PPR.251: Islam: Tradition, Community and Contemporary Challenges

• Terms Taught: Michaelmas Term only
• US Credits: 4 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS
• Pre-requisites: At least one entry-level course in religion.

Course Description

This module examines the historical formation of Islam; its renewal movements past and present; and modern reform discourses on gender, politics, and law. The aim is to gain an understanding of continuities and discontinuities in the Islamic tradition in relation to religious authority, theology, politics and contemporary practice. Some of the topics studied include: the formation of Shari'a (Islamic law); competing Sunni and Shi'i orthodoxies; the rise of radical political movements and global Jihad; Islamic feminisms; Islam and the West; and Islam in Britain. The module offers a strong foundation for more specialised study in second and third year courses.

Educational Aims

The module aims to:

• Survey and critically examine the main themes, key concepts, debates and approaches to the study of Islam in the modern world.
• Develop an analytical and interpretative framework within which to situate modern Muslim discourses on tradition and reform in a historical context.

Outline Syllabus

Topics studied will typically include:

• The Prophet: Muhammad as messenger, leader and exemplar
• Revelation: The Quran as event, text and doctrine
• The Community : Caliphate, Sunni orthodoxy and alternative visions
• The Juristic Tradition: Jurisprudence, sharia and normative islam
• Key issues in modern Islam:
• Islamic Reform: Early reform, the challenges of modernity and modernist reformers
• The Islamic Revival: Islamism and the Islamic state
• Islamic feminism and liberal Islam
• Salafism and jihadism in a global age
• Islam in Europe: Religious identity, Islamic activism and the representation of Islam

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 40%
• Exam: 60%

PPR.260: Indian Philosophical and Religious Thought

• Terms Taught: Michaelmas Term only
• US Credits: 4 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS
• Pre-requisites: At least one entry-level course in religion.

Course Description

This module is a study of fundamental ideas and texts of the classical philosophical and religious traditions of India. The topics covered will include the origins and nature of inquiry and the evolution of a tradition of epistemology, debates about the nature and existence of the self, questions about the nature of ethics and ethical dilemmas, competing theories of the nature of reality, and the existence and nature of the divine. The aim is to introduce students to some of the varied intellectual debates from Indian traditions, and widen their understanding of the nature of religious and philosophical thought. Discussions will proceed through reading passages from key texts in translation.

Educational Aims

Educational Aims: Subject Specific: Knowledge, Understanding and Skills

This course aims to provide students with:

• an in-depth engagement with fundamental ideas and sources of religious and philosophical traditions from India.
• the opportunity to gain an understanding about the nature of religious and philosophical thought in an Indian context that widens their general understanding of the nature of philosophy globally
• the opportunity for students to gain a familiarity with the form and articulation of Asian thought, which often is expressed differently from religious and philosophical thought in Western traditions, and
• to acquire an understanding of the variety of methods used to approach religious and philosophical sources.

Educational Aims: General: Knowledge, Understanding and Skills

This module aims to help students:

• to learn to understand and negotiate cultural difference
• to think critically and creatively
• to read sources material from another culture closely and critically
• to reflect on their cultural presuppositions through radically different cultural lenses
• to develop the capacity to analyse evidence and construct an argument based on that evidence
• to be able to evaluate critically a variety of books, journals, and other sources of information relevant to the topics studied on this course
• to develop written and verbal communication skills through seminar discussions and course work assessments

Learning Outcomes: Subject Specific: Knowledge, Understanding and Skills

On successful completion of this module students will be able to...

• have the capacity to understand and negotiate cultural difference
• have an in-depth familiarity with foundational ideas and texts from India
• have an understanding of the diversity and complexity of Indian thought
• have an awareness of non-Western modes of thought in an increasingly globalised world and approach non-Western cultural modes of thinking both empathically and critically

Learning Outcomes: General: Knowledge, Understanding and Skills

On successful completion of this module students will be able to...

• consider one's own cultural modes of thinking more self-reflectively
• engage in the world with more awareness of the complexity and diversity of different cultures
• think critically and creatively
• demonstrate written and verbal communication skills in coursework, exam and seminar discussions

Outline Syllabus

This course is an in-depth analysis of a selection of fundamental ideas and texts of the classical religious and philosophical traditions of India. The topics covered will include the origins and nature of religious inquiry and the evolution of a tradition of epistemology; debates about the nature and existence of the self; questions about the nature of ethics and ethical dilemmas; different theories of the nature of reality; and the existence and nature of the divine. The aim is to introduce students to some of the varied intellectual debates from Indian traditions, and widen their understanding of the nature of religious and philosophical thought. Discussions will proceed discussion of passages from key texts (in translation).

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 40%
• Exam: 60%

PPR.261: Exploring Global Religions

• Terms Taught: Lent / Summer Terms only 
• US Credits: 4 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS
• Pre-requisites: At least one entry-level course in religion.

Course Description

The course will begin by introducing concepts of politics, religion and values and using contemporary case studies to illustrate how they operate and interact. It will highlight and illustrate the deep-seated role of values in both politics and religion.

The first half of the course will then introduce classic theories and concepts of politics, religion, and values. The second half of the course will apply the theories and concepts critically to a series of historical and contemporary case studies chosen to ensure topicality as well as historical breadth and a global spread. These might include, for example, the rise of European nation states (how politics, religion and values worked together), Culture Wars in the USA, religious politics in India since the 1990s, and controversies over religion and schooling worldwide.

The course will conclude by considering integrating theories that make sense of the convergence of politics, religion and values (e.g. theories of ‘civil religion’, ‘new social movements’, ‘identity politics’ and ‘values-based politics’). The course will end with methodological reflection on the nature of the methods that have been in play during the course, and on combinations of methods for studying PRV. There will be plenty of room for student input and choice of cases in this module, and the entire course will be interactive and encourage students to integrate learning from other parts of their studies. It will provide a good theoretical basis for them to do so.

Educational Aims

The module will provide students with the skills, knowledge and confidence to:

• Recognise and analyse texts from several disciplines, demonstrating awareness of their different perspectives and uses, and ability to assess the strength of competing approaches and interpretations.
• Formulate evidence-based opinions verbally and in writing and communicate clearly, with the written and spoken word. Develop confidence and skill in analysis and discussion, and deepen critical skills.
• Improve analytical, written and verbal skills through course reading, essay-writing, and workshop discussions.
• Discuss and analyse empirical cases, by identifying salient aspects for analysis, theories that can be deployed, and disciplinary approaches that can be used.
• Deepen disciplinary understanding and also show how disciplinary perspectives may need to be challenged by other disciplines, thus building an interdisciplinary awareness.

Outline Syllabus

Politics can be defined as involving the legitimate exercise of coercive power, religion as involving the control of symbolic power. Both also involve values. Values have to do with what is perceived as good for the individual and society. Values can be expressed in norms, symbols, narratives and action. They shape identity and help bind people together and set them apart. By understanding politics, religion and values as overlapping categories, we can attain a fuller understanding of each. The course will begin by introducing concepts of politics, religion and values and using contemporary case studies to illustrate how they operate and interact. It will highlight and illustrate the deep-seated role of values in both politics and religion. The first half of the course will then introduce classic theories and concepts of politics, religion, and values. The second half of the course will apply the theories and concepts critically to a series of historical and contemporary case studies chosen to ensure topicality as well as historical breadth and a global spread. These might include, for example, the rise of European nation states (how politics, religion and values worked together), Culture Wars in the USA, religious politics in India since the 1990s, and controversies over religion and schooling worldwide. The course will conclude by considering integrating theories that make sense of the convergence of politics, religion and values (e.g. theories of 'civil religion', 'new social movements', 'identity politics' and 'values-based politics'). The course will end with methodological reflection on the nature of the methods that have been in play during the course, and on combinations of methods for studying PRV. There will be plenty of room for student input and choice of cases in this module, and the entire course will be interactive and encourage students to integrate learning from other parts of their studies. It will provide a good theoretical basis for them to do so. Typical areas of study will include:

• the concepts of politics, religion and values and issues of their interrelations
• theories of politics
• theories of religion (substantive and functional)
• theories of value (deontological, consequentialist, teleological, relational)
• case studies examining the growth of modern European nation states (how politics, religion and values work together), Culture Wars in the USA (clashing binary clusters of politics, religion, and values), Religious politics in India since the 1990s,
• theories of the convergence of politics, religion and values (e.g. theories of 'civil religion', 'political religion' and 'alues-based politics')
• theories of the clash of politics, religion and values (e.g. 'social identity theory', theories of religious violence)

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 40%
• Exam: 60%

PPR.351: Modern Religious and Atheistic Thought

• Terms Taught: Lent / Summer Terms only
• US Credits: 4 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS
• Pre-requisites: You must have undertaken relevant previous studies in Philosophy and/or Religion.

Course Description

The aim of this course is to examine and evaluate some of the most central issues in Enlightenment and post-Enlightenment Western religious and atheistic philosophical debates. The course will begin by looking the philosophy of G. W. F. Hegel and its implications for subsequent religious and atheistic thought. It will then proceed to consider the thought of the post-Hegelian ‘master's of suspicion’: Feuerbach, Marx, Freud and Nietzsche. After this, it will look at ways in which religious and atheistic thought have been brought together, as manifested in various forms of ‘Christian atheism.’ Finally, it will consider postmodern critiques of modern atheism and the nature of the associated ‘return of religion.’

Educational Aims

The aim of this course is to help students:

• Examine and evaluate some of the most central issues in Enlightenment and post-Enlightenment Western religious and atheistic philosophical debates. After preliminary consideration of what is meant by modernity, religion and atheism, the course provides an introduction to the thought of some central Enlightenment philosophers, particularly Hegel and Nietzsche, and the implications of their thought for religious questions.
• Look at the ways in which religious and atheistic thought have interacted with each other, particularly in studies of the death of God and the emergence of various forms of Christian atheism.
• Consider postmodern and religious critiques of modernity and the Enlightenment.

Outline Syllabus

The course will examine some of the major debates in religious and atheistic thought, looking in particular at the way in which these debates are framed in a specifically modern epistemological framework and the ways in which religious thought and atheistic thought might be thought to be mutually constitutive and mutually implicated rather than simply oppositional. The syllabus will include the following topics:

• Hegel - his notion of the 'death of God' and his disputed status as a religious or atheistic thinker
• The post-Hegelian 'master's of suspicion': one or two of Feuerbach, Marx, Durkheim, Freud
• Nietzsche - especially his notion of the 'death of God' and its subsequent reception
• 'Christian Atheism' - particularly the work of Thomas J J Altizer and/or Don Cupitt
• Between Theism and Atheism - particularly the work of Mark C Taylor and/or John D Caputo
• After Atheism: The 'Radical Orthodoxy' of John Milbank

Assessment Proportions

• Coursework: 40%
• Exam: 60%

PPR.365: State and Religion

• Terms Taught: Michaelmas Term Only
• US Credits: 4 Semester Credits
• ECTS Credits: 7.5 ECTS
• Pre-requisites: Previous study in this subject area is required.

Course Description

Course Description: The module provides a comparative perspective drawing on the fields of religion and politics. It analyses how the rise of the modern nation-state impacted and reconstituted religion in a post-colonial, global context. It addresses questions such as: What place does religion have in diverse political systems in the modern world? How have religious ideologies and commitments shaped modern conceptions and practices of governance? To what extent has religion been engaged in supporting/contesting discourses of liberal democracy and human rights? And why does it remain a site for political protest in non-western contexts? These questions will be explored across various traditions such as Hinduism, Christianity, Islam as well as in diverse regional contexts, such as Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and South Asia. Key topics will typically include: Secularism, Religion and the Postcolonial Nation-State; Religion and law-making in modern nation-states; State, Religion, and human rights, with a focus on women's rights or religious minority rights; State, Religion and Rebellion; and Civil Religion: Interrogating America's Nationalism.

Educational Aims

Educational Aims: Subject Specific: Knowledge, Understanding and Skills

This module aim to offer an opportunity to study a range of religions, geographic and political contexts. It will attempt to equip students with the knowledge and confidence to describe, discuss and deploy competing concepts and theories as well as a range of examples. Students will learn to understand the close relationship between theory and context, and the variations in the historical and contemporary reality of states and the effect of religion on them. We aim to give students an awareness of the need for critical thinking about the global complexity of the role of religion on governance, political practices and ideologies. They would have been able to develop a deeper understanding of a specific issue through a case study in their coursework.

Educational Aims: General: Knowledge, Understanding and Skills

The module aims to provide students with the skills, knowledge and confidence to:

• Recognise and analyse literature from several disciplines, demonstrating awareness of their different perspectives and uses, and ability to assess the strength of competing approaches and interpretations.
• Formulate evidence-based opinions verbally and in writing and communicate clearly, with the written and spoken word.
• Develop confidence and skill in analysis and discussion and deepen critical skills. Improve analytical, written and verbal skills through course reading, essay-writing, and workshop discussions.
• Discuss and analyse empirical cases, by identifying salient aspects for analysis, theories that can be deployed, and disciplinary approaches that can be used.
• Deepen disciplinary understanding and also show how disciplinary perspectives may need to be challenged by other disciplines, thus building an interdisciplinary awareness

Learning Outcomes: Subject Specific: Knowledge, Understanding and Skills

Students who pass this module should be able to... Demonstrate understanding of key concepts of the state in contemporary religious and political thought and practice. Identify the complex inter-relationship between religion and the modern state across different traditions and in different regional contexts. Critically evaluate how this inter-relationship has shaped and even transformed political systems and religious tradition nationally and transnationally.

Learning Outcomes: General: Knowledge, Understanding and Skills

Students who pass this module should be able to...

• Demonstrate cognitive, time management and transferable skills through supportive learning environments and rigorous modes of assessment
• Utilise high-level skills in problem solving, application of knowledge, analysis and critical reflection, handling large bodies of information, oral and written communication, negotiation and influence, time management and work organisation
• Use appropriate digital learning technologies available through the university in research and writing
• Demonstrate the ability to gather, organize and deploy evidence, data and information from a variety of secondary and some primary sources; identify, investigate, analyse, formulate and advocate solutions to problems; and construct reasoned argument, synthesize relevant information and exercise critical judgement

Outline Syllabus

Key topics will typically include:

• Secularism, Religion and the Postcolonial Nation-State;
• Religion and law-making in modern nation-states;
• State, Religion, and human rights, with a focus on women's rights or religious minority rights;
• Christianity and civil religion;
• Social movements and religion;
• State, Religion and Rebellion.

Assessment Proportions

• 100% coursework (1 x 5000-word essay)