The Bible and Diversity

"Issues of diversity, difference and attitudes to the other are increasingly important in our post-modern, pluralistic and fragile world," explains Ian Bradley, the module tutor. Using the Christian doctrine of the Trinity as an over-arching framework and paradigm the module will engage with topics of, often acute, contemporary concern.

This module will explore what the Bible has to say about diversity in the context of cultural, ethnic and religious pluralism, the natural environment (biodiversity) and sexuality.

Ian Bradley continues, "by drawing some perspectives from the scriptures of other faith traditions, notably Islam, Judaism and Hinduism, you will be invited to enrich your thinking on how people of faith approach this major spiritual and social challenge."

The module will look in detail at re-reading the narrative of the Tower of Babel before considering Jesus' relationship to 'the other'. Through redeeming the Genesis motif from mistaken ideas of domination you will be invited then to explore some biblical miracles in the light of the New Testament's presentation of Jesus as the Cosmic Christ. Questions of sexual diversity and the Bible will be opened up, particularly in the light of an understanding of The Trinity as community in diversity. Prior to looking at the UK as a case study of diversity and unity realised in political settlements, you will review some ways in which diversity is expressed in the scriptural traditions of Islam, Judaism and Hinduism.

The author of over 35 books, Ian Bradley is well-known in the UK through his frequent contributions to religious broadcasts on radio and television and as a regular writer and reviewer for national newspapers and magazines, and in the USA as the author of best selling works on Celtic Christianity, Christianity and the environment, and a highly-acclaimed book on the spiritual and pastoral dimensions of musical theatre.

By the end of the module students should be able to:

• Expound and critically assess a variety of conceptualisations of diversity across cultural, ethnic, religious, environmental and sexual spheres.
• Evaluate interpretations and the saliency of a range of biblical texts utilised in arguments around diversity.
• Understand and critically assess contributions to diversity from Trinitarian theologies.
• Compare and contrast the contributions to discussions of diversity arising from within Islamic, Jewish and Hindu traditions.
• Proffer and defend a contextualised theological response to the ambiguous challenges and opportunities of diversity.