Reflect critically on scholarly discussion of texts from this corpus

words) (50%).

and express their own opinion briefly.

6. Write an essay which reflects critical engagement with both the biblical and secondary literature. (JS)

REU23011Hermeneutics


This course will trace the history of interpretation of texts, investigating the nature of language and meaning, of action, interpretation and subjectivity.

It will reflect on the theological and philosophical presuppositions that influenced Biblical interpretation in the history of those texts’ reception. It will explore the hermeneutical approaches and evaluations of Fredrich Schleiermacher, Hans-Georg Gadamer and Paul Ricoeur and case studies in hermeneutics in biblical studies, historiography, translation, ecology, ethics and intercultural encounter.

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:Differentiate the theological and philosophical presuppositions that have influenced Biblical interpretation and text interpretation, particularly since the Enlightenment.

Semester A. examination (70%) and 2000 word essay (30%).

Prof. Cathriona Russell

Identify classical authors in hermeneutics

Demonstrate their understanding by outlining the limits and scope of different approaches to interpretationApply these insights to the interpretation of any text in the contemporary context and validate their insights in a case study.Present their insight in a precise and illustrative paper.

REU23921Christianity and Society


The module begins with different analyses of the changed position of religion in late modern societies: secularization, individualization, and varieties of interpretation of the term “postsecular”. Its second part introduces different schools of social philosophy from Aristotle to contract theory.

The third part compares John Rawls and Jürgen Habermas on their conceptions of justice and democracy, as well as their philosophical and theological critiques. Cases of application will be global poverty and migration.

The fourth part examines the intercultural and interreligious translatability of moral principles, such as human dignity, and of ethical values, using Hans Küng’s discussion with Paul Ricoeur on a

Examination (70%) and 2000 word essay (30%).

Prof. Maureen Junker-Kenny

global ethic as a test case for the role of the particular in a universalist discourse. Part Five examines Christian resources and visions for society, comparing the divergent understandings of “political theology”, of secular society and of church in Radical Orthodoxy and in “Public Theology”.

It concludes with the question of how the public sphere is to be seen: as a space of independent, internally oriented “comprehensive doctrines” of philosophical or religious origin (Rawls), or as a space for dialogue and discourse between these participants, based on justifiable criteria (Habermas).

What conditions does the public realm provide for working out shared new understandings that inform political will formation in pluralist democracies?

Learning Outcomes: On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

· Identify the main concepts which help to understand the dynamic role of religion in modernity, such as secularization, individualization, and pluralization.· Locate the theme within the movements of philosophical,

sociological and theological thought.· Analyse the presuppositions of the different approaches regarding the “will to live together” (H. Arendt), the relationship between theory and praxis, (practical) reason and faith.· Apply the critical debates about these concepts to contemporary challenges like poverty and migration.· Identify key alternatives in the philosophical and theological debates on justice, solidary and cohesion, and argue for their own view on the role of religion in local and global society.

REU23941Contemporary Theories of Religion


This course provides a survey of recent developments in the academic study of religion. We will get to know and discuss contemporary theories of religious thought and behaviour by comparing sociological, cognitive and anthropological approaches to myth, ritual, and religious experience

Learning Outcomes:On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:Recognize the multi-methodical, systematic structure of the discipline and distinguish different methodologies and perspectives.Identify, distinguish and characterise key concepts in the


Prof. Alexandra Grieser

contemporary academic study of religion.

Identify the relevance and consequences of theorizing in the study of religionUnderstand and reconstruct critical discussion of theoretical issuesApply concepts to empirical cases

REU23713The Life of Muhammad: Sources, Methods and Debates


This module aims to introduce students to, and familiarise them with, Main themes in the life of the

Prophet Muhammad Available Islamic sources for the

study of Muhammad's life The construction of

Muhammad's image in Islam. Scholarly approaches to the life

of Muhammad. Islamic and scholarly debates

concerning the life of Muhammad.

This module discusses the portrayal of the Prophet Muhammad in the Islamic sources. It examines the existing sources for this biography, and the various ways in which these have been interpreted within the contexts of Islam and modern scholarship.

Learning OutcomesOn successful completion of this module,

This module is assessed by 1 x 2000 word essay (40%); 1 x exam (1.5 hrs) (60%)

Prof. Zohar Hadromi-Allouche

students should have:

Detailed knowledge of the biography of Muhammad according to traditional sources.

Good knowledge of Muslim sources for the life of Muhammad and how to use them.

Good knowledge of, and an ability to apply, scholarly approaches to the life of Muhammad.

Become aware of various ways for discussing and understanding the Islamic narratives concerning the life of Muhammad.

REU33102Catholic Life and Thought in the Age of the Enlightenment


The purpose of this module is to survey the political, cultural and religious context in which Catholic theology developed in the Age of Enlightenment.

An important aim will be to introduce the student to some representative figures in the theology of the period. The module includes a seminar-study of representative works from the period.

In this module particular attention is given to the French Enlightenment as, arguably, it is the French Enlightenment that

Examination (70%) and essay (30%)

22 Dr Cornelius Casey

impacted most on theological thought in the Irish context.

The module will study the Jansenist movement and its consequences for Catholic thought and life. The battle with Jansenism led to restatements and new expressions of some fundamental Catholic beliefs, e.g. the universal love of God (expressed as devotion to the Heart of Jesus) and the primacy of conscience in moral theology (e.g. Alphonsus Liguori).

The Enlightenment made its contribution to theology through the development of more rigorous historical critical methods. While much nineteenth century theology was a restatement of the past (e.g. Neo-Scholasticism), some theologians like Antonio Rosmini and John Henry Newman articulated a fresher vision of a renewed church. The importance of documents of the first Vatican Council is studied, principally those on Papal primacy, and Faith and Reason.

Catholic Church in post-emancipation Ireland will be considered in the light of the larger theological picture, including the role of Paul Cullen and the so-called ‘devotional revolution’.

Learning Outcomes:

On successfully completing this module students should be able to: Analyse some of the classical

theological texts of this period in their theological and cultural context.

Assess the importance of the Enlightenment for the development of a critical study of the Bible.

Explain the importance of the documents of the first Vatican Council on the relationship between faith and reason in the context of the rationalist critiques of religion in this period

Evaluate the devotional renewal which reached Ireland under Archbishop Paul Cullen.

REU44044Theo-ethics of Global Warming (Advanced Topics in Theological Ethics)

10 None Michaelmas Student must have completed some theology and scripture modules – Lecturer permission required

Pope Francis’s 2015 encyclical letter Laudato si’: On Care for our Common Home states that, “Climate change is a global problem with grave implications: environmental, social, economic, political and for the distribution of goods. It represents one of the principal challenges facing humanity in our day.”

This module will tackle some of the most vexing theo-ethical challenges implicated by human-caused global

Continuous Assessment, 40% Response Essay (1500-2000 words), 40 %Research essay (1500-2000 words), 20% Class Presentation

22 Prof. Jacob Erickson

warming. We’ll ask how theological worldviews contribute to, ignore, or creatively respond to global warming. We’ll explore the science and politics of climate change alongside theological cosmologies. We’ll ask what resources theological ethics might bring to bear on questions of ecojustice, consumerism, fossil fuel use, biodiversity loss, ocean acidification, water shortages, and adaptation to ecological change.

Learning Outcomes:

To articulate major features in the contemporary scientific understanding of global warming.

To articulate and evaluate some key features in the field of religion and ecology.

To evaluate the how ecological ethics theologically responds to global warming.

Articulate your own theological response to global warming in conversation.

REU44133Imagining Moses/Exodus in the Arts (Advanced Topics in Scripture and Exegesis)

10 None Michaelmas Student must have completed some theology and scripture modules –

This module offers students the opportunity to explore how Old Testament stories, characters and themes have been represented in the visual, literary, theatrical and cinematic arts down through the centuries and right up to the present day.

Weekly critical reflections (totalling 1500 words) (50%) and essay (3000 words)(50%).


Lecturer permission required

Through a combination of lectures and seminars, students will be exposed to and encouraged to engage with specific works of art including paintings, plays, poetry, fictional adaptations, moving pictures, always with a view to considering not merely how the biblical tradition has been interpreted but why it has been interpreted in the way it has.

Attention will be paid to aesthetic trends, specific artistic influences, religious and ecclesial contexts and socio-economic factors as we grapple with the complex phenomenon of the reception of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament in these works. Traditions which may be analysed include Cain and Abel, Moses and the Exodus and/or David, Saul and Solomon.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:1. Demonstrate critical understanding of how artistic interpretations of the Old Testament relate to the biblical text2. Evaluate the influence of aesthetic trends and specific artistic influences on artistic representations of the Old

Testament3. Analyze how religious contexts and institutions and socio-economic factors shape interpretations of the Old Testament in the Arts.4. Understand how intermediality shapes the interpretation of the Old Testament in the Arts. 5. Reflect critically on scholarly discussion of the artistic interpretation of the Old Testament and express their own opinions briefly.6. Write an essay which reflects critical engagement with both the biblical and secondary literature.

REU44023 Theological Ethics and Ecology

10 Michaelmas Competence in biblical, theological and/or religious studies

Module Description:

This module will introduce students to the key positions—anthropocentrism, eco-centrism and theocentrism—in environmental theology.

It will explore; the problem of productionism; the question of population, food and freedom; the concept of sustainable development; stewardship ethics; the principle of subsidiarity; and the tangentially related question of animal welfare and rights.

These will be ethically evaluated from philosophical and theological perspectives and through the exploration of scriptural themes in relation to environmental concerns.

One 3,000 word essay

22 Prof. Cathriona Russell

Students will explore the philosophical and ethical assumptions at work in policy formation on biodiversity, on climate change and climate justice and on the ethical questions presented by food biotechnology and synthetic biology as well as intellectual property rights.

They will be expected to develop their analytical and presentation skills through participation in class discussions, the delivery of a student seminar and in a final year examination.

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

Present and interpret the use of key themes and concepts in environmental ethics such as sustainable development, stewardship and climate justiceArticulate and evaluate the core areas of concern in environmental ethics from theological, biblical and philosophical perspectives in such areas as food security, burden-sharing in a changing climate, and biodiversity and resource conservationCritically analyse and evaluate the argumentation and environmental effectiveness of public policy in

Ireland, the EU and globally.

Articulate their analysis and interrogate these evaluations in class and in a formal individual seminar presentation.

REU44933Ethics and Politics

10 Michaelmas Competence in biblical, theological and/or religious studies

This course is aimed to empower students to reflect on the many ethical issues, which arise in the world of politics in the broadest sense. The course is intended to develop awareness of the multiplicity of issues that arise from the interface between ethics and politics and to reflect on how they might be resolved and what theories have been developed to respond to these issues throughout history from Aristotle through to Mary Robinson as well as reflect on specific issues like: Is there a just war? What are the ethical implications of globalisation?

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of this course, student will be able to:Summarise the work of the leading theologians – through the presentation of material in lectures and reading material.Evaluate how theology is shaped by a particular socio-political context.Assess the links between the present and the past and appraise the influence of the modern period


22 Dr John Scally

today.Identify crucial theological questions in the political sphere.Situate the topic under study in a wider theological framework.Communicate effectively.

REU12112Introduction to the New Testament: Texts and Contexts

5 None Hilary No Prerequisite

The writings included in the canon of the New Testament have been composed by different authors over a relatively long period of time. Translated in countless languages, the stories and ideas found in the New Testament have played a major role in shaping socio-political, ethical and religious discourses across the centuries and in different cultures and have been a constant source of inspiration in art, music and literature. In this module, students will learn about the most relevant scholarly approaches to the study of the New Testament and its background in Second Temple Judaism and in the Graeco-Roman world, examine the variety of literary genres and the diversity of sources and traditions, which contributed to the development of early Christianity and to the formation of new religious and cultural realities in the Graeco-Roman world, and be introduced to the history of interpretation of the New Testament in antiquity and in

One 1,500 words essay (40%)and examination (1.5 hours, 60%).

22 Prof. Daniele Pevarello

contemporary culture.

Learning Outcomes:


1. Demonstrate familiarity with the content of the writings that form the New Testament, their structure, and the main historical and cultural factors that contributed to their development.2. Discuss the complex process of the formation of the New Testament and identify the diverse traditions that are represented in it.

3. Identify main trends in the history of interpretation of the New Testament and its exegetical traditions both in the academic study of the New Testament and in popular culture.

4. Analyse the main models of investigation of New Testament literature (e.g. historical-critical, narratological, feminist) and the key methodological issues concerning the study of the New Testament and its origins.

5. Illustrate scholarly views about the New Testament to both specialists and non-specialists, writing well-structured essays, and compiling and using relevant

bibliographies.

6. Formulate an independent and personal understanding of the New Testament and its history of interpretation as a foundation for further studies in religion and theology.

REU12724Introducing Islam


This module surveys the emergence, development, beliefs and practices of Islam, from 7th century to present. This module aims to

· Provide an overview of Islamic history. · Present and discuss Islamic scriptures, doctrines and rituals. · Demonstrate the significance and development within Islam of concepts such as prophethood, revelation, jihad, theology, law and gender. · Develop an understanding of the contribution of Islamic civilization to human culture. · Examine various scholarly approaches to the study of Islam.

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of this module,

students should be able to:• Discuss major events and

trends in Islamic history • Discuss Islamic scriptures, ritual

1 x 1500 word essay (40%); 1.5 hour exam (60%)

22 Prof. Zohar Hadromi-Allouche

and doctrines Demonstrate an understanding

of the significance and development of concepts such as prophethood, revelation, jihad, theology, law and gender from an Islamic perspective

Discuss the contribution of Islamic civilization to human culture

Discuss various academic approaches to the study of Islam

REU12312Introducing Theology: Key Texts and Methods


To introduce the student to the distinctive academic discipline of theology.

To stimulate their interest in the academic wealth of this tradition

Learning Outcomes:On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:1. Discriminate between theological and other academic approaches to the study of religion.2. Analyse primary texts.3. Compare and contrast different approaches within the discipline of theology.4. Debate and articulate core theological positions.

The course will introduce the students to classical definitions of theology from Anselm and Aquinas, as well as to formulations of

Indicate formative: Participation in seminars.(10%) Summative assessment: 2 x 1500 word essay (2 x 45%)

22 Prof. Andrew Pierce

theology’s task from modern theologians such as Karl Barth, Dermot Lane and Elizabeth Johnson. The different methodological approaches to the study of religion will be introduced and the distinctive task of theology in this regard will explored.

In carrying out this task in the course of the module the students will study at least four representative primary texts. Attention will be drawn to patterns of continuity or discontinuity, agreement and conflict in the texts. The purpose is to train students to integrate conceptual and historical skills in the reading of theological texts.

REU12512Becoming Moral: Ethical Reasoning in Theological Perspective


This module aims to introduce students to ethical reasoning in theological perspective.

It examines the historical development of foundational theological ethics in Catholicism and introduces key fundamental themes and concepts within the Christian theological tradition.

Attention will be given to the dynamics of moral reflection, including, reasoning and action, moral norms, and the Wesleyan Quadrilateral (Scripture, Tradition, Reason, and Experience). Lectures,

Formative: Online Forum Discussion: 10%Formative: In-Class presentation: 20%Summative: Essay (1,500 words): 70%

22 Prof. Katie Dunne DunneDunne

case studies, and seminars will be used to understand the methods of moral discernment and decision-making.

Learning Outcomes:


1. Demonstrate a good understanding of the dynamics of moral reasoning and action. 2. Have a broad knowledge of the sources of moral wisdom.3. Critically engage with practical moral issues through sustained reflection, analysis, and deliberation.4. Articulate the renewal in Catholic Theological Ethics.5. Appreciate the importance of moral agency and conscience in decision-making.6. Apply the principles of moral theology to specific contemporary ethical challenges.

Briefly provide details of module syllabus.

Moral Norms Moral Character Moral Agency The Dynamics of Reflection Wesleyan Quadrilateral The Role of Conscience The Renewal of Moral

Theology Applying Principles and

Practices

REU12741Religions in the Ancient Mediterranean


Employing literary sources as well as inscriptions, funerary art and ancient iconography, and other archaeological finds, this module investigates the religious beliefs and practice of the various peoples and civilisations of the ancient Mediterranean from ancient Egypt to Imperial Rome, focusing on the study of ancient rituals (e.g. burial customs, animal and human sacrifice) and on Mediterranean myths and mythologies (e.g. dying-and-rising deities in Egypt, Syria and ancient Greece).

Students will reflect about the methodological challenges of studying ancient religions, focusing on the problem of interpreting fragmentary evidence, understanding ancient definitions of religion and magic, and distinguishing between private and public devotion in ancient societies. The course will help student to think about such questions as did people in antiquity believe in their myths?

Why did the Egyptians mummify their dead? What is the significance of the ancient myths of Osiris, Gilgamesh and Baal?

One 1,000-word review article (40%) and one 2,000-word essay (60%)

22 Prof. Daniele Pevarello

Did the ancient Phoenicians and Carthaginians practice human sacrifice?

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:

1. Identify the main models of investigation and the methodological challenges in the study of ancient religions. 2. Recall the most important myths and religious beliefs of the ancient Mediterranean world, displaying an informed understanding of the structures of ancient Mediterranean societies and the main historical and cultural factors which contributed to their development. 3. Interpret material evidence (inscriptions and other archaeological finds) as well as ancient texts in English translation concerning the study of ancient Mediterranean religions. 4. Write well-structured essay and compile informed bibliographies, identifying the principal questions and recent trends in the historiographical debate about ancient Mediterranean cults. 5. Illustrate to specialists and non-

specialists alike the main interpretative models and most recent discoveries concerning the study of ancient Mediterranean religions. 6. Formulate an independent and personal understanding of ancient Mediterranean religions as a foundation for further studies in religion and theology.

REU12752Dharmic Religions


Emphasising the heterogeneity of religion in Asia, this introductory module will present an overview concentrating on Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.

The module will examine the early origins of Hinduism in the Vedic religions. Students will engage critically with the Hindu scriptures, focusing on the Vedas, the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita, while seeking to understand the important concepts of Samsara, Moksha, Dharma, Yoga as the basis of ‘the Hindu way of life’. There will be an examination of Hindu cosmology, Brahman, Atman, Trimurti, the gods and goddesses, the avatars as well as Hindu ritual and its purpose. The course will deal with the question of Hindu identity and the more recent politicisation of Hinduism in the Hindutva movement.

The second part of the module will

Formative assessment: one 1500 word essay (40%)Summative assessment: exam (1.5 hrs) (60 %)

22 Dr Patrick Claffey

look at the emergence of Buddhism and examine its significance as part of a wider movement during the Axial Age, with its move away from the ritual to the ethical as one person’s search for the problems of human existence. There will be a general treatment of the Buddhist scripture, notably the Pali Canon.

Student will come to understand the important distinction between Theravada, Mahayana and Tibetan or Vajrayana Buddhism. There will be a comparative reflection on concepts of atman and anatman in Hinduism and Buddhism. The module will examine the essential teachings of the Buddhist Dhamma, notably the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path.

There will be a brief examination of how Buddhism has influenced contemporary Western spiritualities as well as a critical look at Buddhism in the world today. There will be brief treatment of Jainism in the context of the movement that gave rise to Buddhism.

The use of iconography and music is an important element of the module that seeks to give students an understanding of the wider cultural world of Asian religions

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:1. Identify and engage with several important religious traditions in Asia from a study of religions perspective2. Appreciate the depth and heterogeneous nature of Asian religion and culture3. Have a knowledge of the various cosmologies, as well as important concepts in the three religions under consideration4. Engage critically with the scriptures of these religions5. Understand the social significance of religion in Asia6. Embed in the manifestations of the religious traditions in iconography and music.

REU24112Words to the Wise: Israelite and Jewish Wisdom Literature


This module aims to facilitate students’ deeper acquaintance and critical engagement with the richness of the Wisdom tradition found in the Hebrew Bible and later Jewish traditions. This module represents an opportunity to explore the richness of the Wisdom Literature found in the Hebrew Bible and later Jewish traditions.

Following an introduction to the Wisdom tradition, the module will offer a close and critical reading of the books of Proverbs, Job and

SF: Weekly critical reflections (totalling 2500 words)JS: Weekly critical reflections (totalling 1000 words) (50%) and Essay (1500 words) (50%).


Ecclesiastes followed by an exploration of how traditions of Wisdom evolved not only in Judaism of the Second Temple Period including especially the Scrolls from Qumran, but also in the New Testament.

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:1. Demonstrate knowledge and critical understanding of key themes of the Wisdom books of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and the ways in which various texts reflect them. 2. Evaluate scholarly arguments relating to the classification of different OT texts as ‘Wisdom literature’. 3. Critically analyse the relationship between Hebrew/Jewish Wisdom and Ancient Near Eastern and Mediterranean sapiential traditions.4. Understand the ways in which the Wisdom tradition evolved in Second Temple Judaism and early Christianity5. Reflect critically on scholarly discussion of texts from this corpus and express their own opinion briefly.6. Write an essay which reflects critical engagement with both the biblical and secondary literature. (JS)

REU23902The End of the World: The Johannine Writings


The book of Revelation depicts a series of end-time judgments that lead to cosmic catastrophe followed by a new heaven and new earth. The author of the Apocalypse, John at Patmos, is not alone in believing that there is more than just this world—there is another world. As such, the book of Revelation is participating in the apocalyptic genre and worldview wherein reflection upon another world and otherworldly beings are dominant themes. Expectations of the end are not only thought about in terms of time (i.e. a linear progression from past, to present, to future), but also space (e.g. the world above and below; material vs. spiritual).

To better understand the Apocalypse of John this module sets it among:

(1) other Johannine Writings and their conceptions of “the world,” and (2) ancient Jewish apocalyptic writings (e.g., Book of Watchers, Animal Apocalypse, 3 Baruch).

Themes such as Jewish and Christian anti-imperialism, responses to suffering, and conceptualizations justice come into focus within the broader context of the ancient phenomenon of apocalyptic.

This module is assessed by a 2,000-word essay (40%) and 3-hr exam (60%)

22 Prof. Ben Wold

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of this module, students should be able to: 1. compare and contrast, at an intermediate level, the characteristics of John’s Gospel with that of John’s Apocalypse. 2. dialogue on possible motivating factors (religious and political) that may have influenced the intellectual traditions found in the Johannine literature. 3. assess the polarities/dichotomies found in early Christian “Gnostic” writings and those found in the Fourth Gospel. 4. distinguish between the genre “apocalyptic” and worldviews that may reflect “apocalypticism.” 5. analyse how socio-religious circumstances may have influenced the Johannine literature. 6. discuss John’s Apocalypse alongside other ancient Jewish and Christian apocalypses.

REU23912Christology


The aim of this module is to investigate the historical origins of Christology in the worship of Jesus Christ in the first Christian communities and the doctrinal developments in the theological understanding of his person and his work of redemption in different eras of Christian thinking. Drawing on primary sources and critical

This module will be assessed by:a) one 2,000-word essay (30%)b) examination (70%)

22 Prof. Daniele Pevarello, Prof. Maureen Junker-Kenny

scholarship, the course will devise a historical and theological framework in which to assess theoretical presuppositions and consequences of different interpretations of the person and work of Christ through the ages.

The significance of Christology for a Christian anthropology will be tested by analysing the Christological formulations of early, medieval and modern Christianity and by discussing feminist interpretations as well as current ethical issues, such as transhumanism, and questions arising in the theology of religions. The course will also investigate the history of reception in culture with a focus on Christ in music and film.

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:1. Think critically about the main theoretical stances in the study of Christology and of their importance for early Christian history and for contemporary theology.2. Demonstrate a specific understanding of methods and tools of the study of Christology, including the ability to compare and evaluate primary sources and to engage in critical approaches to and analysis of complex theological

texts and formulations.3. Assess the treatment of Christology in a theology of religions and its relevance for contemporary anthropological and ethical debates, such as feminist critiques and transhumanism4. Demonstrate the ability to analyse and synthetise the plural nature of the sources and to contextualise critically conflicting interpretations and contrasting theological positions.5. Communicate with a higher degree of autonomy the epistemological status and anthropological relevance of central questions and themes in the Christological debate to specialists and non-specialists alike, write well-structured essays, and compile academic bibliographies.6. Develop the ability to identify the frameworks of thinking in which classical and modern Christological questions arose as the foundation for further study in theology.

REU23942Approaches to Theological Ethics


The contributions Christian ethicists make to debates in the public sphere depend on approaches they take to this discipline, basing it on the Bible or the worshipping community, on virtue, on classical or revisionist Natural Law, on principled autonomy in a Christian framework, or on different feminist positions. The module will


22 Prof. Maureen Junker-Kenny

investigate these approaches in terms of their methods and basic concepts, and on how they relate to movements of philosophical tought and to other theological disciplines, such as biblical studies and hermeneutics. How they evaluate some concrete ethical issues and justify their positions will also be compared.

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:Recognise and illustrate with examples the typical uses of core ethical concepts in each school’s argumentation.

Analyse each approach regarding the relationship it proposes between faith and (practical) reason, biblical revelation and church community, theological ethics and the human sciences

Elate the five theological ethical approaches studied to philosophical and theological anthropologies within the history of western thinkingOutline some transformation within this heritage arising from the interaction between philosophical and theological ethics

Distinguish alternative positions in

the philosophical debate on public reason and argue for their own view on the role of religion in civil society

REU24922Religion, Media and the Public Sphere


Religion is prominent in public debates, in the media, and in the cultural imaginary of people’s daily life, no matter whether they see themselves as believers or not. In turn, religions also “make use” of media and mediation, creating symbolic representations and special experiences, be it through architecture and music, images and narratives, or through clothes and body practices.

The course focuses on how the relationship between religion and media can be studied and how this can help to better understand the role of religion in the public sphere. Our understanding of media will reach beyond TV and internet –scripture and dance, money and microphones are means of mediating religion as well. We will ask, what is a medium, how are religions depicted in the media, how do religions act on and react to new media, and how can religion be understood as mediation while often claiming to provide “immediate” experiences? Besides signing up for an “expert group” on one of the weekly readings, students will engage in studying and presenting a self-chosen case.

Indicate formative and summative assessment components, the duration of any examinations, word counts for essays or similar, and the % weightings of components contributing to module mark and grade.2000 word essay (case study) (30%); Exam (70%)

22 Prof. Alexandra Grieser

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:1. Distinguish and reproduce approaches to the study of religion and media and demonstrate knowledge about the interaction between religion and media in historical perspective 2. Conceptualise key terms (medium/mediation, religion, public sphere)3. Understand the role of mass media in the contemporary religious field and describe, analyse and interpret the diverse media performances in religion as a lived cultural practice4. Impart and present knowledge through media, and develop a critical media competence5. Reflect how religious media usage impacts on a larger culture6. Present a self-chosen historical or contemporary example of religion in the public sphere; formulate a research question; outline an approach to study the case.

REU24932Current Expressions and Movements in Christianity, Islam and Hinduism


1. Learn to approach religion from a theoretical perspective that is other than theological and exclusively Eurocentric.

2. Develop an understanding of the discipline of the study of religion

Formative: Essay 2000 words (30%)Summative: Examination (1.5hrs) (70%)

22 Dr Patrick Claffey

from contemporary manifestations of religious traditions. This module offers undergraduate students an insight to a number of key examples of contemporary manifestations of the religious imaginary drawn from Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism, along with a range of methodological approaches to their analysis. It invites a more critical approach to manifestations of the religious that questions popular essentialist or reductionist interpretations. The module will focus on these three religions because of their demographic significance but also because of various dynamics both within and between them.

Learning Outcomes:


1. Develop an awareness and understanding of the diverse manifestations of the religious imaginary across the spectrum of three particular historical religions in the modern world.2. Learn to use key concepts in the study of religious revival and renewal movements.3. Relate the observation and analysis of case studies in Christianity, Hinduism and Islam. 4. Identify premises in theoretical

approaches and interpretations. 5. Relate the observation and analysis of case studies in Christianity, Hinduism and Islam to theoretical approaches in the three religions under examination 6. Learn to analyse, discuss and write about religion in the language of the social sciences, including key themes such as ‘religion and identity’, ‘religion as political contestation’, religion and globalisation, fundamentalism

REU33112Ecclesiology: Unity and Diversity in Catholic Christianity


The module begins with the origins of the self-understanding of Church in the New Testament, and its antecedent history in the Hebrew Bible. It then outlines some of the developments that have taken place over the last 2,000 years.

Next there is a careful study of key texts in contemporary Catholic self-understanding, as articulated in the documents of the Second Vatican Council, principally Lumen Gentium, studied with and alongside other key texts that have direct bearing on ecclesiology, Ad Gentes Divinitus, Unitatis Redintegratio, and Orientalium Ecclesiarum.

The module studies some of the contested issues in Church governance today; the relation between Papal primacy and Episcopal sacramentality and the

Examination (70%) and essay (30%)

22 Prof. Katie Dunne

related theological issue of the relation between local Church and universal Church, the issue of in Church governance and ministry, and the contested issues in the theology of the magisterium. Catholicity’s unity in diversity is carefully studied as the communion of Churches with diverse liturgical rites and canonical arrangements.

Learning Outcomes: On successful completion of

this module students should be able to:

Explain the origin of the Church in the New Testament.

Evaluate the ecclesiology of Vatican II in the core document Lumen Gentium.

Explain the links between Lumen Gentium and the other documents which articulate the ecumenical and the missionary dimensions of Church understanding.

Evaluate the argumentation in contemporary contested issues such as gender roles in ministry and the relationship between the local and the universal.

Explain the vision of unity in diversity within the communion of the Churches centred on Papal ministry.

Recognise and convey the theological significance of Church.

REU44903Sects and Sages: The Dead Sea Scrolls

10 Hilary Competence in biblical, theological and/or religious studies

The focal point of this seminar is reading early Christian literature vis-à-vis new developments in the field of Dead Sea Scrolls studies.

The Scrolls are our best witness to Palestinian Judaism in the Second Temple era and are therefore one of the most significant resources for the study of the Jewish context of writing collected in the New Testament. Literature discovered at Qumran is by no means monolithic, but rather represents religious traditions from a multiplicity of authors and a variety of communities. These Scrolls allow us to assess patterns of thought, religious matrices, and a variety of speech acts found in nearly 350 different compositions preserved in over 900 manuscripts.

Although the eleven caves that held scrolls were found in the late 1940s and early 1950s the materials from Cave 4, where 574 manuscripts were discovered in 1952, were not published in critical editions until the mid 1990s through to the early 2000s.

Therefore, our understanding of the significance of many Scrolls is still nascent since even approximately twenty years of research is insufficient time to thoroughly


22 Prof. Ben Wold

study the host of questions arising from them. In addition to learning about the content of the scrolls significant attention is given to manuscript studies and the archaeology of Qumran.

Learning outcomes:

On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:Argue their own interpretation of Qumran as an archaeological site.Develop a broad knowledge of the diversity of writings among the scrollsUse tools acquired well enough to conduct research

Identify common matrices observable in the Dead Sea Scrolls and the New Testament

Articulate continuities and discontinuities between Christology and Messianism.

Discuss in basic terms the relationship of Palestinian Judaism to the New Testament

REU44924Religion in the work of J. Habermas

10 None Hilary Competence in biblical, theological and/or religious studies

The much-awaited, two-volume work on religion, entitled “Also a History of Philosophy” to be published in the autumn of 2019, will open up a new chapter in the history of reception and critique of Habermas’s work. The module will

Examination 100 %.

22 Prof. Maureen Junker-Kenny

offer an overview of the different phases of his engagement with religion and of the key themes of debate by philosophers and theologians.

REU44706Eve in Islam: Portrayals of the First Woman

10 None Hilary Competence in biblical, theological and/or religious studies

This module aims to Critically assess the emergence,

development and function of the highly significant character of Eve within the context of Islam

Compare the Islamic Eve with her counterparts in the pre-Islamic monotheistic traditions, e.g., in terms or image and function

Examine the portrayal of Eve in various genres within Islam

Asses the formative function of the Islamic Eve as the ‘archetypal woman’ within the context of Islam.

Eve is a highly significant character in all societies and cultures influenced by the 'Abrahamic' religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam). Perceived as the archetypal woman to this day, the image of Eve has influenced gender relations and the representation of women in numerous aspects of society.

Through use of (translated) primary and secondary sources, as well as class discussions, this course will explore the complex character and many depictions of Eve (Ḥawwā’) in

1 x 3,500 word essay (75%); 1 x in-class presentation (25%)

22 Prof. Zohar Hadromi-Allouche

Islam, from a fallen figure to a prophetess; and examine how these religious and literary images serve to legitimise other perceptions of womanhood in Islam.

Learning Outcomes:


Critically analyse references to Eve within primary Islamic sources, such as Quran and hadith

Critically compare the depiction of Eve in Islam and earlier Near Eastern religious traditions

Discuss the differences between the qur’anic and biblical portrayals of Eve

Identify pre-Islamic influences on the emergence of Eve in later Islamic sources

Critically discuss specific Islamic characterisations of Eve

REU44913The Sensory Sacred: aesthetic and material approaches to religion

10 Hilary Competence in biblical, theological and/or religious studies

The study of religion has often been confined to texts, beliefs and doctrines, or a singular experience of religion as something sui generis. However, religions are as much danced, imagined, painted and sung as read and theorised in a broad variety of ways, and beliefs are grounded in sensory experiences, body practices and emotional engagement as much as in

Examination (100%).

22 Prof. Alexandra Grieser

reflecting and thinking.

Recent approaches to the study of religion as a sensory practice rethink the relationship between body and mind, and between matter and form; they recognise all the senses as religious media – sight, sound, touch, smell; they investigate how religious traditions “tune the body”, stimulate the senses, use things and objects and implement convincing and repeatable experiences of “other worlds” or powers.

We will askto what extent the body and the senses are highly political media being restricted and engaged, symbolising and enacting what is religious, and what is secular, and cultivate experiences that are not mere expressions of beliefs, but rather create ways of perceiving and representing what is taken as real. We will address the practical

consequences for studying religion as a sensory practice and apply the approaches in case studies and exercises

Learning Outcomes:

On successful completion of this course, students will be able to:Identify, understand, distinguish

and characterise typical concepts and approaches in the aesthetic and material study of religion.Analyse the interaction between bodily practice, patterns of perceptions and religious ways of world-making in historical perspective Critically discuss the relevance of aesthetic and material approaches in the study of religion, and why they have long been negatedUnderstand and apply specific methods of studying and representing the sensory aspects of religion as a lived cultural practiceTheorise concepts such as body/embodiment, cognition, imagination, perception, emotion, and apply them in a mode of interdisciplinary thinking to cases and in exercisesReflect on the impact religious ways of world-making have on a larger cultureAnalyse the political aspects of cultivating the body and the senses in both religious and secular realms.

REU44043Advanced Topics in Systematic Theology

10 None Hilary Student must have completed some theology modules – Lecturer permission required

This is an advanced reading course in selected texts from the Christian tradition that have been, and remain, influential to theology.

There will be careful critical and in-depth reading of selected texts. While the chief focus is on the reading and discussion of primary texts there will also be a

Continuous assessment – Essay (100%).

22 Prof. Katie Dunne

complementary engagement with selected secondary commentary texts. In preparation for each lecture/seminar the student will have read assigned texts, and be prepared to participate in class discussion and critique.

Learning Outcomes:On successful completion of this module students should be able to: Display an appreciation of

selected texts from the Christian tradition, both ancient and modern.

Read, value and critique selected primary texts and authors.

Communicate with confidence, both orally and written, critical knowledge of primary texts and authors.

Visiting Student ModulesTrinity Module Name and course code

Credits(ECTS) Duration and semester

Prerequisite Subjects

Course Description and Learning Outcomes

Assessment Contact Hours

Contact Person

Semester Abroad

REU14934Religion, Conflict and Peace in International Relations

Please note that these modules will also be available to Visiting UG Students

10 Hilary, 12 weeks The purpose of this module is to provide an understanding of the on-going saliency of religion (broadly defined here as the main world religions) in the contemporary globalized era.

The overall aim is to address the ways in which religion has been marginalized or excluded from the secular perspectives of International Relations theory (Realism, Liberalism, Marxism, Constructivism, etc.), whilst providing the intellectual basis for how religiously inspired spheres of thought can be brought back into the picture.

This module also challenges the common view that the politicization of religion is always a threat to international security and inimical to the resolution of world conflict.

On successful completion of this module students should be able to: Assess the normative

debate about the role of religion in International

One three thousand word essay on agreed topic.

22 Prof. Carlo Aldrovandi

Relations, focusing on the following traditions of IR theory: Realism, Liberalism, Marxism, Constructivism and the English School.

Discuss contemporary issues in international affairs which are associated with the idea of a widespread religious resurgence (i.e. globalization, religious Fundamentalism and violence, transnational religious actors, faith-based peacemaking and diplomacy).

Address the religious dimensions in contemporary world conflicts, whilst identifying perspectives and movements within main religious traditions which contribute to peacemaking, conflict resolution and reconciliation.

Evaluate the salience of religious beliefs, identities and movements in selected national contexts such as the United States, Israel, Iran and Sri Lanka.

Semester AbroadREU14924

10 Hilary, 12 weeks Christian expressions of fundamentalist religiosity;

One three thousand word


Engaging Religious Fundamentalism

defining fundamentalism; methodology in fundamentalist studies; dialogue with the fundamentalist other.

Despite receiving widespread scholarly attention across a range of disciplines, so called ‐‘religious fundamentalism’ attracts strikingly minimal attention from within Christian theology.

This module, therefore, explores religious fundamentalism from an explicitly theological perspective, and with a concern (though not an exclusive concern) for Christian expressions of fundamentalist religiosity.

Amongst the challenges for module participants are: ‐defining fundamentalism; methodology in fundamentalist studies; and dialogue with the fundamentalist other.

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:

Identify and describe the significant historical factors in the emergence of religious fundamentalism.

essay

Assess dominant paradigms of fundamentalist study.

Analyse the key social, political and theological elements in the construction of religious fundamentalism.

Semester Abroad

REU14914Gender, War and Peace

10 TBA What does gender analysis reveal about the causes and dynamics of war and peace? In this module we begin by exploring and criticising some basic gendered assumptions - such as that war is the business of men and peace that of women.

Instead we challenge these dichotomies by examining issues such as the complicated relationship between the social construction of masculinity and soldiering and the challenge posed to militaries by the inclusion of women in their ranks.

We ask why peace processes have generally excluded women and what the consequences of that are for the sustainability of peace, while at the same time querying the assumption that 'women' as an essentialised group have particular skills to

One three thousand word essay and participation in group work.

22 Prof. Gillian Wylie

bring to the peace table. Through these debates we examine the ways in which war and peace are gendered experiences which also shape our understanding of what it is to be a gendered person.

On successful completion of the module students should be able to:

Understand the foundational and ongoing debates in Gender Studies concerning sex and gender, femininity and masculinity, gender and difference and be able engage in discussion of these.

Comprehend and enter into arguments made concerning the gendered nature of war, the perpetration of gender based violence, the relationships between masculinity and violence/femininity and peace and the necessity of the inclusion of gender concerns in peacebuilding.

Demonstrate knowledge of key international political and legal developments in this area such as UNSC Resolution 1325 and the Yugoslav and Rwanda

tribunals. Show a familiarity with the

literature in this field and engage in informed discussion of it.

Present persuasive written work with analytic arguments based on evidence, reading and reason.

Semester AbroadREU14904World Christianity and Interreligious Dialogue

10 Hilary, 12 weeks The term World Christianity has gained its meaning in the theological circles with the realization of many particular expressions of Christianity across the globe.

In the recent decade’s theologian’s term have been using the term to signify that Christianity is not synonymous with Western Christianity or that there isn’t one Christianity but many Christianity’s. The Western Christian universalism has made many other historical forms as well as contemporary global configurations of Christianity invisible.

The study of World Christianity is a study of Christianity across the cultural, ecumenical and religious borders (Dale T. Irvin, 2016). This module will specifically focus on the attempts that have been made

One three-thousand-word essay on agreed topic

22 Prof. J L Fernando

to reimagine Christianity across religious borders which are not only in-between spaces, but also marginalized by the dominant Western form of Christianity.

In other words, it will explore how to be religious in an interreligious way (Peter Phan, 2004).


– Gain familiarity with the pioneering works of Raimon Panikkar (cosmotheandric reality), Aloysius Pieris (covenant-Christology), Michael Amalodas (Jesus as avatar) Peter Phan (being religious interreligioiusly), Amos Young (pneumatocentrism), Mark Heim (many salvations), Elain Padilla (covernous mode of dewelling ), Lamin Sanneh (Gospel beyond West ), James Fredericks and Tracy Sayuki Tiemeier ( interreligious friendship), to name a few,

– Understand how Christianity’s

encounter with other religious traditions (including indigenous primal traditions) has led to a rethinking of presuppositions of Christian theology generating a vital effect on classical theological field,

– Revisit the classic threefold typology of Christian approaches to religious other, exclusivism, inclusivism and pluralism (Alan Race, 1983) whilst searching for alternative approaches that have been researched by theologians,

– Approach interreligious dialogue in creative and imaginative ways on the basis of commonalities, complementarities and radical differences whilst engaging in ‘interactive pluralism’ and,

– Link interreligious encounters with common ethical concerns of the world whilst realizing the ever increasing complexity in World Christianity.

Visiting InternationalStudents

EM7460 P/Grad.Religion, Conflict and

10 Hilary, 12 weeks The purpose of this module is to provide an understanding of the on-going saliency of religion (broadly defined here as the main world religions) in

Four thousand word assignment on agreed topic.


Peace in International Relations

the contemporary globalized era.

The overall aim is to address the ways in which religion has been marginalized or excluded from the secular perspectives of International Relations theory (Realism, Liberalism, Marxism, Constructivism, etc.), whilst providing the intellectual basis for how religiously inspired spheres of thought can be brought back into the picture.

This module also challenges the common view that the politicization of religion is always a threat to international security and inimical to the resolution of world conflict.


Assess the normative debate about the role of religion in International Relations, focusing on the following traditions of IR theory: Realism, Liberalism, Marxism, Constructivism and the English School.

Discuss contemporary issues in international affairs which are associated

with the idea of a widespread religious resurgence (i.e. globalization, religious Fundamentalism and violence, transnational religious actors, faith-based peacemaking and diplomacy).

Address the religious dimensions in contemporary world conflicts, whilst identifying perspectives and movements within main religious traditions which contribute to peacemaking, conflict resolution and reconciliation.

Evaluate the salience of religious beliefs, identities and movements in selected national contexts such as the United States, Israel, Iran and Sri Lanka.


EM7467 P/Grad.Engaging Religious Fundamentalism

10 Hilary, 12 weeks Christian expressions of fundamentalist religiosity; defining fundamentalism; methodology in fundamentalist studies; dialogue with the fundamentalist other.

Despite receiving widespread scholarly attention across a range of disciplines, so called ‐‘religious fundamentalism’ attracts strikingly minimal

Four thousand word assignment on agreed topic.


attention from within Christian theology.

This module, therefore, explores religious fundamentalism from an explicitly theological perspective, and with a concern (though not an exclusive concern) for Christian expressions of fundamentalist religiosity.

Amongst the challenges for module participants are: ‐defining fundamentalism; methodology in fundamentalist studies; and dialogue with the fundamentalist other.


Identify and describe the significant historical factors in the emergence of religious fundamentalism.

Assess dominant paradigms of fundamentalist study.

Analyse the key social, political and theological elements in the construction of religious fundamentalism.

Visiting InternationalStudents:

EM7436 P/Grad.Gender, War and Peace

10 Hilary, 12 weeks What does gender analysis reveal about the causes and dynamics of war and peace? In this module we begin by exploring and criticising some basic gendered assumptions - such as that war is the business of men and peace that of women.

Instead we challenge these dichotomies by examining issues such as the complicated relationship between the social construction of masculinity and soldiering and the challenge posed to militaries by the inclusion of women in their ranks. We ask why peace processes have generally excluded women and what the consequences of that are for the sustainability of peace, while at the same time querying the assumption that 'women' as an essentialised group have particular skills to bring to the peace table.

Through these debates we examine the ways in which war and peace are gendered experiences which also shape our understanding of what it is to be a gendered person.

On successful completion of this module the student should

One four thousand word essay and participation in group work.

22 Prof. Gillian Wylie

be able to:

Understand the foundational and ongoing debates in Gender Studies concerning sex and gender, femininity and masculinity, gender and difference and be able engage in discussion of these.

Comprehend and enter into arguments made concerning the gendered nature of war, the perpetration of gender based violence, the relationships between masculinity and violence/femininity and peace and the necessity of the inclusion of gender concerns in peacebuilding.

Demonstrate knowledge of key international political and legal developments in this area such as UNSC Resolution 1325 and the Yugoslav and Rwanda tribunals.

Show a familiarity with the literature in this field and engage in informed discussion of it.

Present persuasive written work with analytic arguments based on evidence, reading and

reason.


EM7471 P/Grad.World Christianity and Interreligious Dialogue

10 Hilary, 12 weeks The term World Christianity has gained its meaning in the theological circles with the realization of many particular expressions of Christianity across the globe.

In the recent decade’s theologian’s term have been using the term to signify that Christianity is not synonymous with Western Christianity or that there isn’t one Christianity but many Christianities.

The Western Christian universalism has made many other historical forms as well as contemporary global configurations of Christianity invisible. The study of World Christianity is a study of Christianity across the cultural, ecumenical and religious borders (Dale T. Irvin, 2016).

This module will specifically focus on the attempts that have been made to reimagine Christianity across religious borders which are not only in-between spaces, but also marginalized by the dominant Western form of Christianity. In other words, it will explore how to be religious in an

One four-thousand-word essay on agreed topic

22 Prof. J L Fernando

interreligious way (Peter Phan, 2004).


– Gain familiarity with the pioneering works of Raimon Panikkar (cosmotheandric reality), Aloysius Pieris (covenant-Christology), Michael Amalodas (Jesus as avatar) Peter Phan (being religious interreligioiusly), Amos Young (pneumatocentrism), Mark Heim (many salvations), Elain Padilla (covernous mode of dewelling ), Lamin Sanneh (Gospel beyond West ), James Fredericks and Tracy Sayuki Tiemeier ( interreligious friendship), to name a few,

– Understand how Christianity’s encounter with other religious traditions (including indigenous primal traditions) has led to a rethinking of presuppositions of Christian theology generating a vital effect on classical theological field,

revisit the classic threefold typology of Christian approaches to religious other, exclusivism, inclusivism and pluralism (Alan Race, 1983) whilst searching for alternative approaches that have been researched by theologians,

– Approach interreligious dialogue in creative and imaginative ways on the basis of commonalities, complementarities and radical differences whilst engaging in ‘interactive pluralism’ and,

– Link interreligious encounters with common ethical concerns of the world whilst realizing the ever increasing complexity in World Christianity.

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