Course Details in 2024/25 Session

Module Title	LI Dharmic Religions and Traditions
School	Phil, Theology and Religion
Department	Theology and Religion
Module Code	09 36086
Module Lead	Jagbir Jhutti-Johal
Level	Intermediate Level
Credits	20
Semester	Semester 1
Pre-requisites
Co-requisites
Restrictions	None
Contact Hours	Lecture-20 hours Seminar-10 hours Guided independent study-170 hours Total: 200 hours
Exclusions
Description	Dharmic traditions such as – Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism – cannot be confined under the Western construct of “religion” and this module will encourage students to look beyond Western perspectives. This module will introduce students to one or more Indic dharmic traditions, exploring the concept of dharma through that tradition. Students will study key concepts, ideas and practices such as attitudes towards the afterlife, reincarnation, liberation, and concepts such as compassion, selfless service, environment to understand notions of duty, doing good deeds, religious practice, and achieving fulfilment. By addressing the ‘central and fundamental’ beliefs of a tradition students will learn the distinctive features of how dharma has been understood and developed in that tradition. There will also be opportunity to consider some and connect the common features and differences by a comparative focus with on Indic encounters and engagement with key Dharmic concepts, through another tradition, such as Indic Sufism. It will also encourage students to see how these religions and their communities have influenced, engaged with, and adapted through encounters with, and by living in, the ‘West’.
Learning Outcomes	By the end of the module students should be able to: Demonstrate an understanding of the central concepts, and traditions of one or more dharmic religion or tradition; Demonstrate an understanding of the diversity within and across Dharmic religions and traditions; Analyse and Assess core issues effecting Dharmic religious communities today or in the past; Engage with primary source materials relevant to dharmic religions and traditions.
Assessment	36086-01 : Essay 1 - 2000 Word Essay : Coursework (50%) 36086-02 : Essay 2 - 2000 Word Essay : Coursework (50%)
Assessment Methods & Exceptions	Assessment: 2 x 2,000 word essays (50% each). Reassessment: Resit failed component.
Other
Reading List