Postgraduate Course: Church, State and Civil Society (THET11001)
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 course provides a broad overview of key issues in, and major developments in the history of, the relationships between the churches, the state and civil society. |
| Course description |
Academic Description:
The course engages with key primary texts relating to church, state and civil society, considering them in their historical context and also for the theological issues they raise. Attention is paid to the uses of the Bible in shaping the relationship between the churches and civil authority, and to the diversity of perspectives in each historical period.
Syllabus/Outline Content:
The first, historical, section of the course engages with some of the most influential primary texts for Christian thought about church-state relations. The second section focuses on contemporary issues, including democracy and authoritarianism, human rights, and postcolonial perspectives on the public role of Christianity.
Student Learning Experience Information:
Teaching sessions will be discussion-based, and will include introductory lectures by the course organiser and student presentations on texts. Essay topics will enable students to work on a subject of individual interest from within the syllabus. Students will be given feedback on presentations, and are also encouraged to seek formative feedback on their essay outlines.
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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 |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Understand, explain and critically evaluate major historical and contemporary approaches to the relationship between the church(es) and the state
- Work critically with historical and contemporary theological sources to develop responses to current issues in church-state relations
- Understand, and make appropriate critical use of, key concepts and terms in church-state relations
- Identify, and explain clearly and critically, key issues and claims from complex theological texts
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Prof Rachel Muers
Tel:
Email: rachel.muers@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | |
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