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- UCAS course code
- VL53
- UCAS institution code
- M20
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Course unit details:
Anthropology of Religion
| Unit code | SOAN20811 |
|---|---|
| Credit rating | 20 |
| Unit level | Level 2 |
| Teaching period(s) | Semester 1 |
| Offered by | Anthropology |
| Available as a free choice unit? | Yes |
Overview
The Anthropology of Religion.
Definitions.
Religious knowledge and experience.
The making of religious subjects
The practice of religion
Debates in the anthropology of religion.
Aims
1. To introduce students to the main anthropological approaches to the analysis of religion.
2. To work with key anthropological texts on the topic of religion.
3. To explore the production of religious subjects and subjectivities.
Learning outcomes
On completion of this course, successful students will be equipped with sufficient knowledge and skills to:
- Understand and engage with debates and literature in the anthropology of religion.
- Explore the place of religious practice and belief in social life.
- Undertake comparative analysis of 'religious' phenomena, knowledge and practice.
- Engage critically with the ways in which religious subjects and subjectivities are produced and matter/are made to matter.
Teaching and learning methods
The course is ethnography-led with a strong focus on anthropological monographs focusing on ‘world religions’ (Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism) and placing these in conversations with concepts deployed in the anthropology of religion - belief, ritual, practice, and materiality. There will be short lectures on the conceptual themes and discussions grounded in ethnographic texts.
Assessment methods
20% in-semester assessment (voice/presentation based)
80% assessed essay at end of semester: 3000 words
Feedback methods
Feedback will be available on Blackboard.
Recommended reading
These are general and introductory texts, which provide a good overview of the field
Orsi, R A (ed). 2012. The Cambridge Companion to Religious Studies. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge
Lambek, Michael (ed.). 2002. A Reader in the Anthropology of Religion. Oxford: Blackwell
Morris, B. 2006. Religion and Anthropology: A Critical Introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Eller, Jack. 2007. Introducing the Anthropology of Religion. London: Routledge
Study hours
| Scheduled activity hours | |
|---|---|
| Lectures | 20 |
| Tutorials | 9 |
| Independent study hours | |
|---|---|
| Independent study | 171 |
Teaching staff
| Staff member | Role |
|---|---|
| Soumhya Venkatesan | Unit coordinator |
Additional notes
Information
Length of course: 12 weeks
Timetable
Monday 11.00-13.00