BA History and Sociology / Course details

Year of entry: 2024

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Course unit details:
End of the World and Apocalypticism

Course unit fact file
Unit code	RELT21082
Credit rating	20
Unit level	Level 2
Teaching period(s)	Semester 2
Available as a free choice unit?	Yes

Overview

This course provides knowledge and analytical tools to understand and assess apocalyptic movements, the use of apocalyptic ideas and imagery in contemporary culture, and the effects of apocalyptic thought in politics and elsewhere. The course runs from examination of the biblical roots of much apocalyptic thought, via analysis of a range of historic apocalyptic groups, to present-day culture and politics.

Pre/co-requisites

Available on which programme(s)?

BA Religions and Theology

BA Philosophy and Religion

(BA Theological Studies in Philosophy and Ethics)

BA Comparative Religion and Social Anthropology

Aims

To explore and analyse texts and movements that focus beliefs or expression either on the end of the world or on other dramatic events conceptualised in end-of-the-world terms
To analyse how movements, texts and uses are expressed in ‘apocalyptic’ vocabulary and imagery
To explore and analyse cultural, social and political uses and effects of the above
To provide an opportunity for researching and presenting on the above.

Teaching and learning methods

11 x two-hour interactive lectures, including study of texts, documentary clips, film clips, etc. 11 x one-hour seminars, including individual or small group (you choose whether individual or group) research project and presentation on an apocalyptic movement or cultural artefact(s) of your choice. c.7 hours of viewing films and documentaries and listening to accounts relating to apocalyptic movements or cultural artefacts.

Knowledge and understanding

By the end of this course unit you should normally be able to

Discuss the term ‘apocalyptic’ and describe typical features of apocalyptic ideas, texts and images
Describe a range of movements that have focused on end-of-the-world ideas or language
Discuss and contextualise key apocalyptic texts from biblical and other sources
Describe a range of historical or current uses or effects of apocalyptic ideas or imagery

Intellectual skills

Analyse apocalyptic movements, especially through contextualising them and understanding patterns and sources of apocalyptic ideas and related practices
Analyse use of apocalyptic ideas and imagery in cultural artefacts such as films and books
Analyse biblical and other religious apocalyptic texts, especially by putting them in the context in which they were written

Practical skills

Extract evidence of apocalyptic elements in cultural artefacts such as films or books
Extract evidence of apocalyptic elements in reports of movements and groups
Make clear presentations of results of research on apocalyptic movements or cultural artefacts

Transferable skills and personal qualities

Analyse films, reports and other sources
Discuss in groups on controversial topics
Engage empathetically with beliefs and actions of groups that are sharply different from mainstream society
Engage empathetically with beliefs and actions of societies, or sections of societies, that proceed on assumptions sharply different from yours.

Employability skills

Other: This course helps prepare students to work in contexts where they encounter beliefs, practices and cultural artefacts that may be sharply alien to them (or which, conversely, may be taken for granted by them). It prepares students to produce, engage with, and assess reports on such beliefs, practices and artefacts in an empathetic but analytical and effective manner.

Assessment methods

Assessment Task	Formative or Summative	Weighting
Individual or small group presentation on an apocalyptic movement or cultural artefact(s) + outline and bibliography for summative work	Formative	0%
Report or portfolio on the apocalyptic movement or cultural artefact(s) studies for the formative assessment	Summative	75%
Examination	Summative	25%

Feedback methods

Feedback method	Formative or Summative
Peer and Seminar leader oral feedback on presentation	Formative
Written feedback on report/portfolio outline and bibliography	Formative
Written feedback on report/portfolio	Summative and formative
Written feedback on examination	Summative and formative

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Lectures	22
Seminars	11

Independent study hours
Independent study	167

Teaching staff

Staff member	Role
Peter Oakes	Unit coordinator
Andrew Boakye	Unit coordinator
Kamran Karimullah	Unit coordinator

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