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DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2024/2025

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Divinity : Divinity

Postgraduate Course: History of Science and Religion in the Christian Tradition (THET11015)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Divinity CollegeCollege of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits20 ECTS Credits10
SummaryThis course aims to provide a broad overview of some of the most salient developments in the history of the relations between science and religion. It is offered as an option within the MTh (Theology in History) programme, but is also available to other MTh/MSc programmes in the School of Divinity and more widely in the College of Humanities and Social Science.
Course description Academic Description:
Key episodes in the history of science and religion are explored in multi-disciplinary perspective. These cover material from the early church to the early 21st century, and seek to show the complex ways in which religion and science have been intertwined and have interacted.
Syllabus/Outline Content:
The course is team taught, drawing upon scholars from science, history and theology. The syllabus examines interpretations of Genesis in the early church, before moving through the middle ages and the early modern period. Leading scientists such as Newton and Darwin are discussed, and the course concludes by looking at the 'new atheism' - and beyond.

Student Learning Experience Information:
Each session will include a short lecture from the course teachers followed by a student-led presentation on a prescribed text. For ease of access, texts are made available through a single course handbook which can be purchased by students. Essays topics enable students to work on a subject of particular interest from within the syllabus.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesThis is a graduate-level course. Please confirm subject prerequisites with the Course Manager.
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2024/25, Available to all students (SV1) Quota:  12
Course Start Semester 2
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 200 ( Seminar/Tutorial Hours 22, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 174 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 80 %, Practical Exam 20 %
Additional Information (Assessment) 20% - Presentation

80% - Essay (3000 words)
Feedback Not entered
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Engage critically with selected historical, scientific and theological sources.
  2. Show an awareness of the contextual conditions under which scientific and theological ideas were advanced and received.
  3. Show an ability to structure an argument, to use correct grammar in expressing scientific and theological ideas, and to support claims with reference to specific named primary and secondary texts.
  4. Develop skills in oral communication and participation in group discussion.
Reading List
Useful background material may be found in Peter Harrison (ed.), Cambridge Companion to Science and Religion (Cambridge University Press, 2010). This course uses Resource Lists: to see the latest reading list for the course go to https://eu01.alma.exlibrisgroup.com/leganto/readinglist/searchlists and search for the course title.
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Not entered
KeywordsHistSc&Rel,history,science,religion
Contacts
Course organiserRevdr Michael Fuller
Tel: (0131 6)50 8963
Email: Michael.Fuller@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMiss Olga Szekrenyes
Tel:
Email: oszekren@ed.ac.uk
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