Allmänt

The course is a variant of the first cycle course Religionsvetenskap A and is only available to students who have obtained a One year Master’s Degree (60 credits).

The course can be part of the Candidate Program in Religious Studies (180 credits)

The course can be part of the Teacher Training Program and the Teacher Training Program for Upper-secondary School Teachers.

Behörighetskrav

Magisterexamen (60 hp), eller 240 hp varav 60 hp på avancerad nivå. Huvudområdet ska inkludera ett självständigt arbete om 15 hp.

Mål

GENERAL LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR THE STUDY OF RELIGION A

After completing this course, students are expected to be able togive a comprehensive overview of various religious traditions and world views, in Swedish as well as in global contexts

give an account of the impact of religious traditions and world views on different cultures and times, with a some emphasis on Abrahamic traditions and, in particular, on Christian traditions

Identify and, to a certain extent, use theories and methods as they are used within different research areas for the study of religion.

GENERAL PROFICIENCY OUTCOMES FOR THE STUDY OF RELIGION A

After completing this course, students are expected to be able toshow proficiency in critical thinking through written work and by taking part in academic discussions

show hermeneutical reflection and an awareness of gender in a variety of interpretative situations

perform searches in the library catalogues and databases, use basic source-critical methods in information searches, and problematise the credibility of sources of information used in studies of religion

follow the norms for academic writing in written assignments and show a basic proficiency in correct use of references

discuss didactic problems in relation to the content of the sub-courses.PARTICULAR LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR THE

A-COURSE’S FIVE SUB-COURSES

After completing the respective sub-courses, students are expected to be able to

Sub-course 1: The Construction of Meaning in a Multicultural Society, 6 credits

• give a comprehensive account of theoretical foundations for the scientific study of religion, with particular reference to perspectives from the Social Sciences
• reflect on definitions of distinct meaning systems, their existence and their psycho-social function in today’s Swedish multicultural society
• reflect over definitions of religion and their impact on Religious Education (RE)
• give a comprehensive account of practical implications of definitions, theories, models from the fields of Sociology of Religion and Psychology of Religion, with particular respect to perspectives relating to gender and culture at the levels of individuals, groups and societies

Sub-course 2: History, Myth and Practice in World Religions, 6 credits

• identify and describe characteristics of religions and give an account of historical developments within Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism and Islam
• discuss and reflect on central didactic questions about how religions are presented and described in media, teaching materials and in a variety of educational contexts
• give an account of some aspects of the significance Talmud and the Qur’an have in the histories of Judaism and Islam, with particular respect to interpretation strategies
• give a comprehensive account for and description of a selection of scientific theories and models, including gender theory, as the theories are applied within the research area History of Religions

Sub-course 3: The Bible, Traditions and Interpretations, 6 credits

• give an overview of the historical development of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and the New Testament, and give a general account of the main characteristics of these texts
• relate biblical texts to their various historical contexts
• discuss, from an academic perspective, a variety of interpretations of biblical texts and motifs in later traditions

Sub-course 4: Christian Churches in the World, 6 credits

• give a comprehensive description of the development of Christian churches and denominations throughout history with respect to how they have related to societies at large
• give a comprehensive account of the geographic spread of Christian churches and denominations
• give an account for central aspects of the historical development of Christian dogma, ecclesiology, worship, mission, ecumenism and interreligious dialogue

Sub-course 5: World Views, Ethics and Religious Pluralismrecount and analyse positions in contemporary discussions about ethics, theology (in particular, Christian theology), and religious and secular world views.

give a comprehensive account and description of a selection of academic theories and models, as they are utilised within the disciplines of Ethics, Philosophy of Religion and Systematic Theology with Studies in World Views

give an account of the function of feminism and gender theory within the field of Studies of Faiths and Ideologies

in written and oral assignments, begin to analyse and articulate arguments presented in contemporary ethical, religious, theological or ideological debates.The same (or equivalent) course goals apply to all variants of the A-course (the campus course in Swedish, the Internet course in Swedish, and the Internet course in English). When the course goals involve spoken skills, the Internet courses will, when possible, utilise Internet based communication tools. If this is not feasible, spoken skills can be exchanged with written equivalents.

Innehåll

What roles have religions and worldviews played in history and continue to play in contemporary society? Why do people think and behave as they do in public and private life? How do multicultural societies influence interpersonal relations? These and similar questions are the backbone of academic conversations within the academic study of religion.

The Study of Religion A gives an introduction to scientific attitudes to religious studies through a comprehensive orientation to contemporary problems, theories and methods within four research areas: History of Religions and The Social Sciences of Religions, Old and New Testament Exegesis, Church and Mission Studies, and Studies in Faith and Ideologies. This orientation is achieved through studies in five consecutive sub-courses. Classes and literature are interconnected with current research within each research area.

The course takes its point of departure in a Swedish context, viewing Sweden as a part of the world and the world as part of Sweden. In order to understand and critically evaluate the historical and contemporary impact of religions and worldviews in a Swedish context, particular attention is given to Abrahamic traditions, especially Christian tradition.

Throughout the course particular attention is given to didactic questions, i.e. questions that are related to how scientific perspectives on religious ideas might be communicated. The aim is of particular importance from a vocational perspective – for example, for those students planning a career as a teacher, as a leader of a religious community, or in journalism.

Sub-course 1: The Construction of Meaning in a Multicultural Society, 6 credits

This sub-course introduces religion as a form of meaning-making, and studies how components, such as culture, gender, class and age, interact to form expressions of religion on individual, group and societal levels in a modern and multicultural society. Examples of themes to be treated are religion and health, religion and modernity, new religious movements and expressions, and religion and young people. The course also provides opportunities to discuss the Swedish school curriculum in regard to the teaching and presentations of religion.

Sub-course 2: History, Myth and Practice in the World Religions, 6 credits

This sub-course examines a variety of religions’ patterns of life, conceptions, spirituality and values. Through a comparative studie, the sub-course provides a comprehensive orientation to historical developments within Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism and Islam, as well as a basic knowledge about the particularities of each of these traditions. Furthermore, the course provides a basic introduction to contemporary theories of importance for analysis of myths and rituals within religious traditions. A variety of perspectives about the interactions between religion, culture and politics in contemporary societies are also introduced. Within this sub-course, interpretation strategies for religious interpretations of the Talmud and Qur’an are likewise presented and discussed, as are various ways of describing religions in media, teaching materials and other sources of information.

Sub-course 3: The Bible, Traditions and Interpretations, 6 credits

This sub-course introduces the content of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and the New Testament, and the historical development of these collections of texts. It provides a general survey of basic theories and methods within biblical studies, including gender theory. It presents some examples of interpretations of biblical stories within later traditions. In addition, the sub-course examines the role of biblical texts in relation to a variety of cultural expressions, for example, in modern fiction, film and art.

Sub-course 4: Christian Churches in the World, 6 credits

This sub-course examines a variety of Christian churches and denominations’ historical and geographical contexts with a focus on the development of ideas, pious life, relations to other religious traditions and interactions with society at large. The sub-course provides studies in the development of churches’ and denominations’ confessional identities, beliefs, dogma, ecclesiology, worship, mission, ecumenism and view toward/participation in interreligious dialogue.

Sub-course 5: World Views, Ethics and Religious Pluralism

This sub-course focuses on contemporary debates about values and worldviews, such as the compatibility of Christianity with a modern world view, how to understand and handle the plurality of religious traditions in society, and how we, as individuals and as a society, might make responsible decisions when faced with different ethical problems. The sub-course treats feminism and gender theory and offers practice in both written and oral articulation of analyses of arguments in contemporary ethical, religious, theological or ideological debates.

Undervisning

The student will normally follow the course in the teaching platform Moodle according to the course teacher’s instructions. The course is, to a large extent, based on independent study.

Examination

Examination of the course will be through written papers/essays and/or by oral examination. All assigned readings can be examined.

Övriga föreskrifter

Proficiency in reading and writing in English is a prerequisite for the course.

The course literature and certain learning outcomes may be adapted to the individual student based on documented knowledge/proficiency from earlier studies.

Individual adaptations must be approved by the relevant sub-course instructor and the chair of the main field of study for each sub-course.

Övergångsbestämmelser

Whoever takes this course may be examined according the syllabus two years after registering for the course. Under certain circumstances, an examination may take place even later.