Course Details in 2024/25 Session

Module Title	LI Power, Society and Identity : critical thinkers for the study of religions 1
School	Phil, Theology and Religion
Department	Theology and Religion
Module Code	09 30843
Module Lead	Nicholas Adams
Level	Intermediate Level
Credits	20
Semester	Semester 1 or 2
Pre-requisites
Co-requisites
Restrictions	None
Contact Hours	Lecture-30 hours Guided independent study-170 hours Total: 200 hours
Exclusions
Description	Religions, and the study of them, do not exist in a vacuum. Ideas and practices of religion have been deeply influenced by broader understandings of society, identity, and power. This module introduces students, in an accessible manner, to the core texts and concepts of a selection of key modern critical thinkers. The module will examine how each thinker/text impacts on, and can be applied to, theology and the study of religion. By focusing on only a few core texts the module will also build students’ key analytical and critical thinking skills. An indicative list of thinkers includes in no particular order: H Arendt, , U Beck, P Bourdieu, F Fanon, H Giroux, S Hall, B Latour, F Nietzsche, I Young. Three of these or similar will be studied in any given iteration of the module.
Learning Outcomes	By the end of the module students should be able to: demonstrate an ability to summarise the principal arguments from the set texts demonstrate a clear differentiation between primary and secondary texts, and an ability to distinguish the arguments made in the primary texts from particular interpretations made by their commentators demonstrate an ability to analyse the principal ways in which the thinkers/texts studied have had an impact on the disciplines of theology and/or religious studies
Assessment	30843-01 : Gobbet from 1st text : Coursework (30%) 30843-02 : Gobbet from 2nd or 3rd text or Essay question : Coursework (70%)
Assessment Methods & Exceptions	Assessment: Commentary on prescribed gobbet from first text, 1,500 words, (30%) AND either Commentary on prescribed gobbet from second or third set text (both will be available) OR Essay on any set text from the list of questions provided, 2,500 words (70%) Reassessment: Resubmission of failed components as above.
Other
Reading List