Module THEO3271: PERFECT SPEECH: THE LITERATURE, LANGUAGE AND RELIGION OF ANCIENT EGYPT

Department: Theology and Religion

THEO3271: PERFECT SPEECH: THE LITERATURE, LANGUAGE AND RELIGION OF ANCIENT EGYPT

Prerequisites

• None.

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• To introduce literary and religious compositions from ancient Egypt, the social, religious and cosmological ideas reflected in these texts, and the interpretative and methodological problems involved in the study of them.
• To teach Middle Egyptian language to a level which enables the reading of literary and non-literary prose texts.
• To equip students with skills and knowledge ancilliary to other modules which they have taken or are taking.

Content

• Hieroglyphic texts will be read in the original, and concepts introduced, as part of a structured course in the classical form of Egyptian language. After that, further issues relating to culture, literature and religion will be discussed in connection with longer prose texts read in the original, and poetic texts read in translation. Students will encounter the more general issues which surround the nature and propagation of literature, and confront the difficulties involved in the comprehension of ideas and methods quite different to those familiar from the Western tradition.

Learning Outcomes

• A good basic knowledge of Middle Egyptian script and language.
• A systematic understanding of key religious and cultural concepts reflected in the set texts.

• Ability to read Middle Egyptian prose texts in the original, with an informed understanding of underlying concepts.

• Generic linguistic skills.

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. In this module, many of the lectures take the form of language classes during the first term.
• Seminars enhance subject-specific knowledge and understanding both through preparation and through interaction with students and staff, promoting awareness of different viewpoints and approaches.
• 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:

Language exercises and preparation of set texts.

■ 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