Module THEO43830: Ecclesiology and Ethnography

Department: Theology and Religion

THEO43830: Ecclesiology and Ethnography

Prerequisites

• None.

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• To enable students to develop methodological frameworks for ecclesiology and ethnography

Content

• Epistemological issues that arise in work that combines theological and qualitative empirical methods will be explored.
• The theological dimension in research design, data analysis and methodology will be discussed.
• The students will be introduced to the prevailing methodological frameworks in Practical Theology.
• Issues of normativity and judgment in theology will be explored in relation to qualitative methods

Learning Outcomes

• Students will be introduced to a variety of methodological frameworks in Practical Theology
• Students will be able to develop research questions in ecclesiology and ethnography and evaluate methodological frameworks appropriate to these questions.
• Students will understand issues related to normativity in ecclesiology and ethnography

• Students will develop methodological frameworks for empirical and theological work on the Church
• Students will develop the ability to critically evaluate methodological frameworks in relation to research questions
• Students will critically engage with questions of epistemology in qualitative empirical theological research.

• Students will develop skills of academic writing, the evaluation of academic texts and expression of theological ideas in a classroom context.

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

• The teaching will be delivered in ten two hour seminars comprising lectures and discussion and student led discussion of core readings. Lecture elements introduce key texts and themes, convey information, and exemplify an approach to the material. Discussion elements foster close critical reading of selected texts, and skills in dialogue and debate.
• Formative essays develop subject knowledge and enhance student skills in the acquisition of information through reading and research, and in the structured presentation of information in written form. This module requires short reading response assignments, which encourage students to deepen their subject-specific knowledge by engaging carefully with a key text.
• Summative essays assess 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.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

A 2000 word paper

■ 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