General
The course is offered as a freestanding course. It is part of the Pre-Master in Religious Studies and Theology, 60 credits.
Course Description
In this course, students learn how to compare religions in scholarly ways and how to understand them through being in dialogue with them. The course approaches religions both through the phenomenology of religion and through hermeneutics. Phenomenology is used to describe and understand lived religious experiences and structures of consciousness, while hermeneutics is used to interpret texts and traditions in specific contexts and across different faiths. By combining these approaches, scholars aim to gain an accurate, empathetic and experientially grounded understanding of different religious traditions, which in turn may lead to a deeper interreligious dialogue and understanding.
Learning Outcomes
After completion of the course the student should be able to:
1. Knowledge and understanding:
1.1 relate various theoretical positions in comparative religion to thinkers and broader developments in the field of religious studies and theology
1.2 explain thoroughly how thinkers in comparative religion apply methods to various materials and research objects;
1.3 describe how sociology contributes to the discipline of comparative religion;
2. Competence and skills:
2.1 independently identify similarities and distinctions between religions with the aid of literature;
2.2 critically contrast various hermeneutical methods and sociological models in the field of comparative religion;
3. Judgement and approach:
3.1 formulate problems of ethical and social concerns relating to comparative religion;
3.2 assess the possibilities and limitations of research and its role in society and the responsibility of the individual for how it is used.
See course plan for more information.