Postgraduate Course: Professionals, Revolutionaries and Holy Fools: Power and Authority in Cross-religious Perspective (REST11004)
Course Outline
| School | School of Divinity |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Available to all students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Credits | 20 |
| Home subject area | Religious Studies |
Other subject area | None |
| Course website |
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/divinity/current-students-staff/postgraduate/handbooks-pg |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | This course has at its centre the question of religious authority/leadership of one person, or a group of persons, over others. Drawing mainly from sociological and anthropological theory, various scholarly models to explain the sources and the functions of religious authority will be discussed. Three sociological $ùideal types&© of religious authority $ú professional (rabbis, priests, ulema), revolutionary (messiahs, millenialists, mahdis), and liminal (holy fools) $ú will be examined in the light of a number of historical case studies. |
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? | No |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
By the end of this class, students will
- have a nuanced understanding of the historical dialectics between charisma and institution across the three Abrahamic traditions;
- show an advanced grasp of the basic characteristics of institutional organization of Judaism, Christianity and Islam in its various historical manifestations;
- handle competently a number of advanced theoretical approaches in the Study of Religion, with a possible view toward further PG work. |
Assessment Information
| Students are required to write a 3,000-4,000 word essay on an agreed topic. |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
Not entered |
| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
Not entered |
| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Religion, Religious Studies, Sociology, Islam, Judaism, Christianity |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Christian Lange
Tel: (0131 6)50 8781
Email: |
Course secretary | Ms Karoline Mclean
Tel: (0131 6)50 8952
Email: |
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