Undergraduate Course: Religion in Modern Britain (REST08018)
Course Outline
| School | School of Divinity |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 1 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | The aim of the course is to introduce students to a range of religious formations as they tackle particular 'issues' arising from modernity in British contexts. This course will provide a 'zoom in' portrayal, in one specific (and local) modern state, which will help to focus and fine-tune representations raised in Global Religions A and B courses. It should also form an attractive outside course. |
| Course description |
This course will provide an introductory overview of the contemporary landscape of religion and society in modern Britain, combining contextualised analyses of religious formations with specific case studies. The approach will be largely socio-cultural and ethnographical, underpinned by a modern (i.e. post-war) historical orientation. The treatment of religion/s will be aspectual, focusing on how practitioners/communities deal with 'change' and 'issues', thus emphasising the embeddedness of religious groups in local culture and wider society.
The aim of the course is to introduce students to a range of religious formations as they tackle particular 'issues' arising from modernity in British contexts. Local/Scottish examples and case studies will be used where appropriate, including the possibility of one or two local site visits, but global relationships and the effects of diaspora will also be traced.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Outline the main aspects of the religious history of Britain.
- Make historical connections amongst the religions and relate these to contemporary situations.
- Identify themes that emerge from the study of the traditions considered in lectures and tutorials.
- Demonstrate an ability to identify key terms and their meanings.
- Demonstrate good judgment about how to judge the relative importance of items on course bibliographies.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
- Outline the main aspects of the religious history of Britain;
- Evaluate and critique the work of scholars who have studied religions, both in the contemporary period and in the history of the discipline;
- Formulate questions emerging from the study of religions and structure an argument to express resolutions to the questions critically and analytically.
- Read and interpret a range of different sources for the study of religions within their historical, social and theoretical contexts and be able to differentiate primary from secondary sources.
- Formulate, investigate and discuss questions informed by Religious Studies methodologies (these include anthropology, cognitive studies, cultural history, ethnography, post-colonial studies and sociology);
- Engage and draw on an understanding of religious traditions and cultures to inform the approach taken when dealing with views different from one¿s own;
- Analyse and explain how cultural assumptions impact on the interpretation of religions;
- Express clearly ideas and arguments, both orally and in writing and in electronic media;
- Develop oral presentation and participation skills during seminars and group-work, and in written form through essays.
- Collaborate efficiently and productively with others in the process of learning and presenting conclusions - this includes those with a range of backgrounds and knowledge bases about religion, such as fellow-students, tutors and supervisors;
- Organise their own learning, manage workload and work to a timetable;
- Effectively plan, and possess the confidence to undertake and to present scholarly work that demonstrates an understanding of the aims, methods and theoretical considerations relevant to Religious Studies; and
- Work independently on the creation of essays using the standards current in the academic field of Religious Studies.
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| Additional Class Delivery Information |
3 lectures and a weekly tutorial |
| Keywords | Religion, Britain, Scotland, history |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Steven Sutcliffe
Tel: (0131 6)50 8947
Email: S.Sutcliffe@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Ms Katrina Munro
Tel: (0131 6)50 8900
Email: Kate.Munro@ed.ac.uk |
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