Module THEO2321: RELIGION IN CONTEMPORARY BRITAIN

Department: Theology and Religion

THEO2321: RELIGION IN CONTEMPORARY BRITAIN

Pre-requisites

Corequisites

Excluded Combinations

Aims

• To introduce students to the broad cultural landscape of Britain during the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries.
• To explore ways in which religion- both traditional religious groups and alternative religious movements- have interacted with this environment, drawing from historical, sociological and theological sources.
• To reflect on how religion might develop in Britain in the future and how it might have a role to play in the construction of British identity, given past histories and present concerns.

Content

• This module explores the contours of religious movement in contemporary Britain, working from the Second World War onwards. Focusing on how religious phenomena are shaped by changing cultural contexts, we will address the state of British society in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, before examining how this context shapes the development of religious traditions movements and practices. Traditional world religions, such as Christianity and Islam, and more marginal developments such as the New Age, will be examined in relation to topics such as national identity, multiculturalism and the power of mass media.

Learning Outcomes

• By the end of the module, students should be able to: Demonstrate a clear understanding of the major issues facing traditional and alternative religious groups in the contemporary British context.
• Engage in a critical use of select theological, historical, and sociological sources in making sense of how religious movements interact with the British cultural context.
• Compare and evaluate different scholarly attempts to explain or interpret the state of religious phenomena in contemporary Britain and build on the process in formulating their own arguments.

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

• Throughout the module, lectures will provide an opportunity for the module leader to impart to the students key theories and an outline of the major issues and questions surrounding the state of religion in contemporary Britain (objective 1). Seminar sessions will provide an opportunity for the module leader to clarify issues of knowledge in response to student questions, and will also allow opportunities for students to explore key texts and sources (objective 2), and apply and develop theory skills in argumentation and debate (objective 3). Occasional tutorials with individual students will provide a context in which detailed feedback on summative assessment can be given.
• Students will submit two summative essays. Both will be expected to draw from key sources (objective 2) and demonstrate a capacity for independent thinking through coherent argumentation (objective 3). Written exam questions will demand a sound understanding of the themes and issues covered within the module (objective 1) as well as an ability to argue for a particular position drawing from relevant material (objectives 2 and 3).

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment

One 2000 word essay.