Religion today: tradition, modernity and change
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| 7 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) | |
| End-of-course assessment | No residential school |
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Summary
Religion is a powerful force in today’s world, as almost any newspaper or news broadcast will make clear. Inextricably linked with nationalism, popular culture, social norms and the lives of individuals, it touches almost every area of public and private life. This course will be of interest to those who are curious about the role of religion today and who wonder whether secularisation means the eventual death of religious practices and institutions. It studies examples of religious ideas, practices and teachings from around the world, and sets religion in the wider context of the societies in which it is embedded.
Course content
Religion, though often considered an agent of stability, has been changing rapidly in the last few decades. At the same time it remains of crucial importance for many individuals, and for all societies in all countries. This course examines many of the most exciting and controversial issues in religion today from an international and multi-faith perspective. It will enable you to assess the current trends in religious ideas and practice, and to deepen your understanding of how these changes affect the societies in which the traditions exist. The course allows you to select, to a certain degree, the themes you want to concentrate on.
The course begins by introducing a ‘toolkit’ of methods and ideas that are of use in understanding religion. It then takes up issues of representation and symbolism, discussing how religions have been represented traditionally through text and image and how they are depicted today in contemporary media such as the cinema and on the internet. This part of the course emphasises the influence of the new communication media on the ways in which religious traditions present their messages, and how religions relocate themselves in novel geographic and social settings. The course also includes an examination of ethical and social issues as they are experienced in different societies, ranging from the role of nationalism in Eastern Europe to Buddhist environmentalism and Anglo-American feminism. Human rights and the challenges associated with globalisation are central to this inquiry.
Civil religion, an important concept with wide applicability, is examined in the context of the Vietnam war and as it is understood in different cultures, including the UK and Italy. Next, the expansion of Evangelicalism is studied in relation to the UK, the USA and Latin America, considering it both as an agent of globalisation and, allegedly, of Americanisation. For comparison, the spread of a form of Buddhism and of Islam are considered.
One of the possible futures of religion is examined in a series of studies centred on the concepts of New Age religion and alternative spirituality, ranging from Celtic spirituality to Wicca. Concepts of marginalisation, differentiation and post-modern religion are central to this exploration of alternative spiritualities. The conclusion to the course pulls the themes together.
By the end of the course, you will have developed your ability to:
- understand and work with academic methods and terminology used in the scholarly discussion of religion
- demonstrate sophisticated understanding of the multi-faceted complexity of religions, for example in the relationship between specifically religious beliefs, texts, practices and institutions and wider social and cultural norms, aesthetics and aspirations, in a context of social change
- recognise and appreciate ways in which religious ideas, forms, and processes change
- critically assess religious contributions to debate in the public arena about, for example, human rights, identity, environmentalism and justice
- demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of how personal and communal identities and motivations are shaped by religion, and how important such identities are
- gather, process, criticise and present knowledge and understanding of a subject in an appropriately scholarly manner by writing an end-of-course extended essay.
The course will benefit those who work regularly with the general public, whether in business, catering or caring professions; teachers, religious professionals, those who work in the media, and those who simply want a broader understanding of religion.
Entry
This is a Level 3 course. Level 3 courses build on study skills and subject knowledge acquired from studies at Levels 1 and 2. You are not expected to have any special knowledge, but some experience of interdisciplinary work in arts or social sciences would be an advantage.
If you would like more information about this course or the course team, you can visit the AD317 website.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
Preparatory work
If you are unfamiliar with the world religions, we advise some preparatory reading such as the readily available The World's Religions by Ninian Smart (Cambridge University Press, 1998).
Qualifications
AD317 is an optional course in our
- BA (Honours) Humanities (B03)
- BA (Honours) Humanities (B03) (with Religious Studies)
- BA/BSc (Honours) Social Sciences (B06)
- Diploma in Religious Studies (D66)
It can also count towards most of our other degrees at bachelors level, where it is equally appropriate to a BA or BSc. 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.
If you have a disability or additional requirement
The course materials are available in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). Components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader and mathematical, scientific, and foreign language materials may be particularly difficult to read in this way. Large print versions of the course material can be provided on request. Written transcripts are available for the audio-visual material. The written course material is available in 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 books, other printed materials, audio CDs, DVDs.
You will need
Audio CD and DVD players.
Computing requirements
This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave.
You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new 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.
Materials to buy
Set books
- Mumm, S (ed) Religion Today, Ashgate £16.99 - ISBN 9780754608219
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.
There is no substitution, but there is a choice of study. You will be given more detailed information when you begin the course.
Students also studied
Students who studied this course also studied at some time:
Future availability
The details given here are for the course that starts in January 2010. We expect it to be available once a year.
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.
About this page
An undergraduate course in Arts and Humanities.
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