DI5451 Christian Doctrine and the Arts

Academic year

2025 to 2026 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 11

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 available as an optional module for any other programme, except with the Permission of the Head of School.

Planned timetable

2-5 Tuesday

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

Module coordinator

Dr R A Lamb

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

Module Staff

Dr Rebekah Lamb

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 examine how the central articles of the Christian faith, as expressed in the Apostles' Creed, have been engaged by artists throughout the history of Christianity. For each article of the creed, one major artwork - visual, literary or musical - will serve as the locus for discussing changing theological approaches to that doctrine and for examining the artistic methods developed to engage it (often in ways inaccessible to non-artistic forms of expression). Each week, this central discussion will be consolidated by student-led consideration of smaller artworks. By the end of the semester, students will have gained a basic grasp of the historical development both of Christian doctrine and of Western art, and of the distinctive ways in which Christianity and artistic forms have challenged, influenced and enlarged each other, and continue to do so.

Assessment pattern

Coursework = 100% (inc Essay 40%, Annotated Bibliography 30%, Presentation 30%)

Re-assessment

Coursework = 100% (inc Essay 40%, Annotated Bibliography 30%, Presentation 30%)

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact

1 lecture or seminar (x 10 weeks), 3 hours per week

Scheduled learning hours

43

The number of compulsory student:staff contact hours over the period of the module.

Guided independent study hours

250

The number of hours that students are expected to invest in independent study over the period of the module.

Intended learning outcomes

  • By the end of this module, students will have developed their abilities of close textual reading, historical and abstract reasoning, research, and communication (in oral and written forms).
  • This module will allow students to practice skills of argument and critical response to received and presented views. At the end of the term, students will be able to clarify further their own understanding of the ideas emerging from the assignedreading. They will develop a greater understanding of the questions, concerns, and parameters of the DI54514interdisciplinary field of theology and the arts
  • Students will develop their abilities toresearch, write and present at the Post-Graduate level. They will also learn how to prepare and submit written work for peer review with reputable journals in fields relevant to their research.
  • Students will be able to critically assess and compare, in seminars and assignments, works of Christian art of different forms and periods (ranging from the Patristic era to the present) as well as various artistic methods for engaging with or challenging Christian beliefs and ideas.