THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2019/2020

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Divinity : Religious Studies

Undergraduate Course: Promised Land or Land of Conflict 3/4 (REST10022)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Divinity CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits20 ECTS Credits10
SummaryThe course will cover the development of Zionist thought and the events leading to the foundation of the State of Israel, various aspects of Israeli culture (language, literature, religion), and current Israeli political problems.
Course description Academic Description:
This course introduces different aspects of Jewish thought and culture by offering a twofold approach of historical overview and in-depth study of particular issues. The course is designed to develop insights into a range of historical and intellectual developments in Jewish identifications, in particular since the beginning of the Emancipation of the Jews at the end of the eighteenth century as these relate to the Land and State of Israel. The development of Zionist thought and the events leading to the foundation of the State of Israel will be studied. The course then focuses on various aspects of Israeli culture (language, literature, religion), and current Israeli political problems. The course aims to offer an insight into the complexity of Israeli society and the place of religion within the state. Students will also gain insight into the history and current developments of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Syllabus/Outline Content:
Students will read a variety of sources, ranging from early Zionist texts written in the nineteenth century, political texts addressing current affairs, as well as literary and other cultural products (for example films, poetry, music) to gain an understanding of the development of Israeli society and its diversity.

Student Learning Experience Information:
The course consists of a two hour weekly seminar which may be taught as a 'flipped classroom'. In the first hour students will engage in a discussion of the source text(s) for the week. To prepare students are asked to study in depth the key texts assigned for each week. These consist of a primary source and appropriate scholarly literature. There will be a formative aspect to the study of source texts which feed forward to the assessed essay and exam. The second hour of the seminar will take the form of a lecture to prepare students with an overview of issues relevant to the following week's source text. A class essay and a final exam test the learning outcomes for this course.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements Or by permission of the Course Manager.
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesVisiting students should have at least 3 Divinity/Religious Studies courses at grade B or above (or be predicted to obtain this). We will only consider University/College level courses.
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Not being delivered
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Explain the problems faced by the Jewish people at the beginning of the modern era and why Zionism arose as one possible solution and, through the Zionist movement, eventually succeeded in founding the State of Israel.
  2. Competently outline the various ideological trends within the State of Israel and especially the role of religion within the State.
  3. Explain the role played in the establishment of the State by the revival of the Hebrew language and the literature and cultural production based on it.
  4. Demonstrate awareness of the complexities of the Israeli-Arab conflict.
  5. Identify key terms and their meanings and show good judgment about how to assess the relative importance of items on course bibliographies.
Reading List
None
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Not entered
KeywordsNot entered
Contacts
Course organiserDr Hannah Holtschneider
Tel: (0131 6)50 8933
Email: H.Holtschneider@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMs Katrina Munro
Tel: (0131 6)50 8900
Email: Kate.Munro@ed.ac.uk
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