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Timetable information in the Course Catalogue may be subject to change.

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Divinity : Divinity

Postgraduate Course: Christianity in Asia, 1700 to the Present (WRCH11019)

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 surveys the varied fortunes of Christianity in Asia since 1700, paying particular attention to India and China, but also exploring other regions of South, East, and Southeast Asia. Issues of imperialism, aspirations of nation-building, ecumenical initiatives, the significance of the majority religious environment, and the development of indigenous Asian theologies will be central.
Course description Academic Description:
This course gives students the opportunity to engage with primary sources (both missionary and indigenous) that will enable them to interpret the varied fortunes of Christianity as an increasingly important minority religion in Asia in the period since 1700. An integrating theme will be the attempts of missions and churches to throw off the association of Christianity with the West. Another consistent focus will be the relationship of Christianity to the majority religious traditions.

Syllabus/Outline Content:
This course surveys the varied fortunes of Christianity in Asia since 1700, paying particular attention to India and China, but also exploring other regions of South, East, and Southeast Asia. Some of the themes that will be covered include debates around ecumenism and independency in India and China, aspirations towards social and religious harmony in Singapore and Malaysia, and the role of Christianity in nation-building in Indonesia and Korea. Throughout the course, issues of defining the identity of Christians within their Asian contexts will be central.

Student Learning Experience Information:
Each week comprises a two-hour class which combines formal lecture input and interactive discussion on the basis of key primary texts set for each week. Each student selects one week of the course to offer a class presentation focussed on the texts for that week. Through participation in lecture and tutorial discussions, as well as through written work, students will demonstrate their achievement of the intended learning outcomes.
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
Not being delivered
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Demonstrate a secure grasp of the main trends shaping the varied history of the churches in Asian contexts.
  2. Engage sensitively with the complex issues of identity often faced by Christians in Asia.
  3. Interact constructively and critically with contemporary Asian theologies.
  4. Interpret with insight and discrimination relevant primary sources on Asian Christian history and theology.
Reading List
None
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Not entered
KeywordsAsia,Christianity,imperialism,nationalism,ecumenism,religious dialogue,indigenisation,context
Contacts
Course organiserDr Alexander Chow
Tel:
Email: Alexander.Chow@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMiss Olga Szekrenyes
Tel:
Email: oszekren@ed.ac.uk
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