SA4060 Anthropology and Religion

Academic year

2024 to 2025 Semester 2

Further information on which modules are specific to your programme.

Key module information

SCOTCAT credits

30

The Scottish Credit Accumulation and Transfer (SCOTCAT) system allows credits gained in Scotland to be transferred between institutions. The number of credits associated with a module gives an indication of the amount of learning effort required by the learner. European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits are half the value of SCOTCAT credits.

SCQF level

SCQF level 10

The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) provides an indication of the complexity of award qualifications and associated learning and operates on an ascending numeric scale from Levels 1-12 with SCQF Level 10 equating to a Scottish undergraduate Honours degree.

Availability restrictions

Not automatically available to General Degree students

Planned timetable

To be confirmed.

This information is given as indicative. Timetable may change at short notice depending on room availability.

Module coordinator

Dr A D E Reed

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module Staff

Dr A Reed

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module description

This module will consider the field of the anthropology of religion from the perspective of new debates about anthropology’s relationship to religious faith and practice. The module will look at classic and new ethnography of religious life alongside a historical and political consideration of anthropology as a secular academic discipline in awkward relationship with world religions but especially Christianity. The main focus will fall on very new discussions about the secular bias within anthropology, for instance in terms of the ways in which the discipline interprets concepts like ‘society’ or ‘culture’. These debates key into wider moves to decolonize the discipline but also to open dialogues with theologians and faith-based communities. A broader question for contemporary anthropologists of religion, and for the module as a whole, is how to write about religious experience in a respectful and collaborative fashion.

Relationship to other modules

Pre-requisites

BEFORE TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST PASS SA2002

Assessment pattern

Coursework = 100%

Re-assessment

6,000-word Essay = 100%

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact

1 x 2 hour Lecture, 1 x 1 hour Seminar