Undergraduate

Introducing religions

On this page

• Summary
• Course content
• Entry
• Qualifications
• If you have a disability or additional requirement
• Course materials
• Teaching and assessment
• Students also studied
• Future availability
• How to register

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This course is available for study in the countries shown.

Summary

This course offers an introduction to the study of religions, and to six living religious traditions that have had – and continue to have – a major influence on world affairs: Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism. You will explore their historical development and contemporary manifestations, developing your knowledge and understanding of different practices and beliefs and their underpinning concepts and principles. You will also examine aspects of the religious dimension in current affairs – while developing skills of analysis and evaluation that will benefit future studies in religion and other academic disciplines.

Course content

Why study religion? An understanding of the world’s religious traditions is crucial in helping us to appreciate not just the varied forms of belief and practice that we encounter at home, abroad and in the media, but also the influence that religion has on world affairs. By exploring the religious concepts and principles underpinning a wide range of worldviews and lifestyles, Introducing religions will enhance your knowledge and understanding of ideas and events, past and present, around the world.

This course will introduce you to issues important to the study of religions – such as the differences between studying and doing religion – and will help you to develop methodological skills of analysis and evaluation across a wide range of sources that will benefit future studies either in religion or other academic disciplines.

Each of the six traditions covered in this course has shaped the spiritual, social, political and economic lives of its adherents, and continues to influence the everyday lives of millions of people all over the world. You will also examine the diversity within these religious traditions and the factors – both internal and external – that typically contribute to this diversity.

Using a short introductory text for each religion (supported by study guides, audio CDs and a DVD), you will look at: the different ways in which religions shape how people see the world and their purpose in it; the role of religious founders, leaders and texts; and a range of religious rituals, practices and patterns of behaviour. In short, you’ll look at how people live their religion.

All this will help you to recognise and appreciate the practical implications of following a given religion, and to develop an approach to the study of religion which is accurate in its description of different beliefs and worldviews, and sensitive to what these mean to their adherents.

If you would like more information about this course you can visit the A217 website which has further details about the course content, short samples of course materials, and frequently asked questions. 

You will learn

You will learn about the major features of six religious traditions in terms of their historical development, beliefs and social forms. You will become familiar with the beliefs and practices that characterise the lifestyle of adherents to these religions in the contemporary world and some of the media through which religious insight is expressed (for example, texts, ritual performance, symbolism, architecture and material culture). You will gain practical experience in the study of religions, using appropriate technical language and methodologies.

Vocational relevance

By exploring the religious concepts and principles underpinning a wide range of world views and lifestyles, Introducing religions will enhance your knowledge and understanding of ideas and events, past and present, around the world. It should also help you to develop empathy and sensitivity when dealing with divergent views and pluralism of belief.

Knowledge about and understanding of various religious traditions might be particularly useful to teachers; health professionals; social workers; community workers; personnel workers and those involved in the food and catering industry. Anyone dealing with the public in today’s multi-religious environment might benefit from this course.

Entry

You are not necessarily expected to have taken any other Open University courses before this one. Nevertheless, it is a Level 2 course and therefore some work at Level 1 would be useful preparation.

The Level 1 courses help you to develop study skills such as logical thinking, clear expression, essay writing and the ability to select and interpret relevant material. The arts past and present (AA100) offers an introduction to all eight disciplines in the Arts Faculty and to interdisciplinary work. Your regional or national centre will be able to tell you where you can see reference copies of AA100, or you can buy selected materials from Open University Worldwide Ltd.

If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.  We particularly recommend doing so if you have neither taken AA100 nor done equivalent work at another university.

Preparatory work

No preparatory work is necessary for this course, but students might like to note that the set texts for this course are the A Very Short Introduction to the six religions listed in the Set Books section, published by Oxford University Press.

While students may want to start on some reading with these, please remember that the study guides, DVD and audio CDs provided with the course materials will expand on and explain in greater detail the material encountered in the Very Short Introduction texts.

Qualifications

A217 is a compulsory course in our

• Diploma in Religious Studies (D66)

A217 is a optional course in our:

• BA (Honours) Humanities (B03)
• BA (Honours) Humanities (B03) (with Religious Studies)
• BA/BSc (Honours) International Studies (B11)

It can also count towards most of our other degrees at bachelors level, where it is suitable for a BA. We advise you to refer to the relevant qualification descriptions for information on the circumstances in which this course can count towards these qualifications because from time to time the structure and requirements may change.

Excluded combinations

Sometimes you will not be able to count a course towards a qualification if you have already taken another course with similar content.  To check any excluded combinations relating to this course, visit our excluded combination finder or check with our Student Registration & Enquiry Service before registering.

If you have a disability or additional requirement

The course materials are available on CD-ROM in ‘ReadOut’ format with navigational facilities. The books are available in a comb-bound format. Other alternative formats of the course materials may be available in the future. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.

If you are a new student, or new to courses using a computer or the internet, you will need to inform us of your particular needs as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Details of how to do this and our range of support services are described in our booklet Meeting Your Needs which you can download or request from our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.

You can also find information about accessible course materials, financial support and the Disabled Students' Allowance, equipment and other services, on our Services for disabled students website. It also includes our contact details for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.

Course materials

What's included

Course study guides and other printed material; audio CDs; a DVD, course website.

You will need

A DVD player and an audio CD player, or a computer that can play both audio CDs and DVDs.

Computing requirements

This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave. Some of your course software will be provided on disk.

You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new Windows computer since 2002 it should meet your course computing requirements. Check our Technical Requirements section if your computer is older than this or is otherwise unusual. Please note that you cannot use an Apple Mac or Linux computer unless it is running windows Boot Camp or similar.

Teaching and assessment

Support from your tutor

You will have a tutor who will help you with the course material and mark and comment on your written work, and whom you can ask for advice and guidance. We may also be able to offer group tutorials or day schools that you are encouraged, but not obliged, to attend. Where your tutorials are held will depend on the distribution of students taking the course.

Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.

Assessment

The assessment details for this course can be found in the facts box above.

You can choose whether to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) on paper or online through the eTMA system. You may want to use the eTMA system for some of your assignments but submit on paper for others. This is entirely your choice.

Students also studied

Students who studied this course also studied at some time:

• Religion today: tradition, modernity and change (AD317)
• Religion in history: conflict, conversion and coexistence (AA307)
• Islam in the west: the politics of co-existence (AD252)

Future availability

The details given here are for the course that starts in February 2011. It will be available again in October 2011. We then expect it to be available once a year, in October.

How to register

To register a place on this course return to the top of the page and use the Click to register button. For more information and advice about registration see OU Study Explained.

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An undergraduate course in Arts and Humanities and Environment, Development and International Studies.

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