Courses Description
| Level-1000 | Level-2000| Level-3000 |Level-4000 |
GEK1045 or GEH1045 or GEC1013 World Religions
Offered by Department of Southeast Asian Studies
| Units | 4 |
| Workload | 2-1-0-0-7 |
| Pre-requisite | Nil |
| Preclusion | Nil |
This course offers an introductory survey of major religious traditions of the world, with specific focus on Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. We will examine the historical development of each tradition, along with its sacred texts, basic philosophical ideas, patterns of ritual and worship, and specialized institutions Our goal is to provide an objective understanding of each faith tradition on its own terms, and secondarily, to explore how religion is relevant to contemporary social, political and cultural issues. This is an introductory course which presumes no prior expertise in religious studies.
GEM1033 or GEH1055 Religion and Film
Offered by Department of English Language and Literature
| Units | 4 |
| Workload | 2-1-0-3-4 |
| Pre-requisite | Nil |
| Preclusion | Nil |
Cinematic and literary expression are often centred on religious topics. By studying the ways in which religion exists in these texts, we can see the vitality of cultural expression and learn about how religion exists in the public imagination. No prior training in artistic interpretation or religious history is required, though the course presumes a healthy curiosity about religious phenomena and cultural expression. The course trains students to think about why people sometimes enjoy seeing films about painful topics, what is the difference between “studying” and “practicing” religion is, and how we discuss whether an innovative vision is “authentic.”
GESS1012 or GES1014 or MS2205 Islam and Contemporary Malay Society
Offered by Department of Malay Studies
| Units | 4 |
| Workload | 2-1-0-3-4 |
| Pre-requisite | Nil |
| Preclusion | SSA2206 |
| Cross-listing | SSA2206 |
This course, targeted for FASS students, examines the dominant religious orientation that had evolved among the Malays of SEA and analyses the socio-historical factors that had influenced such orientation. How the religious orientation conditions their response to the modern world is then discussed. The course also looks at the phenomenon of the Islamic resurgence and its effects. It also deals with the style of thought of the religious elite and its impact on the Malays. Apart from these, factors that condition the image of Islam and the issues relating to Islam in a plural society will also be examined.
| Level-1000 | Level-2000| Level-3000 |
HY2255 Islam in World History
Offered by Department of History
| Units | 4 |
| Workload | 2-0-1-2-5 |
| Pre-requisite | Nil |
| Preclusion | Nil |
The purpose of this course is to provide a historical introduction to Islam’s core beliefs, practices, and institutions as they have developed in diverse cultural and political contexts. The course will consider a range of topics all approached historically, among them: Islam’s foundational texts, religious expressions, institutions and cultural forms, as well as the challenges posed by changing economic and social conditions for Muslim societies in the modern period. The objective is to provide an informed appreciation of the historical development, cultural diversity, and contemporary issues facing Muslim communities across the world.
HY2230 Southeast Asian Islam in Historical Perspective
Offered by Department of History
| Units | 4 |
| Workload | 2-1-0-2-5 |
| Pre-requisite | Nil |
| Preclusion | SE2256 |
This course will examine the history of Islam in Southeast Asia, mainly concentrating on island societies. The expansion of Islam in Southeast Asia will be discussed, particularly in relation to trade and the development of states. For the colonial period, links between Islam, the colonial state, and nationalism will be considered. Finally, we will examine the role that Islam plays in modern Southeast Asian societies. Our emphasis will not be on chronology or a simple narration of "facts", but upon a critical examination of the key social, cultural, political and economic practices and institutions through which Islam has influenced the region.
HY2234 Buddhism in Southeast Asian History
Offered by Department of History
| Units | 4 |
| Workload | 2-1-0-2-5 |
| Pre-requisite | Nil |
| Preclusion | Nil |
This course will examine the history of Buddhism in Southeast Asia, concentrating on the mainland countries. We will look at the Buddhist kingdoms of the past to study the impact of religion on their culture and society. For the colonial period, links between Buddhism and nationalism will be considered. Finally, we will have an overview of the role of Buddhism in mainland Southeast Asia today. This course is for anyone interested in Southeast Asia history and culture. It emphasizes a historical approach to studying religion, and students from any religious and cultural background are welcome
HY2253 Christianity in World History
Offered by Department of History
| Units | 4 |
| Workload | 2-1-0-0-7 |
| Pre-requisite | Nil |
| Preclusion | Nil |
This course will look at the evolution of Christianity and its impact on Western and global history. It will trace the development of the various branches of Christianity (Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant) and how the conflicts among them shaped European history. It will consider the role of religion in American history. It will look at the linkages between missionary efforts and imperialism, as well as the consequences of conversion in colonial societies around the world. It will also look at how Christianity has been linked to ethnicity and nationalism in the post-colonial nation-states.
PH2204 Introduction to Indian Thought
Offered by Department of Philosophy
| Units | 4 |
| Workload | 2-1-0-2-5 |
| Pre-requisite | Nil |
| Preclusion | SN2273, GEK2027 |
| Cross-listing | SN2273, GEK2027 |
This course is designed to survey the history of Indian philosophy both classical and modern. The course will begin with lectures on the Rig Veda and the Upanishads. It will proceed with the presentation of the main metaphysical and epistemological doctrines of some of the major schools of classical Indian philosophy such as Vedanta, Samkhya, Nyaya, Jainism and Buddhism. The course will conclude by considering the philosophical contributions of some of the architects of modern India such as Rammohan Ray, Rabindrananth Tagore and Mohandas Gandhi.
PH2211 Philosophy of Religion
Offered by Department of Philosophy
| Units | 4 |
| Workload | 2-1-0-0-7 |
| Pre-requisite | Nil |
| Preclusion | Nil |
This course will introduce students to the main issues in contemporary philosophy of religion. Topics covered will be selected from the following (other topics may also be considered): arguments for the existence of God (cosmological, ontological, teleological), argument for atheism (problem of evil), religious pluralism, nature of mystical experiences, the nature of miracles, the nature of religious language.
SN2271 Religion and Society in South Asia
Offered by South Asian Studies Programme
| Units | 4 |
| Workload | 2-1-0-2-5 |
| Pre-requisite | Nil |
| Preclusion | Nil |
This course introduces the student to the scientific and comparative study of religion in general and to South Asian religions in particular. After an introduction into the discipline of Comparative Study of Religion, the history of this discipline, and the different approaches it offers, the great variety of South Asian religions will be described chronologically and studied from a comparative perspective. For each tradition a survey of the relevant original literature will be given. Further themes to be covered are the co-existence of different religious traditions, and the social and psychological implications of religious values, beliefs and rituals.
SN2276 Islam: Society and Culture in South Asia
Offered by South Asian Studies Programme
| Units | 4 |
| Workload | 2-1-0-3-4 |
| Pre-requisite | Nil |
| Preclusion | Nil |
This course introduces the student to South Asian Islamic society, culture and religious thought. Especially in Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Maldives, the three South Asian countries with a Muslim majority, Islam forms an important cultural element. The focus of this course will be on the period from c. 1750-1950, during which important developments took place in South Asian Islam. The course will outline the role of Islam in pre-colonial society as well as the movements for religious and political reform of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Questions of language and literature will also be addressed.
SN2278 Introduction to Sikhism
Offered by South Asian Studies Programme
| Units | 4 |
| Workload | 0-0-0-8-2 |
| Pre-requisite | Nil |
| Preclusion | Nil |
Sikhism is one of the most interesting religious traditions of India on account of rich history and unique practices. In this course, students will be introduced to the foundational tenets of Sikhism through an overview of its major texts, practices and practitioners, as well as its historical development in pre-colonial and colonial India. With an appreciation both of the unique history of the Sikh tradition and its place among the world religions, students will acquire a strong foundation in the study of religion and of Indian religions in particular.
XD2101 Approaches to the Study of Religion
Offered by Office of Programmes
| Units | 4 |
| Workload | 2-1-0-0-7 |
| Pre-requisite | Nil |
| Preclusion | Nil |
The course offers a foundation for the study of religion by introducing a number of different perspectives from the humanities and social sciences. An important consideration is to discover how each approach defines `religion' in a different way. The course will also explore the various techniques scholars use to study religious phenomena, noting the benefits and potential drawbacks (even the dangers) of each one.
XD2201 The Bible and Christianity
Offered by Office of Programmes
| Units | 4 |
| Workload | 2-1-0-2-5 |
| Pre-requisite | Nil |
| Preclusion | Nil |
The course is a multidisciplinary academic study of the bible and Christianity, open to all interested in these themes. Major topics will include a) interpretative approaches to biblical texts, b) history of the collection of the bible, c) biblical authority, d) Christianitys basic moral code and beliefs, and e) popular issues (Gnostic Christianity). The course assumes no prior knowledge of Christianity and will count toward the Religious Studies minor.
PH2321/GEK2046 Philosophies of Zen (Chen) Buddhism
Offered by Department of Philosophy
| Units | 4 |
| Workload | 2-1-0-0-7 |
| Cross-listing | Gek2046 |
| Preclusion | GEK2046 |
The course will cover the development of philosophy and anti-philosophy in the Chan and Zen Buddish traditions of China and Japan, including their basis in the doctrines of Emptiness, Mind-only, and of Buddha-nature.
SE2226 Moro Peoples of the Philippines
Offered by Department of Southeast Asian Studies
| Units | 4 |
| Workload | 2-1-0-2-5 |
| Cross-listing | Nil |
| Preclusion | Nil |
This course introduces undergraduates to the culture and history of the Muslim ethnic minority groups collectively known as the Moro peoples of the Philippines. The syllabus exposes students to a variety of perspectives on Moro peoples - including but not limited to history, culture, politics, economics, identity, literature, and religion. It explores insights of both indigenous writers and foreign observers, scrutinizing each of these writings against wider developments in the scholarship and politics of Moro identity and, to a limited extent, Islam in the Philippines and Malay Studies. The course covers different aspects of Moro life in the past and the present.
SE2228 The History and Anthropology of Christianity in SE Asia
Offered by Department of Southeast Asian Studies
| Units | 4 |
| Workload | 2-1-0-3-4 |
| Cross-listing | Nil |
| Preclusion | Nil |
This course is an interdisciplinary exploration of Southeast Asian Christianity, past and present. We begin by tracing the process of Christian expansion to and integration in the region, with emphasis on missionization and the inculturation of the faith. This historical perspective will be the basis for examining various ethnographic case studies of contemporary Christian communities in order to examine the faith's 'localized' articulations. Finally, we will examine the political interactions between Southeast Asian Christians and modern nation-states as a way of reflecting upon how Southeast Asian Christianity offers unique insights into understanding the changing portrait of global Christendom.
SE2880A Southeast Asia's Cultural Mosaic
Offered by Department of Southeast Asian Studies
| Units | 4 |
| Workload | 4-0-0-3-3 |
| Cross-listing | Nil |
| Preclusion | Nil |
Southeast Asia is characterised by great ethnolinguistic and cultural variation. How can we make sense of and appreciate this diversity? What is an insiders and outsiders perspective? This course will introduce students to the region from an anthropological perspective. Students will be equipped with the analytical tools for the comparative study of society and culture. Ethnographic materials will be used to discuss themes that include ethnicity, identity, family and kinship systems, gender, economy, and social change. The challenge is for students to explore, conceptualise, and understand differences and similarities between social systems and human relationships, and to ask, Why?
MS2212 Law and Malay Society
Offered by Department of Malay Studies
| Units | 4 |
| Workload | 2-1-0-3-4 |
| Cross-listing | Nil |
| Preclusion | Nil |
This course examines dominant perceptions of law in Malay society by focussing on ideas on adat law and Islamization of laws. It analyses socio‐historical factors conditioning perspectives and the function of ideas in relation to social groups that espouse them. The extent to which the mode of thinking on adat law is reflected in discourse on Islamising laws and its impact on legal development will be addressed. Concepts of ideology and Orientalism, Islam and adat law, Ideas on Islamization of laws and Shariah and the state are some major themes tackled.
| Level-1000 | Level-2000 | Level-3000 |
HY3241 Religion in the History of China and Japan
Offered by Department of History
| Units | 4 |
| Workload | 2-1-0-2-5 |
| Pre-requisite | Nil |
| Preclusion | Nil |
This course will examine the impact of religious ideas, organizations and movements on the history of East Asia over the past few centuries. Topics to be covered will include the role of religion in the founding of empires, the assertion of political control over religious sects and practitioners, apocalyptic beliefs and popular resistance, and the faces of religion as a tool of imperialism, modernism and internationalization. All students are welcome, but a background in history is advised.
HY3246 History of Muslim Southeast Asia
Offered by Department of History
| Units | 4 |
| Workload | 0-3-0-2-5 |
| Pre-requisite | Nil |
| Preclusion | Nil |
This course will examine the history of Muslim states and cultures across Southeast Asia. The goal of this course is to provide students with contextualized understandings of more recent developments, as well as to facilitate comparative reflections on the trajectories of other cultural and political traditions in the region. Major topics to be covered include the spread of Islam, the development of vernacular Muslim cultures, the rise of regional sultanates,the impact of colonialism, and issues related to the expression and manipulation of religion in the modern nation-states of Southeast Asia.
JS3211 Modern Japanese Religion
Offered by Department of Japanese Studies
| Units | 4 |
| Workload | 0-3-0-3-4 |
| Pre-requisite | Nil |
| Preclusion | Nil |
This course introduces students to the complex, dynamic and sometimes controversial world of religious belief and practice in modern Japan. The importance and continual relevance of religion in contemporary Japanese society will be examined with reference to pre-modern developments as well as modern-day cultural, social, and political trends. In addition to learning about Japanese religion, students will be encouraged to critically reflect on such general problems as the definition of religion, religion-state relations, the interpretation of religious experience, the meaning of ritual, and the phenomenon of syncretism.
MS3218 The Religious Life of the Malays
Offered by Department of Malay Studies
| Units | 4 |
| Workload | 2-1-0-3-4 |
| Pre-requisite | Nil |
| Preclusion | MS4203 |
This course aims to provide students with critical understanding and awareness of the religious orientations and institutions of the Malays, the major factors that influence these, their significance, potentials and challenges in the context of the demands of technological change and modernisation. It also seeks to develop perspectives on the study of Malay religious life. Major topics examined include theoretical insights into the sociology of religion, socio‐historical factors and their impact on Malay religious orientations.
PS3236 Ethnicity and Religion in Asian Politics
Offered by Department of Political Science
| Units | 4 |
| Workload | 2-1-0-2-5 |
| Pre-requisite | Nil |
| Preclusion | PS3201, PS3206B |
One of the main features of Asian politics and government is the complex nexus of ethnicity, religion, and the state. This course focuses on the colonial formation and postcolonial continuation of these ethno-religious features of politics, known as the politics of identity in Asia. It explains some major ethnic and religious conflicts in Asia; their impacts on national politics, party systems, state structures, and government policies; and the role of the state in this regard. The course is available to all year 1-3 students at NUS.
SC3208 Religion in Society and Culture
Offered by Department of Sociology
| Units | 4 |
| Workload | 2-1-0-2-5 |
| Pre-requisite | Nil |
| Preclusion | Nil |
This course concentrates on three main areas, (1) the nature of religion as behavioural, historical and social phenomenon, (2) the different kinds of religion, why they differ, and the consequences of those differences, (3) the sociology of selected religions, including Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism. This course is mounted for students throughout NUS with interest in the relationship between religion and society.
SE3211 Religion, Society and Politics in SE Asia
Offered by Department of Southeast Asian Studies
| Units | 4 |
| Workload | 2-1-0-4-3 |
| Pre-requisite | Nil |
| Preclusion | Nil |
Religion is a field of meanings that informs individual people's lives and also underpins social and political identities. While religions in Southeast Asia can be harnessed towards state construction or consolidation, they can also be embraced in ways that escape official control. In the past, religion has enabled people, through their local cults, religious schools, or social movements, to cope with daily existence or even voice their discontent. This course takes a comparative perspective and highlights the theoretical and practical problems related to this field of study.
SN3276 Introduction to Classical Indian Texts
Offered by South Asian Studies Programme
| Units | 4 |
| Workload | 0-3-0-2-5 |
| Pre-requisite | Nil |
| Preclusion | Nil |
This seminar-style course provides an introduction to the foundations of classical Indian literature through a survey of traditional texts from the Dharmasutras and the Kamasutra to the Upanishads and the Bhagavadgita. The religious, cultural and literary influence and the changing interpretations of the texts will be discussed. All primary texts will be studied in English translation and supplemented with secondary source readings. This course is recognised towards the requirements of the Minor in Religious Studies.
SN3278 Rivers of India: Divinity and Scared Space
Offered by South Asian Studies Programme
| Units | 4 |
| Workload | 0-3-0-2-5 |
| Pre-requisite | Nil |
| Preclusion | Nil |
Most major rivers of South Asia are major pilgrimage centres for Hindus and are often considered as manifestations of female divinities. In this seminar-style course, students will develop a unique appreciation of the confluence between geography, environment and divinity in South Asia through study of the regions's major river systems. No prior knowledge of South Asian religion is required and will be introduced in the context of weekly study topics.
PH3304 Daoist Traditions
Offered by Department of Philosophy
| Units | 4 |
| Workload | 2-1-0-0-7 |
| Pre-requisite | PH2301 or GEK2039 |
| Preclusion | Nil |
This course allows student to understand an exploration of the ancient mystical and philosophical aspects of Daoism as well as the living religious tradition, their relationships to each other, and their expression in Chinese culture and civilization. Topics include the Daodejing, Zhuangzi, the Daoist Canon (Dao zang), meditation, immortality, alchemy, and ritual.
USP3506 Religion in the Contemporary World
Offered by University Scholars Programme
| Units | 4 |
| Workload | 0-4-0-0-6 |
| Pre-requisite | Nil |
| Preclusion | Nil |
This course develops a nuanced understanding of multifaceted expressions of religiosity in the contemporary global context, appropriately grounded in a historical perspective. It explores various socio-cultural, political, economic and technological forces and processes that impact the manifold expressions and manifestations of religion in different societies, and vice-versa. Beginning with problematizing the category “religion” and tracing its emergence historically and contextually as an analytical domain, the material is organized to introduce the multiple, complex and sometimes opposing strands and arguments in many social science studies of religion. This multidisciplinary course emphasises both the empirical and the theoretical.
SE3880A Southeast Asia's Religious Mosaic
Offered by Department of Southeast Asian Studies
| Units | 4 |
| Workload | 2-1-0-4-3 |
| Pre-requisite | Nil |
| Preclusion | Nil |
This course introduces students to the rich religious traditions of the Southeast Asian region. We shall consider how the major faiths, including Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism and Animist traditions, are articulated, practiced and manifested in a Southeast Asian context. Students will learn about the intersecting historical and cultural patterns which condition religiosity in the region. We shall also consider how faiths are expressed through artistic and musical performance, as well as through material culture and the physical landscape. This knowledge will then be brought to bear on how major world religions have been localised or syncretised across time. The course, as such, is an inter-disciplinary, comparative portrait of the factors that underpin religious diversity in the region.
MS3219 Muslim Personal Law in Southeast Asia
Offered by Department of Malay Studies
| Units | 4 |
| Workload | 0-3-0-0-7 |
| Pre-requisite | Nil |
| Preclusion | Nil |
This course examines commonality and diversity of the Muslim personal law and its implementation in Southeast Asia. Utilizing the sociology of law approach, it discusses the law in relation to social structure, its response to social change and its impact on society. Debates on the nature of the law as well as its evolution from classical forms will be discussed within this approach. The overriding aim is to analyze major problems pertaining to the mode in which the law is conceived and implemented as well as challenges posed to its development within the context of modernization confronting these communities.
LL4042 Law and Religion
Offered by Faculty of Law
| Units | 4 |
| Workload | 0-3-0-0-7 |
| Pre-requisite | For Law - NUS Compulsory Core Curriculum or its equivalent. For Non-Law -At least 3rd year students from Arts and Social Sciences. |
| Preclusion | Nil |
This course will consider the interaction of law and religion in three aspects: firstly, through a consideration of theoretical materials that discuss and debate religion's (possible) roles in public discourse and in the shaping of law, especially in multi-religious and multi-cultural environments; second, through an examination of a range of religio-lgeal traditions (e.g., Islamic law, Hindu Law etc); and, third, a consideration of specific instances - in cases, legislation and public issues etc -- where law and religion meet.
MS4880AHM Orientations in Muslim Resurgence Movements
Offered by Department of Malay Studies
| Units | 5 |
| Workload | 0-0-0-6-6.5 |
| Pre-requisite | If undertaking an Undergraduate Degree THEN ( the student must have achieved at least 80 Units prior to enrolment AND must be in one of the cohorts prior to 2020 inclusive AND must have completed 7 of any Courses (Modules) beginning with MS at a grade of at least D OR must have completed 7 of any Courses (Modules) beginning with SC at a grade of at least D AND the student must have achieved a GPA of 3.2 or greater OR must be Year 4) |
| Preclusion | MS4880A |
This course investigates the role of Islam in the contemporary Malay world in an historical and comparative manner. The focus is on contemporary Muslim movements while the historical background is discussed to provide the necessary context for the understanding of the origins of the current Muslim revival. The course also looks at the nature and function of Muslim reform in Malay society in the socio, political, economic and legal arenas. Comparative references to similar phenomena in other parts of the Muslim world are made. Empirical cases are discussed in the context of theoretical problems raised in the social scientific study of religion.
MS4880A Orientations in Muslim Resurgence Movements
Offered by Department of Malay Studies
| Units | 4 |
| Workload | 0-0-0-5-5 |
| Pre-requisite | If undertaking an Undergraduate Degree THEN ( the student must have achieved at least 80 Units prior to enrolment AND must be in one of the cohorts from 2021 inclusive AND must have completed 7 of any Courses (Modules) beginning with MS at a grade of at least D OR must have completed 7 of any Courses (Modules) beginning with SC at a grade of at least D) |
| Preclusion | MS4880AHM |
This course investigates the role of Islam in the contemporary Malay world in an historical and comparative manner. The focus is on contemporary Muslim movements while the historical background is discussed to provide the necessary context for the understanding of the origins of the current Muslim revival. The course also looks at the nature and function of Muslim reform in Malay society in the socio, political, economic and legal arenas. Comparative references to similar phenomena in other parts of the Muslim world are made. Empirical cases are discussed in the context of theoretical problems raised in the social scientific study of religion.
SC4218HM Religions, Secularity, Post-Secularity
Offered by Department of Sociology
| Units | 5 |
| Workload | 0-0-0-6-6.5 |
| Pre-requisite | If undertaking an Undergraduate Degree THEN ( the student must have achieved at least 80 Units prior to enrolment AND the student must have achieved a GPA of 3.2 or greater AND must be in one of the cohorts prior to 2020 inclusive AND (must be Year 4 OR must have completed 7 of any Courses (Modules) beginning with SC at a grade of at least D OR must have completed 7 of any Courses (Modules) beginning with PS at a grade of at least D OR (must be in one of the cohorts prior to 2019 inclusive AND must have completed 7 of any Courses (Modules) beginning with GL at a grade of at least D))) |
| Preclusion | SC4218 |
Much of classical sociology understood the modernization of the world to mean its secularization. By the early twenty-first century, this assumption had turned out to be unsatisfactory. Instead, various forms of ‘religion’ have persisted in myriad ways as key forces across the globe – both north and south. While the secularization thesis has been largely challenged, secularism and its meanings have been critically interrogated with the binary of religious and secular itself being re-thought. This seminar accordingly examines the key debates around religion, secularism, and post-secularity to ask what religion and secularism mean in modernity.
SC4218 Religions, Secularity, Post-Secularity
Offered by Department of Sociology
| Units | 4 |
| Workload | 0-0-0-6-4 |
| Pre-requisite | If undertaking an Undergraduate Degree THEN ( the student must have achieved at least 80 Units prior to enrolment AND ( must have completed 7 of any Courses (Modules) beginning with SC at a grade of at least D OR must have completed 7 of any Courses (Modules) beginning with PS at a grade of at least D OR (must be in one of the cohorts from 2012 inclusive AND must be undertaking 0110GLHON Bachelor of Arts - Global Studies (Hons))) AND (((must be in one of the cohorts prior to 2011 inclusive AND the student must have achieved a GPA of 3.5 or greater) OR (must be in one of the cohorts from 2012 inclusive AND the student must have achieved a GPA of 3.2 or greater)) OR must be Year 4)) |
| Preclusion | SC4218HM |
Much of classical sociology understood the modernization of the world to mean its secularization. By the early twenty-first century, this assumption had turned out to be unsatisfactory. Instead, various forms of ‘religion’ have persisted in myriad ways as key forces across the globe – both north and south. While the secularization thesis has been largely challenged, secularism and its meanings have been critically interrogated with the binary of religious and secular itself being re-thought. This seminar accordingly examines the key debates around religion, secularism, and post-secularity to ask what religion and secularism mean in modernity.
PL4880PHM Psychology of Religion
Offered by Department of Psychology
| Units | 5 |
| Workload | 0-0-0-6-6.5 |
| Pre-requisite | If undertaking an Undergraduate Degree THEN (must be in one of the cohorts prior to 2020 inclusive AND the student must have achieved at least 80 Units prior to enrolment AND must have completed all of PL1101E/PL2131/PL2132 at a grade of at least D AND must have completed 4 of PL3102/PL3103/PL3104/PL3105/PL3106/PL3232/PL3233/PL3234/PL3235/PL3236 at a grade of at least D AND ( the student must have achieved a GPA of 3.2 or greater OR must be Year 4)) |
| Preclusion | PL4880P |
Religion is ubiquitous across cultures and highly influential in many individuals’ lives, society, and history. This course examines religion through cognitive, developmental, social, and evolutionary psychology. Key questions that will be examined are: Why do people believe in gods and perform rituals? What psychological processes support religious beliefs, behaviours, and experiences? What are the social effects of religion? What is the relationship between religion and morality? The course also examines methods and issues in studying religion empirically.
PL4880P Psychology of Religion
Offered by Department of Psychology
| Units | 4 |
| Workload | 0-0-0-6-4 |
| Pre-requisite | If undertaking an Undergraduate Degree THEN (must be in one of the cohorts from 2021 inclusive AND the student must have achieved at least 80 Units prior to enrolment AND must have completed all of PL1101E/PL2131/PL2132 at a grade of at least D AND must have completed 4 of PL3102/PL3103/PL3104/PL3105/PL3106/PL3232/PL3233/PL3234/PL3235/PL3236 at a grade of at least D) |
| Preclusion | PL4880PHM |
Religion is ubiquitous across cultures and highly influential in many individuals’ lives, society, and history. This course examines religion through cognitive, developmental, social, and evolutionary psychology. Key questions that will be examined are: Why do people believe in gods and perform rituals? What psychological processes support religious beliefs, behaviours, and experiences? What are the social effects of religion? What is the relationship between religion and morality? The course also examines methods and issues in studying religion empirically.
PS4211HM Political Theology
Offered by Department of Political Science
| Units | 5 |
| Workload | 0-3-0-2-7.5 |
| Pre-requisite | If undertaking an Undergraduate Degree THEN ( the student must have achieved at least 80 Units prior to enrolment AND must be in one of the cohorts prior to 2019 inclusive AND must have completed 7 of any Courses (Modules) beginning with PS at a grade of at least D OR must have completed 7 of any Courses (Modules) beginning with GL at a grade of at least D AND the student must have achieved a GPA of 3.2 or greater OR must be Year 4) OR if undertaking an Undergraduate Degree THEN ( the student must have achieved at least 80 Units prior to enrolment AND must be in one of the cohorts from 2020 inclusive THEN must be in one of the cohorts prior to 2020 inclusive AND must have completed 7 of any Courses (Modules) beginning with PS at a grade of at least D AND the student must have achieved a GPA of 3.2 or greater OR must be Year 4) |
| Preclusion | PS4211 |
Political theology is a mode of inquiry that interprets politics in the context of theological concepts and categories. This course focuses on Christian theological debates, in the late medieval and early modern periods, and considers their impact on the vocabulary of contemporary politics and international relations. Representative topics include: state sovereignty, political rule, extra-legal action, and international order. In recovering this theological inheritance this course dispels widely held myths about the origins of this vocabulary and reinterprets canonical figures in this light. In doing so, it challenges the narrative of progressive secularisation that dominates modern Western political and international thought.
PS4211 Political Theology
Offered by Department of Political Science
| Units | 4 |
| Workload | 0-3-0-2-5 |
| Pre-requisite | If undertaking an Undergraduate Degree THEN ( the student must have achieved at least 80 Units prior to enrolment AND must be in one of the cohorts from 2021 inclusive AND must have completed 7 of any Courses (Modules) beginning with PS at a grade of at least D) |
| Preclusion | PS4211HM |
Political theology is a mode of inquiry that interprets politics in the context of theological concepts and categories. This course focuses on Christian theological debates, in the late medieval and early modern periods, and considers their impact on the vocabulary of contemporary politics and international relations. Representative topics include: state sovereignty, political rule, extra-legal action, and international order. In recovering this theological inheritance this course dispels widely held myths about the origins of this vocabulary and reinterprets canonical figures in this light. In doing so, it challenges the narrative of progressive secularisation that dominates modern Western political and international thought.
ACADEMIC CONVENOR
Dr Serina Rahman