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Identical coursesEuropean Perspectives on Religion and Meaning (B-KUL-A05E3A)
De Witte Pieter (coordinator) | De Witte Pieter | Zuijdwegt Geertjan Aims
Aims
This course examines the phenomenon of religion as it has come to be expressed in the European context, and as such reflects on the past, present and future significance of religion as an element of European thought and culture. To this end, the course will review the historical/anthropological evolution of religion focusing on a number of important themes. The course seeks to promote sensitivity toward a religious worldview next to other worldviews in today's culture and society. The course aims at gaining insight into the way in which religion understands itself, using a range of methods and interpretative frameworks. Thirdly, the course encourages the development of the personal opinion of students concerning religion.
At the end of this course, students will be able
• to explain which role worldviews and religions, in particular the Christian faith tradition, play in culture and society
• to apply general ideas from Theology and Religious Studies to current topics in society
• to confront the religious and worldview-related themes which are associated with their own field of study and to deal with them critically
Previous knowledge
A general familiarity with the main trajectories in Western philosophy, culture and history is expected.
Is included in these courses of study
Activities
3 ects. European Perspectives on Religion and Meaning (B-KUL-A05E3a)
Content
This course outlines some religious and philosophical aspects of contemporary culture and provides students with tools for forming a critical personal judgment in those spheres in a (post)secular society.
In the first part, a fundamental distinction is made between three different human spheres of interest: cognitive interest (the desire for knowledge), manipulative interest (the desire to influence things), and existential interest (the desire for meaning).
Building upon this distinction, the course familiarizes the student with religious and non-religious forms and structures of meaning-making. It also sheds light on the role of meaning-making processes in shaping personal ethical and philosophical judgments.
The course applies the developed model of meaning-making and judgment formation to several important existential and societal themes. Possible themes include: science and religion; evil, anger, and restoration; freedom, guilt, and responsibility; abortion and euthanasia; the public role of religion. An effort is made to relate these themes to the specific curriculum and future career path of the students.
Course material
The course material consists of course texts and selected literature, which are made available through Toledo, along with the slides used in class.
Evaluation
Evaluation: European Perspectives on Religion and Meaning (B-KUL-A25E3a)
Explanation
The evaluation for this course consists of two parts.
First, the extent to which the learning content is understood and can be applied is assessed through a written exam that includes open-ended and multiple-choice questions (with penalties for incorrect answers).
Second, participation in an interactive online component (such as a discussion forum or module) is evaluated to determine the student's ability to critically reflect on religious and philosophical themes.
A total of 2 out of 20 points can be earned through the online component, while the exam accounts for 18 out of 20 points.
Information about retaking exams
Only the written exam can be retaken. The points earned from the online component are retained when the exam is retaken.