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Unit of study_

RLST3609: Religion and the Medieval World

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.

Code RLST3609
Academic unit Studies in Religion
Credit points 6
Prerequisites:
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12 credit point at 2000 level in Studies in Religion
Corequisites:
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None
Prohibitions:
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RLST2605

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 outlines

Unit outlines will be available 2 weeks before the first day of teaching for the relevant session.