Religion in World History - ARTS2215

   
   
   
 
Campus: Kensington Campus
 
 
Career: Undergraduate
 
 
Units of Credit: 6
 
 
EFTSL: 0.12500 (more info)
 
 
Indicative Contact Hours per Week: 3
 
 
Enrolment Requirements:
 
 
Prerequisite: 30 units of credit at Level 1
 
 
Equivalent: JWST2110, HIST2752
 
 
Fee Band: 1 (more info)
 
 
Further Information: See Class Timetable
 
 
Available for General Education: Yes (more info)
 
 

Description


Subject Area: Asian Studies
This course can also be studied in the following specialisation: History



This course explores the different roles that religion plays in the modern world. The dominant trend in social science and humanities analysis has been to reduce the role of religiosity in history to a material set of interests (informed by dominant Marxist presumptions). This is beginning to be overturned with more nuanced studies of the way in which religion is used to inform identities and underpin grievances internationally. The course attempts to engage with these, and view religion from an analytical, historically-minded point of view, incorporating anthropological, sociological and political science methodologies. The main focus will be on modern religions and modern history. This is not a course on theology, although some theology will be covered as a means to understanding history. We aim to cover the big 5 ‘world religions’ in our analysis (Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism), as well as some of the important trends that relate to religion (secularisation, sacralisation, New Age, fundamentalism and religious violence).