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Unit of study_
RLST3609: Religion and the Medieval World
2025 unit information
This unit covers the period from 500 to 1500 and asks whether the Western idea of the Middle Ages can be usefully applied to non-Western cultures of the era. It considers the development of Christianity in the first millennium alongside indigenous Paganisms, Judaism and Islam. In the second millennium it investigates Western Christian contacts with Buddhism, Confucian and Taoist culture, and the religions of India. The idea of a monolithic Christianity is destabilised through the lenses of Eastern Christianity (for example, the various Orthodox churches, Maronites, Melkites) and of heretical groups whose beliefs and practices attracted persecution, inquisition and crusade or holy war.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Arts and Social Sciences
| Study level | Undergraduate |
|---|---|
| Academic unit | Studies in Religion |
| Credit points | 6 |
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Prerequisites:
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12 credit points at 2000 level in Studies in Religion |
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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RLST2605 |
| Assumed knowledge:
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None |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. demonstrate a body of knowledge relevant to a range of religions and worldviews of the Middle Ages, and a firm grasp of the principles, practices and boundaries of the academic study of medieval religions;
- LO2. demonstrate a high standard of oral, visual and written communication skills relevant to the study of medieval religions;
- LO3. understand and practice the highest standards of ethical behavior associated with the non-confessional, unbiased and scholarly study of religions;
- LO4. set appropriate goals for ongoing intellectual and professional development through fieldwork and written and oral assessments, and effectively self-evaluate performance;
- LO5. exercise critical judgement and critical thinking to create new modes of understanding of the full range of religions present in the Middle Ages; and
- LO6. demonstrate strong interpersonal and communication skills through project work and interdisciplinary learning.
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
There are no availabilities for this year.
| Session | MoA ? | Location | Outline ? |
|---|---|---|---|
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Semester 1 2025
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Normal day | Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney |
Outline unavailable
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Modes of attendance (MoA)
This refers to the Mode of attendance (MoA) for the unit as it appears when you’re selecting your units in Sydney Student. Find more information about modes of attendance on our website.
