Postgraduate Course: Selected Themes in the Study of World Christianity (WRCH11018)
Course Outline
| School | School of Divinity |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This core course offers candidates the opportunity to study in depth Christian history, thought and practice in and from Africa, Asia and Latin America. Primary attention is given to methods for the study of indigenous forms and expressions of christianity, to issues of culture and gender, and the changing patterns of relationship between Christianity in the West and other parts of the world. Issues of religious pluralism feature significantly in terms of the interaction between Christianity and other religious traditions. |
| Course description |
Academic Description:
This core course offers candidates the opportunity to study in depth Christian history, thought and practice in and from Africa, Asia and Latin America. Primary attention is given to methods for the study of indigenous forms and expressions of Christianity, to issues of culture and gender, and the changing patterns of relationship between Christianity in the West and other parts of the world. Issues of religious pluralism feature significantly in terms of the interaction between Christianity and other religious traditions.
Syllabus/Outline Content:
The syllabus will to some extent vary from year to year, according to the availability of staff and the themes selected for study in a particular year. However, primary attention is given to different approaches to the study of indigenous forms and expressions of non-western Christianity, to issues of culture and gender in relation to Christianity, and to changing patterns of relationship between Christianity in the West and other parts of the world. Issues of religious pluralism feature significantly in terms of the interaction between Christianity and other religious traditions.
Student Learning Experience:
The course is taught by means of a weekly two-hour class that combines lecture input, student presentations and class discussion. Readings for each week will be set. Students make a class presentation on one of the weekly readings and write one essay of 4000 words on a topic to be agreed with the course organiser. Students will also be required as an exercise in formative assessment to submit to the course manager a one-page draft outline of their essay, with an indicative bibliography, and expect to meet with a member of the teaching staff for formative feedback.
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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 | This is a graduate-level course. Please confirm subject prerequisites with the Course Manager. |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2022/23, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 22,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 1,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
173 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
90 %,
Practical Exam
10 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
90% - Essay (4000 words) on a topic to be agreed with the Course Organiser
10% - Class presentation on a topic and in a form agreed with the Course Organiser |
| Feedback |
Individual advice on preparing class presentations will be given. Each student will have a meeting mid-semester with a lecturer to discuss plans for their essay and an opportunity to submit an outline/plan for comments. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Have a good general understanding of the growth of Christianity as a world religion.
- Appreciate social scientific, historical and theological perspectives on world Christianity.
- Relate current trends in Christianity as a world religion to major themes in theology and religious studies.
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Reading List
There is no course textbook please consult the Resource list/LEARN for weekly reading related to each theme. The following provide background material on a range of topics:
Afeosemime U. Adogame (Afeosemime Unuose), 1964-2013. The African Christian Diaspora: New Currents and Emerging Trends in World Christianity.
Kwame. Bediako. 1995. Christianity in Africa: the Renewal of a Non-Western Religion. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
Joel Cabrita 1980-, David Maxwell 1963-, and Emma Wild-Wood. 2017. Relocating World Christianity: Interdisciplinary Studies in Universal and Local Expressions of the Christian Faith.
Charles E. Farhadian 1964-. 2012. Introducing World Christianity. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.
Philip Jenkins 1952-. 2008. The New Faces of Christianity: Believing the Bible in the Global South. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Sebastian C. H. Kim. 2008. Christianity as a World Religion. Edited by Kirsteen Kim. London; New York: Continuum.
Mark A. Lamport. 2018. Encyclopedia of Christianity in the Global South.
Lamin O. Sanneh. 2003. Whose Religion Is Christianity?: the Gospel Beyond the West. Grand Rapids, Mich.; Cambridge: W.B. Eerdmans.
---. 2008. Disciples of All Nations Pillars of World Christianity. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
---. 2016. The Wiley Blackwell Companion to World Christianity.
Robert J. Schreiter. 1985. Constructing Local Theologies. Maryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis.
Brian Stanley 1953-. 2018. Christianity in the Twentieth Century: a World History.
Peter C. Phan 1943-, and Jonathan Y. Tan. 2016. World Christianity: Perspectives and Insights: Essays in Honor of Peter C. Phan.
Andrew F. Walls (Andrew Finlay). 1996. The Missionary Movement in Christian History: Studies in the Transmission of Faith. Maryknoll, N.Y.: Edinburgh: Orbis Books T&T Clark.
---. n.d. The Cross-Cultural Process in Christian History: Studies in the Transmission and Appropriation of Faith. Maryknoll, N.Y.: Edinburgh: Orbis Books; T&T Clark.
Andrew F. Walls (Andrew Finlay),. 2017. Crossing Cultural Frontiers: Studies in the History of World Christianity. Edited by Mark R. Gornik. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
- Curiosity for learning and openness to different perspectives
- Willingness to engage across disciplinary boundaries and to approach texts in new ways
- Finely-tuned skills of close reading and critical analysis
- Ability to communicate effectively with others, both orally and in writing |
| Keywords | Christianity |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Kirsty Murray
Tel: (0131 6)50 8900
Email: kirsty.murray@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Rachel Dutton
Tel: (0131 6)50 7227
Email: rdutton@ed.ac.uk |
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