Module THEO3421: GOD, LIBERTY AND REVOLUTION - THE THEOLOGICAL SOURCES OF MODERN POLITICAL THOUGHT

Department: THEOLOGY AND RELIGION

THEO3421: GOD, LIBERTY AND REVOLUTION - THE THEOLOGICAL SOURCES OF MODERN POLITICAL THOUGHT

Prerequisites

• None.

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• To introduce students to key issues arising from the interaction between theology and political philosophy and ethics.
• To make disciplinary connections between political philosophy, theology, history and ethics.
• To nurture in students an independent scholarly and intellectual ability to engage with central questions in political theology.

Content

• What does it mean to believe in liberty, equality and democracy? Are these values neutral between conflicting religious and secular belief systems? Or do such values constitute another set of quasi-religious beliefs, either hostile to or dependent upon deep theological presuppositions? This module will explore the theology endorsed or rejected (explicitly or implicitly) in notions such as liberty, rights, law, democracy, free-speech, justice, consent, virtue and community. Fraught contemporary questions concerning the nature and value of liberal democracy will be illuminated by exploring thinkers such as Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Kant and Burke. These philosophers are centrally concerned with a proper understanding of political order, whilst being profoundly motivated by deep, but often neglected, theological presuppositions. Each political philosopher will be approached as a prism through which theological and classical strands are gathered up and reconfigured, and in some cases subverted and transformed. Understanding how this happens can cast valuable light on contemporary questions, and the module will apply theoretical insights to practical questions such as freedom of speech, the spread of democracy, and the formation of public policy on issues such as abortion. The subsequent influence and interpretation of these seminal thinkers will be attended to, leading to an evaluation of influential critiques of modern political thought provided by theologians such as Barth, Yoder, Hauerwas and Milbank.

Learning Outcomes

• A detailed and coherent understanding of the interaction between Christian theology and Western political thought from the early modern period to the present. In particular, a critical awareness of the theological and philosophical presuppositions underlying political liberalism and democracy.

• An ability to analyse questions in political theology and ethics with intellectual rigour and historical depth. A capacity to place complex political and ethical questions within a wider context of philosophical, historical and theological considerations. A critical awareness of the strengths and weaknesses behind various claims made about issues such as rights, democracy, liberty, justice and free-speech.

• Skills in the analysis of conceptual problems, and an ability to read complex texts critically and with nuance. An ability to trace the deep roots of apparently intractable disagreements. A capacity to provide a sympathetic and persuasive analysis –beyond the mere assertion of opinion- of conceptual issues that have practical implications.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Lectures convey information and exemplify an approach to the subject-matter, enabling students to develop a clear understanding of the subject and to improve their skills in listening and in evaluating information.
• Seminars enhance subject-specific knowledge and understanding both through preparation and through interaction with students and staff, promoting awareness of different viewpoints and approaches.
• Formative essays develop subject-specific knowledge and understanding, along with student skills in the acquisition of information through reading and research, and in the structured presentation of information in written form.
• Examinations assess subject-specific knowledge and understanding, along with student skills in the structured presentation of information in written form under time constraints.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Seminar presentation 2000 word esay

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University