DIVINITY AND RELIGIOUS STUDIES

Credit Points

10

Course Coordinator

Dr S J Gathercole

Pre-requisites

This is a beginners’ course and it is not available for native Greek speakers.

Overview

This course offers students the chance to acquire an introduction to first century Greek, the original language of the New Testament. It is aimed at complete beginners and does not assume any prior knowledge or linguistic ability. The course covers basic Greek grammar and sentence structure, and by the end students will be able to read simplified texts from the New Testament itself.
2 one-hour lectures per week.
1 one-hour written examination paper (60%); language exercises, internal examination (40%).

Credit Points

10

Course Coordinator

Dr K T Aitken

Pre-requisites

None

Notes

This course will be run as required in the light of student demand.

Overview

This course is concerned with an introduction to classical biblical Hebrew without presupposing any prior knowledge. It involves the study of grammar and syntax and the translation of simple Hebrew prose texts.
2 one-hour tutorials per week.
1 one-hour written examination paper (60%) and 1 internal examination (40%).

Credit Points

10

Course Coordinator

Dr K T Aitken

Pre-requisites

None

Overview

The course includes: a survey of the geography and history of ancient Israel; a study of the united monarchy and of the literature of the exilic period.
2 one-hour lectures per week, some replaced by tutorials.
1 one-hour written examination (50%), 2 tutorial papers (30%), 1 class examination (20%).

Credit Points

10

Course Coordinator

Professor F B Watson

Pre-requisites

None

Overview

This course introduces the study of the life and teaching of Jesus within his first century historical context. It will try to shed light on the many questions that arise from the Gospels’ presentation of Jesus’ teaching and activity. Among other things, we shall ask how much we can know about the course of Jesus’ life; what he meant by the ‘kingdom of God’; whether he regarded himself as ‘the Messiah’; and why he ran into such opposition. The course will also use material from outside the New Testament to construct a fuller picture of the broad historical and cultural context of Jesus’ ministry.
2 one-hour lectures per week, some replaced by tutorials.
1 one-hour written examination (60%) and 1 class examination (40%).

Credit Points

20

Course Coordinator

Dr S D Kunin

Pre-requisites

None

Overview

This is a foundational course in world religions. We begin with a discussion of issues and methodologies in the study of religion. We examine the Semitic traditions of Judaism and Islam, looking at the origins of these religions and at the challenges which they encounter in the modern world. Then we turn to the religions of the East. We then either investigate the basics of Hinduism and a deeper study of Buddhism in ancient and in contemporary South East Asia or study the Chinese religions of Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism.
3 one-hour lectures and 1 one-hour tutorial per week.
1 two-hour written examination (60%) and 2 essays (40%).

Credit Points

20

Course Coordinator

Dr N Thompson

Pre-requisites

None

Overview

The course is intended to introduce students to the life and thought of the church in the first five centuries, through studying documents, through lectures on key subjects, and through reading. The focus will be both on the historical rise of Christianity to its position of cultural dominance, and on the development of Christian thought and spirituality during the same period, from the post-Apostolic beginnings to the sixth century.
3 one-hour lectures per week - some lectures will be replaced by tutorials.
1 two-hour written examination (60%) and two essays (40%).

Credit Points

10

Course Coordinator

Dr A D Clarke

Pre-requisites

DR 1023

Overview

This course, which builds on the foundations laid in DR 1023, introduces further study of the grammar and vocabulary of New Testament Greek. The intention is to improve the students’ confidence in handling the New Testament in its original language as well as develop greater fluency in translating portions of the New Testament.
2 one-hour lectures per week.
1 one-hour written examination paper (60%); language exercises, internal examination (40%).

Credit Points

10

Course Coordinator

Dr K T Aitken

Pre-requisites

DR 1024

Notes

This course will be run as required in the light of student demand.

Overview

The course continues the study of classical biblical Hebrew begun in Hebrew Language 1 with more advanced study of grammar and syntax and the reading of selected texts from the Hebrew Bible.
2 one-hour tutorials per week.
1 one-hour written examination paper (60%) and 1 internal examination (40%).

Credit Points

10

Course Coordinator

Dr K T Aitken

Pre-requisites

None

Overview

The course includes: an introduction to the Pentateuch and to the prophets, including a study of Genesis and Amos.
2 one-hour lectures per week, some replaced by tutorials.
1 one-hour written examination (50%), 2 tutorial papers (30%), 1 class examination (20%).

Credit Points

10

Course Coordinator

Professor F B Watson

Pre-requisites

None

Overview

Each of the four gospels presents its own distinctive portrait of the life and teaching of Jesus, and the main aim of this course is to bring out the particular characteristics of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and to compare and contrast them with one another. The four canonical gospels were selected from a wider range of material about Jesus, and the course will look at surviving non-canonical texts such as the Gospel of Thomas and examine the reasons why some texts were included in the New Testament and others excluded. In addition, selected passages from the Gospel of Mark will be studied in more detail. This course can be taken in conjunction with DR 1026 or on its own.
2 one-hour lectures, with some lectures replaced by tutorial groups.
1 one-hour written examination (60%) and 1 essay (40%).

Credit Points

20

Course Coordinator

Dr J Drane

Pre-requisites

None

Overview

Alongside the serious decline of traditional religious institutions, ‘spirituality’ is thriving within popular western culture. This course utilises historical, sociological, and theological perspectives to study topics such as the rise of the New Age, the popularity of ‘alternative’ healing therapies, the application of ‘spiritual’ solutions to the challenges of modern business, and the models of spirituality offered by the media (TV, Hollywood, the World Wide Web). There is also discussion of possible futures for the Christian church, examining the significance of the charismatic movement, the rapid growth of the New Churches in Britain, and the popularity of ‘alternative’ worship throughout the world.
2 two-hour classes per week, including one practical workshop once every two weeks.
1 two-hour written examination (60%) and continuous assessment (40%).

Credit Points

20

Course Coordinator

Dr I A McFarland

Pre-requisites

None

Overview

The course will consider the range of criticisms advanced against the central elements of Christian belief from the Enlightenment to the present day with particular attention to Christian claims about God, Jesus and the natural world. Attention will be devoted to criticism of the traditional arguments for the existence of God, historical scepticism, miracles, and the problem of evil. Tutorials will study recent attempts to re-articulate belief in light of these challenges.
3 one-hour lectures per week and 1 one-hour tutorial per fortnight.
1 essay (20%), seminar assessments (20%), and 1 two-hour written examination (60%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Head of School of Divinity and Religious Studies

Pre-requisites

None

Overview

Latin, which in the time of the Roman Empire came to be spoken over almost the whole of Western Europe, remained for many centuries thereafter the language of law and administration, of scholarship and literature, and of the Christian Church in the West. This course will give students a grounding in basic grammar, syntax and vocabulary, and will introduce them from the outset to the legends of early Rome through reading simple but continuous Latin text.
2 classes per week and a weekly tutorial.
1 one-hour examination (60%) and continuous assessment (40%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Head of School of Divinity and Religious Studies

Pre-requisites

LT 1004 or equivalent with the approval of the Course Co-ordinator.

Overview

This course will greatly extend students’ knowledge of, and competence in, the language and, through the reading of passages which will increasingly approximate to Latin originals, will bring them to the point where they can embark for themselves on the reading of the original text. They will become familiar with themes from Roman history and they will be able throughout to trace the influence of Latin on other European languages.
2 classes per week and a weekly tutorial.
1 one-hour examination (60%) and continuous assessment (40%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr K T Aitken

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 2 or above.

Overview

The course includes: a study of covenant and wisdom in the Hebrew Bible; exegesis of texts from Deuteronomy and Proverbs in English.
5 one-hour lectures per fortnight, some replaced by tutorials.
1 one-hour written examination (50%), 2 tutorial papers (30%), 1 class examination (20%).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

To be notified

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 2 or above.

Overview

The course will attempt to link together a series of interlocking doctrines. Following from an examination of the doctrine of the spirit in the Western tradition, the course will consider the different shapes the doctrine of the Church has taken. It will be shown how a doctrine of the Church, in turn, determines how the sacraments of baptism and the eucharist are understood, and how a doctrine of the Church affects how we think and behave ethically. What are the boundaries of the Church? The course will examine a range of ethical questions like euthanasia, disability, sex, healing and divorce so as to explore ecclesial limits. It will then consider worship and how ecclesial boundaries are celebrated liturgically; missiology (and how ecclesial boundaries are extended); and pastoral counselling (and how ecclesial hurt is healed).
5 one-hour lectures per week, 3 one-hour tutorials.
1 three-hour written examination (60%), 2 essays and tutorial assignments (40%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr S J Gathercole

Pre-requisites

DR 1524 and either DR 1026 or DR 1527.

Overview

The Johannine literature - consisting of John’s gospel, and the three Epistles - constitutes a large part of the New Testament. This course will pay particular attention to the gospel and the letters. We investigate the origins of the community which produced these texts; examine allegations of anti-Jewishness and Christian sectarianism; uncover the distinctive Christology and the ideas of salvation within the literature; and look at the background to some of the best known images within the whole New Testament. We will read selected passages from John’s gospel and 1 John in the original Greek.
2 one-hour lectures each week and 1 one-hour tutorial each alternate week.
1 two-hour written examination (60%) and continuous assessment (40%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr S J Gathercole

Pre-requisites

Overview

The Johannine literature - consisting of John’s gospel, and the three Epistles - constitutes a large part of the New Testament. This course will pay particular attention to the gospel and the letters. We investigate the origins of the community which produced these texts; examine allegations of anti-Jewishness and Christian sectarianism; uncover the distinctive Christology and ideas of salvation within the literature; and look at the background to some of the best known images within the whole New Testament. We will read passages from John’s gospel and 1 John in English.
2 one-hour lectures each week and 1 one-hour tutorial each alternate week.
1 two-hour written examination (60%) and continuous assessment (40%).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr M A Mills

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 2 or above.

Overview

An examination of the literature and ethnography of Tibetan Buddhism as a major religious and cultural force in the Himalayan region. Students will be introduced to:
Core primary literary sources on areas of philosophy, ethics, cosmology and ritual life within Tibetan Buddhism;
The writings of key Tibetan religious thinkers, such as Tsongkhapa, Patrul Rinpoche and the Dalai Lamas;
Ethnographic material concerning cognate areas of social and religious practice, including monasticism, ritual life, Tibetan shamanism, death and rebirth.
2 two-hour seminars per week.
1 three-hour written examination (60%) and 2 essays (40%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr K T Aitken

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 2 or above.

Overview

The course includes a study of the theology of the prophets, the Psalms (including the messiah and Zion theology), exegesis of texts from Isaiah and Psalms in English.
5 one-hour lectures per fortnight, some replaced by tutorials.
1 one-hour written examination (50%), 2 tutorial papers (30%), 1 class examination (20%).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

To be notified

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 2 or above.

Overview

The course will study the history and theology of the Reformation in sixteenth century continental Europe, England and Scotland, and will trace its impact in the Counter-Reformation within Roman Catholicism. Attention will be given to the Reformed movement in the seventeenth century, to its doctrinal controversies and to recent attempts to resolve these.
4 one-hour lectures per week, with 1 one-hour seminar or 1 one-hour lecture in alternating weeks.
1 two-hour examination (40%), 2 essays (20% each), seminar assignments (20%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr A D Clarke

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 2 or above.

Overview

On the road to Damascus Saul the Persecutor became Paul the Apostle of Jesus Christ. He went on to take the gospel to the Gentile world against considerable opposition. This course traces the progress of his mission, studying each of his letters in historical context; sections from at least one Pauline letter will be studied in detail (in English). Paul was the first and most influential Christian theologian. We will also attempt a synthesis of his thought.
2 one-hour lectures, 1 one-hour lecture or tutorial every alternate week.
1 two-hour written examination (60%) and continuous assessment (40%).

Credit Points

15

Course Coordinator

Dr A D Clarke

Pre-requisites

DR 1524 and either DR 1026 or DR 1527.

Overview

On the road to Damascus Saul the Persecutor became Paul the Apostle of Jesus Christ. He went on to take the gospel to the Gentile world against considerable opposition. This course traces the progress of his mission, studying each of his letters in historical context; sections from at least one Pauline letter will be studied in detail (in Greek). Paul was the first and most influential Christian theologian. We will also attempt a synthesis and integration of his thought.
2 one-hour lectures, 1 one-hour lecture or tutorial every alternate week.
1 two-hour written examination (60%) and continuous assessment (40%).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr S D Kunin

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 2 or above.

Overview

This course analyses methods used in studying religion especially those derived from Phenomenology, Sociology, Psychology and Anthropology. The comparative approach is central to the course. It will therefore introduce major issues in the world’s major religions including Christianity, Islam, Judaism and Hinduism, as well as the indigenous religions of Africa and the new world.
3 one-hour lectures per week and 1 one-hour seminar per week.
1 two-hour written examination (60%) and two essays (40%).

Credit Points

10

Course Coordinator

Dr A D Clarke

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 2 or above who have passed DR 1023.

Co-requisites

DR 1524

Notes

This is a 6 week course. This course may not be taken by students who have taken or wish to take DR 2021 or DR 2522. It is a course which will allow students entry to Level 3 courses in New Testament texts in Greek.

Overview

This course is concerned with reading selected texts from the gospels and 1 John in Greek, looking especially at issues of grammar, language and translation. Students will be expected to prepare sections of text for translation and comment in class.
2 one-hour tutorials per week.
1 one-hour written examination (100%).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr F A Murphy

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 3 or above.

Notes

This course will be available in 2001/02 and in alternate sessions thereafter.

Overview

An overview of the impact of philosophy upon religious thought in the West since the Enlightenment. Special reference will be made to the problems raised by the plurality of world religions and to some leading responses.
3 one-hour lectures and 1 one-hour seminar per week.
1 two-hour examination (60%) and 2 short essays (40%).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

To be notified

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 3 or above.

Overview

This course examines the intellectual development of Protestantism with particular reference to the two most influential Reformation theologians, Martin Luther and John Calvin.
2 two-hour seminars per week.
1 two-hour examination (60%) and two essays (40%).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr S D Kunin

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 3 or above.

Overview

This course closely analyses the methodologies and theories developed by social anthropologists for studying religion. It particularly focuses on ritual, symbolism and myth. It also examines how anthropologists have used these theories in respect of Biblical texts. The course introduces a wide range of ethnographic material.
2 two-hour seminars per week.
1 two-hour examination (60%) and continuous assessment: one essay (40%).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr S D Kunin

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 3 or above who have passed DR 2524.

Notes

This course will be taught in 2002/03 and in alternate sessions thereafter.

Overview

The course will examine closely and analyse the thought of the major philosophers (e.g. Maimonides, Averroes) and philosophical systems in medieval Judaism and Islam. It will examine the interrelationships among the different philosophers and Schools and their influence on contemporary Christian thought. The course will also highlight key areas of difference and suggest reasons for these differences based on the different trajectories of the religious traditions.
2 two-hour seminars/lectures per week.
1 presentation (10%), 1 essay (30%), and 1 two-hour examination (60%).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr I A McFarland

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 3 or above.

Notes

This course will not be available in 2003/04.

Overview

This course will explore the main themes in the current science-religion debate. The first part of the course will explore general issues of the relationship between scientific and regligious language in both Christian and non-Christian contexts. Attention will then be given to the implications of Big Bang cosmology, evolutionary theory and methodological naturalism for the Christian doctrines of creation and providence.
1 two-hour seminar; 1 two-hour lecture.
2 essays (40%), 1 peer-assessed seminar presentation (10%), 1 three-hour written examination (50%).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr K Wubbenhorst

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 3 or above.

Notes

This course is run on a cycle with DR 3553 and will be available in 2002/03 and in alternate sessions thereafter.

Overview

The course will begin by looking at classic ways of resolving moral dilemmas in the Christian tradition. Attention will be paid to conscience, authority, tradition and scripture. Moving through existentialism, situationism and narrative theology, the course will discuss modern issues, looking in particular at sex, abortion, divorce, homosexuality, pornography, teenage magazines, euthanasia, secrecy, cloning and non-lethal weapons. Particular attention will be paid to the work of Stanley Hauerwas.

2 one-hour lectures and 2 one-hour seminars per week.

1 two-hour examination (50%), 1 essay (20%), 1 presentation [either to the class or to the class e-mailing list] (20%), participation in class and e-mail discussion (10%).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr J Swinton

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 3 or above.

Notes

This course is available to RGU students as a 15 credit version under the code DR 3064 (different assessment methods will apply).

Overview

The course aims to explore the connection between spirituality, health and healing within the contemporary practice of health care. The course is multi-disciplinary (including Medicine and Nursing students). It examines issues of health and healing within various contexts, highlighting the benefits of a multi-disciplinary approach which incorporates the spiritual as well as the material aspects of human beings. Areas covered will include: the relationship between the ‘medical’ and the ‘spiritual’ within healing; the practice of Christian healing; psychiatry and religion; and alternative medicine.

1 two-hour lecture and 1 two-hour seminar per week.

Continuous assessment (100%).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr K T Aitken

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 3 or above who have passed DR 2018 or DR 2019.

Overview

This course studies the variety of methods used in the reading and interpretation of the literature of the Hebrew Bible, with special reference to the Patriarchal Narratives (Genesis 12-50), the story of King David’s reign (2 Samuel 9-1 Kings 2), the book of Job, and selected poetic texts. A special study is also made of the ‘art’ of Biblical narrative, the forms of Hebrew poetry, and the place of the literature within the Canaanite literary tradition.
4 one-hour lectures/seminars/tutorials per week.
Essays and/or assignments (40%) and 1 two-hour examination (60%).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr F A Murphy

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 3 or above.

Notes

This course will run in 2002/03 and in alternate years thereafter.

Overview

Twelve central issues in contemporary Christian doctrine will be dealt with. Lectures will outline the history of each theme and the central questions surrounding its contemporary restatement. Seminars will study key texts in each area. Topics to be dealt with include divine impassibility, providence, universalism, political and feminist theologies, and the relationship of Christianity to other faiths.
1 two-hour lecture, 1 two-hour seminar per week.
2 essays (40%) and 1 two-hour written examination (60%).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Pre-requisites

Notes

See under DR 4044/4544.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

To be notified

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 3 or above.

Overview

This course examines the way in which England and Scotland responded to the continental Reformation and its aftermath in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Particular attention will be paid to the intellectual and theological culture of Britain during this period.
2 two-hour seminars a week.
1 two-hour examination (60%) and two essays (40%).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr S D Kunin

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 3 or above.

Notes

This course will run in 2001/02 and in alternate years thereafter.

Overview

The course examines the Islamic tradition from the perspective of anthropology and religious studies. It examines different Islamic cultures from various parts of the Islamic world. It particularly focuses on religion/culture through rituals, symbolism and diversity.
2 two-hour lectures per week.
1 two-hour examination (60%) and continuous assessment: two essays (40%).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr A D Clarke

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 3 or above.

Notes

This course will be available in 2001/02 and in alternate sessions thereafter.

Overview

The Graeco-Roman world of the first century C.E. was the multi-cultural context in which the first Christians lived and within which they endeavoured to express their faith. These people, whether Jews or Gentiles, were deeply integrated into the fabric of that society before they encountered the Gospel. They also regarded themselves in continuity with that rich and ancient heritage which was reflected in the practices and literature of contemporary Judaism. This course assesses some of the political, social and religious influences which dominated that multi-cultural world of the New Testament.
2 two-hour seminars per week.
1 two-hour written examination (60%) and continuous assessment (40%).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr M A Mills

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 3 or above.

Overview

The course will include an examination of :

• Theoretical approaches to the study of gender relations, male dominance,
  etc., with reference to the question of the religious organisation of thought
  and society.


• Gender relations in a variety of the world’s religious traditions
  (inc. Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism), and their relationship
  to the structure and literature of those religions.


• Religious and ethical debates on the question of New Reproductive Technologies
  and reproductive rights.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr K Wubbenhorst

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 3 or above.

Notes

This course is run on a cycle with DR 3553 and will be available in 2002/03 and in alternate sessions thereafter.

Overview

The course will begin by looking at classic ways of resolving moral dilemmas in the Christian tradition. Attention will be paid to conscience, authority, tradition and scripture. Moving through existentialism, situationism and narrative theology, the course will discuss modern issues, looking in particular at sex, abortion, divorce, homosexuality, pornography, teenage magazines, euthanasia, secrecy, cloning and non-lethal weapons. Particular attention will be paid to the work of Stanley Hauerwas.
2 one-hour lectures and 2 one-hour seminars per week.
1 two-hour examination (50%), 1 essay (20%), 1 presentation [either to the class or to the class e-mailing list] (20%), participation in class and e-mail discussion (10%).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr K Wubbenhorst

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 3 or above.

Notes

This course will be available in 2003/04 and in alternate sessions thereafter.

Overview

The course will introduce the gradual development of Christology in the first five centuries, taking account of both heretical and orthodox perspectives. Students will be expected to read closely short passages from such figures as Tertullian, Athanasius, Arius, Gregory of Nazianzus, Cyril of Alexandria and Severus of Antioch, and encouraged to draw connections between classic early Christian formulations and modern debates. Students will be encouraged to explore the increasing amount of early Christian material being placed on the Internet and to rediscover the primary documents as a living resource.
2 one-hour lectures and 2 one-hour seminars per week.
2 essays (40%) and 1 two-hour examination (60%).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr K T Aitken

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 3 or above who have passed DR 2015 or DR 2518.

Overview

The course is concerned with the exegesis of selected texts of the Hebrew Bible in Hebrew.
4 one-hour lectures/seminars/tutorials per week.
1 two-hour written examination paper (60%) and continuous assessment (40%).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr J W Drane

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 3 or above.

Notes

This course is run on a cycle with DR 3547 and will be available in session 2002/03.

Overview

The course will examine perceptions of the family within the Christian tradition and their relationship to wider cultural concerns in different historical and contemporary settings. It will seek to understand the specific challenges to family life in Britain today; there will be theological reflection on the church’s role in supporting children and adults in the church and the wider community.
1 four-hour seminar per week.
Course journal (40%), essay or practical project (50%), class presentation (10%).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr J W Drane

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 3 or above.

Notes

This course is run on a cycle with DR 3539.

Overview

The course will focus on the implications of changing cultural expectations and lifestyles for today’s church. After a brief historical perspective, some consideration will be given to recent developments in the management of organisations, particularly the application of systems theory to the church, and the challenges that presents to inherited church styles, both internally and in relation to the wider culture. Key topics will include the nature of the church as a learning community, with particular emphasis on the relationship between the cognitive and the affective, including the role of the arts, and taking account of the ethnic and ecumenical diversity of the contemporary Christian tradition.
1 four hour seminar per week.
Course journal (40%), essay or practical project (40%), presentation of original research (20%).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr M A Mills

Pre-requisites

Available to students in Programme Year 3 and above.

Overview

The historical relationship between the political organisation of the Middle East and the content of Jewish and Islamic religious traditions. Areas covered will be Jewish and Muslim ideas of law and legitimate statehood, early precedents for religious politics: the Jewish nation and the Islamic empire, the religious and political organisation of medieval Islamic empires, religious thought in the 20th Century Middle East: post-colonial theory, secular nationalism and the rise of Islamic fundamentalism, political thinkers in moderm Islam, religious politics within the modern Middle East: the Israel-Palestine Conflict, the Iranian Revolution and Turkey.
2 two-hour seminars per week.
One three-hour exam (60%) and continuous assessment (two 2,500 word essays) (20% each).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Professor J Webster

Pre-requisites

This course is available only to students in Programme Year 3 or above.

Overview

This course is designed to provide advanced study of major questions concerning the nature, sources, norms and methods of Christian systematic theology. Particular attention will be paid to the relation of revelation, Scripture and tradition to theological reason; the contexts and ends of theology; the relation of systematic theology to biblical, historical, practical, moral and philosophical theology; the relation of theological reason to Christian virtue; the coinherence of material and formal questions. Topics will be explored both historically and constructively.

1 two-hour lecture and 1 two-hour seminar per week.

1 two-hour written examination (50%) and continuous assessment (50%).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr G. Marranci

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in programme year 3 or above.

Overview

This course introduces students to an understanding of Islam by means of an anthropological approach. Although an introduction to the doctrine of Islam is provided, the course focuses on the experiences of ordinary Muslims in different contexts and places. In this course, the Islamic experience of Muslims in immigration and displacement contexts receives particular attention with regard to their identity formation. The course is founded on the idea that Islam is defined by what Muslims say in different places and contexts. During the course fieldwork methodologies to conduct research on Islam are discussed.

3 one hour lectures and 1 one hour tutorial.

1 two hour written examination (55%), 3000 words essay (30%) and oral presentation (15%)

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr F A Murphy

Pre-requisites

This course is open only to students who have been admitted to Level 4 Honours and who have successfully completed DR 2520 and one of the following: DR 3014, 3052, 3058, 3524, 3544, 3549.

Overview

This course is designed to provide advanced study of major themes and figures in Scottish Theology from 1560 to the present day. Particular attention will be given to the theology of the Scots Confession and the Westminster Confession and to their subsequent interpretation in Scotland. The latter half of the course will focus on major Scottish theologians of the 20th century, including the Baillie brothers and T.F. Torrance.
1 one-hour lecture and 1 two-hour seminar per week, plus 1 one-hour individual tutorial on the preparation of the in-course essay.
1 three-hour written examination (50%) and continuous assessment (50%).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr S D Kunin

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 4 and who have passed either DR 2524 OR DR 3057.

Overview

In-depth analysis of structuralist theory, particularly that of Claude Levi-Strauss.
Principal focuses of study will be:

• The examination of Structuralist theory, particularly as it relates to
  myth. The discussion will also examine the different understandings of myth
  and ritual in structuralist theories and ways in which the theory can be used
  to analyses a wide range of cultural material.


• Detailed examination of particular mythological and cultural material –
  initially focussing on material from Israelite and Jewish ethnography. The
  course will also examine other mythological and cultural traditions, and encourage
  the students to apply the theory and methodology to material that has hitherto
  not been examined from a structuralist perspective.

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr S D Kunin

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 4 and by permission of the Head of the School of Divinty and Religious Studies.

Notes

Only one special subject may be taken.

Overview

This course allows a student to do in-depth study in a specific area in divinity or religious studies agreed upon with his or her supervisor and approved by the Head of School.
1 hour of tutorial per week.
1 six thousand word essay (60%) and 1 three-hour examination (40%).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Head of School

Pre-requisites

This course is only available to Senior Honours candidates in the School of Divinity and Religious Studies.

Notes

This course applies to all sections of Divinity and Religious Studies. It is also available in the second half-session as DR 3528.

Overview

A dissertation on a subject in either Church History or Hebrew Bible or New Testament or Practical Theology or Religious Studies or Systematic Theology to be approved by the Head of School.
Candidates are permitted to submit one dissertation (max. 10,000 words) as part of their degree programme.
Dissertation (100%).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr M A Mills

Pre-requisites

Available only to Senior Honours students who have passed DR 2524 or DR 3057.

Overview

In-depth analysis of theories of ritual practice, and their utilisation in the analysis of a variety of ritual traditions. Principal focuses of study will be:
The examination of various Schools of methodological thought (anthropological, psychological and religious) on the study of ritual, and particular theories as to its structure and significance. Particular consideration will be given to the relationship between ritual practice and cognate religious traditions, and the rise of ‘secular ritual’.
Detailed examination of particular ritual traditions, using textual, historical and ethnographic material. This will include both ritual practice in extant world religions, as well as more localised and secular ritual forms.
Analysis of the social, political and economic contexts, motives and impacts of ritual practice.
2 one-hour lectures and 1 two-hour seminar per week.
1 three-hour examination (60%), and continuous assessment (2 essays 2500 words each) (20%) and 2 oral presentations (10% each).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr J Swinton

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 4.

Overview

A course on pastoral care with people who have disabilities. People with disabilities are often considered “non-persons”, a designation which is reflected in the negative ways we conceptualise disability, the exclusive theologies we develop, and the discriminating ways in which we choose to structure our communities. Drawing on insights from liberation theology, biblical studies, disability theology and contemporary disability studies, the course will develop an alternative perspective which begins with the assumption that people with disabilities are fully-human-as-they-are and that the theology and practice of church and society should reflect this reality.
2 two-hour sessions which will use a combination of teaching methods, primarily lectures, seminars, small group work, with additional teaching being delivered via the internet. (The course will have a dedicated web page which will contain information and WWW links as well as forums for electronic discussion and online chatting.
1 two-hour examination (20%) and continuous assessment (80%).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr J Swinton

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 4.

Overview

The course explores the meaning and implications for mission and ministry of the moral and social fragmentation that has come to be known as post-modernism. The course will reflect on the ways in which the discipline of practical theology (understood as critical reflection on the praxis of the church), can enable students to gain access to vital cultural and theological dimensions of contemporary culture, and provide fresh and innovative ways of addressing the perceived and real needs of those who live within such a culture.
1 two-hour lecture and 1 two-hour seminar per week.
1 two-hour examination (30%) and continuous assessment (70%).

Credit Points

30

Course Coordinator

Dr E Stoddart

Pre-requisites

Available only to students in Programme Year 4.

Overview

Being citizens involves negotiating benefits, rights, and responsibilities. This has been tackled under a variety of political models - many of which inform or challenge todays outlook. What this active process of civil negotiation might mean in contemporary Scotland (both individually and communally) is the primary focus of the course. Through reflecting critically on practice and drawing on insights from the Christian traditions, the course will develop a theology of citizenship and consider ways in which this might be expressed in a spirituality of participation.

1 two-hour lecture/workshop and 1 two-hour seminar per week.

1 two-hour written examination (30%) and continuous assessment (70%).