Heythrop College
University of London
CHOOSING YOUR
OPTIONAL MODULES
2010-2011
BA Philosophy, Religion
& Ethics
March 2010
CONTENTS
SECTION
How to Choose Your Optional Modules
Programmes of Study
List of Modules Available in 2010-11 and 2011-12
Descriptions of Optional Modules
The Undergraduate Dissertation: The Procedure
The Undergraduate Dissertation: List of Suggested Topics
2
PAGE
3
4
6
8
17
18
HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR OPTIONAL MODULES
This Options Handbook is intended for students progressing to years 2 and 3 of the BA
Philosophy, Religion & Ethics degree programme.
1.
Programme of Study
Refer to your programme of study (pp 4-5) to determine:
i. the number of options you can study in your second and third years
ii. the modules you can choose from
You will need to take into account the fact that some optional modules only run in
alternate years as well as choosing between pairs of modules that must be
included in your programme. Please check the availability of modules for
2010/11 and 2011/12 so that you don’t miss out on a particular module that is
only taught in one of these academic years.
2.
Module Descriptions
Read the descriptions of the modules that are optional for your programme (listed
on pp 8-15 ). If you require further information, consult the module outlines on
the College website (www.heythrop.ac.uk) and/or the module teachers. Note
whether any of the modules in which you are interested have a pre-requisite
module – i.e. a module in which you must already have been assessed.
3.
List of Modules
Look at the list of modules available in 2010/11 and 2011/12. Note that some
modules are available only in alternate years.
You should also note that it may be necessary to cancel a module if numbers for
that module are low.
4.
Intercollegiate Modules
It may be possible for you to take one of your optional modules at another college
of the University of London where we have a reciprocal arrangement. This may
not apply to all programmes and, if you wish to study an intercollegiate module,
please discuss this with the Programme Convenor for your degree.
5.
Programme Coherence
Consider the effect of the module/s you select on the coherence of your degree
and your possible career choices, if relevant. Discuss this with your Personal
Tutor or the Programme Convenor, if necessary.
3
6.
Timetabling
Unfortunately the College is unable to guarantee that optional modules will not be
scheduled at the same time. For the 2010/11 academic year, an indicative
timetable has been produced but will be updated when the options numbers have
been finalised.
7.
Module Registration Form
Complete the Module Registration Form for your programme and your next year
of study.
There will be three opportunities for completing your form on 23, 24 and 25
March 2010 and you must attend one of these sessions. If you do not return a
completed Module Registration Form, optional modules will be allocated to you.
Please ensure that you complete the form fully, including your signature. Forms
must be returned to the Undergraduate Administrator no later than Thursday 25
March 2010.
N.B. It will no longer be possible to select optional modules at Registration
and changes to your chosen modules will only be made under very
exceptional circumstances.
Remember to keep a record of the modules that you have chosen.
PROGRAMME OF STUDY
A formal summary of your degree programme and what you are expected to learn from it
can be found on the College website in the form of a Programme Specification.
BA Philosophy, Religion and Ethics
Year 2
Contemporary Philosophy of Religion (15)*
Contemporary Moral Issues (15)*
Sociology of Religion (15)*
Psychology of Religion (15)*
[Social Ethics (15)]
[Business Ethics (15)]
* Subject to approval
Two options to total 60 credits chosen from the list below
4
Year 3
Belief and Unbelief
Undergraduate Dissertation
Two optional modules to total 60 credits taken from the list below
BA PRE MODULES 2010/11 AND 2011/12
General Requirements for a BA Honours Degree
For each year of the three year full time degree you must take a total of 120 credits. To
complete the degree you must have completed a total of 360 credits. Part time students
must complete a minimum of 60 credits in each year of study.
Undergraduate modules have the following credit values:
Module Type
Whole
Half
Half
Term
ML
M
L
Credit Value
30
15
15
The table below shows the terms in which modules are taught and their credit value.
Terms:
M
L
ML
Michaelmas
Lent
Michaelmas and Lent
The table below indicates the module availability for 2010/11 and 2010/12.
Please note the following:
TBA indicates modules that are dependent on student demand and, in some cases,
availability of teaching staff.
5
Optional Modules 2010/11and 2011/12
MODULE
CODE
CREDIT
VALUE
LEVEL
30
30
5/6
5/6
AR202
AR204
MODULE TITLE
Beliefs & Practices of
Judaism
Beliefs & Practices of Islam
AR302
Sacred Texts and Their
Interpretation
30
5/6
AR303
AR305
Philosophical & Religious
Ethics
Christian-Muslim Relations
30
15
5/6
5/6
AR306
CH300
Spirituality & Mysticism in the
Abrahamic Faiths
Augustine
30
30
5/6
5/6
PH305
Aesthetics
30
30
PH307
Political Philosophy
TEACHER(S)
2010/11
2011/12
ML
ML
ML
ML
ML
ML
ML
M
ML
M
ML
ML
ML
NO
5/6
Jonathan Gorsky
Ahmad Achtar
Ahmad Achtar/
Jonathan Gorsky/
Michael Kirwan
Anna Abram/Ahmad
Achtar/Jonathan
Gorsky
Ahmad Achtar
Ahmad Achtar/
Jonathan Gorsky/
Edward Howells
Richard Price
Stacie Friend/
Peter Gallagher
NO
ML
5/6
Patrick Riordan
ML
ML
30
30
30
5/6
5/6
5/6
5/6
Fiona Ellis
Stephen Law
Paul Rout
Peter Vardy
ML
ML
NO
ML
NO
NO
ML
ML
30
PH313
PH320
PH318
PH319
19C German Philosophy
Wittgenstein
Aquinas & Bonaventure
Kierkegaard
PH325
PH326
PH327
PH328
PH329
PH330
PH331
PH332
PH333
PS303
PS304
PS306
Love, Sex, Death and God
Hellenistic Philosophy
Neo-Platonist Philosophy
Heidegger after Nietzsche
Philosophy of Science
Modern French Thought
Normative Ethics
Marx and Marxism
Philosophy of Social Science
Interpersonal & Sexual Ethics
Bioethics
Sociology of Religion revised
Psychology of Religion
revised
Moral Psychology
30
15
15
15
30
15
15
15
15
15
15
15
5/6
5/6
5/6
5/6
5/6
5/6
5/6
5/6
5/6
5/6
5/6
5/6
Fiona Ellis
Peter Gallagher
Peter Gallagher
Terry Walsh
Louis Caruana
Anthony Carroll
Terry Walsh
TBC
Anthony Carroll
Agneta Sutton
Agneta Sutton
James Sweeney
ML
M
L
NO
ML
NO
M
L
L
M
L
TBA
ML
NO
NO
M
NO
L
NO
NO
NO
M
L
L
15
15
5/6
5/6
TBA
NO
M
M
Christ, God & Salvation
Political Theology
Theology of Liberation
Political & Liberation
Theologies
15
15
15
5/6
5/6
5/6
TBC
Katie Page
Anthony Baxter/
Dominic Robinson
Michael Kirwan
Michael Kirwan
ML
M
L
ML
M
L
30
5/6
Michael Kirwan
ML
ML
PS307
PY308
ST300
ST308
ST309
ST308/9
6
MODULE
CODE
CREDIT
VALUE
LEVEL
30
5/6
Belief & Unbelief
The Tasks of Life
Human Person in Christian
TH301
Tradition 2
LE300
Undergraduate Dissertation
NEW MODULES subject to approval
Religious Experience and
Spirituality
Bonaventure
Central Christian Teachings
Hermeneutics & Religion
30
30
Life & After Life
Justice, Equality & Freedom
Iris Murdoch: Ethics &
Religion in Philosophy &
Literature
ST310
MODULE TITLE
Theology of Jewish-Christian
Relations
ST311
ST313
2010/11
2011/12
ML
NO
5/6
5/6
John McDade
Louis Caruana/
Anthony Carroll
John McDade
ML
ML
ML
ML
15
30
5/6
5/6
Martin Poulsom
Individual Supervisor
L
ML
L
ML
15
15
30
15
5/6
5/6
5/6
5/6
Paul Rout
Paul Rout
L
L
ML
TBA
L
NO
ML
TBA
15
5/6
5/6
L
TBA
NO
TBA
15
5/6
NO
L
7
TEACHER(S)
Elizabeth Burns/
Jonathan Loose
Elizabeth Burns
DESCRIPTIONS OF OPTIONAL MODULES
For additional information, please see the module outlines which are available on the
College website: www.heythrop.ac.uk
All whole modules have a credit value of 30 and half modules a credit value of 15.
AR202 Beliefs and Practices in Judaism
This module examines the central themes of Jewish theology and major features of
Jewish religious life and practice. It also explores the impact of modernity and the Shoah
on modern Jewish life. Among the topics covered: Monotheism, creation, revelation,
covenant, Torah, land, people, Messianic hope, diversity in Judaism, liturgy and prayer
and the impact of modernity.
AR204 Beliefs & Practices in Islam
The module aims to present a comprehensive introduction of beliefs and practices of
Islam and its internal diversity from its origins to the contemporary period. The course will
also show the diversity of Muslim interpretations and approaches to the sources of Islam.
It will cover: the rise of Islam, the life and the role of the Prophet Muhammad, the main
sources of Islam (the Qur’an and the Sunna), creeds and the schools of Kalam
(theology), Sufism, Islamic law and current issues in Muslim societies.
AR302 Sacred Texts and Their Interpretation
The module presents the main features and the roles of the foundational scriptures of
each religion (The Tanakh, the New Testament and the Qur’an). It will also examine the
hermeneutical traditions and the impact of historical-critical methods on each religion.
The module will cover Revelation and Scripture, origins of the sacred texts and canon
formation, Torah-piety and Jewish schools of exegesis, schools of Qur’anic interpretation,
Reformation debates on scripture and Church and the impact of historical-critical
approaches to scripture.
AR303 Philosophical and Religious Ethics
This module explores some of the main components of philosophical and religious ethics
focusing on ethical concepts and ideas that are specific to Jewish, Islamic and Christian
Ethics. Issues considered will include: 1. Deontology, Teleology, Virtue Ethics, DivineCommand Theory, Ethical and Cultural relativism. 2. Religious Ethics: Jewish, Christian,
and Muslim approaches- specific concepts (sin, conversion, goodness, rightness, natural
law. 3. Specific Themes selected from areas of bioethics and social/political ethics.
AR305 Christian - Muslim Relations (15)
This course will examine how Christians and Muslims perceived and interacted with
each other since the rise of Islam until the present day. The topics which are going to be
covered are as follows:





History of Christian - Muslim relations.
Jesus and Mary in the Qur’an.
Muslim perceptions of Christianity.
Christian perceptions of Islam: Muhammad and the Qur’an.
Contemporary Christian – Muslim dialogue.
AR306: Spirituality & Mysticism in the Abrahamic
This module will introduce major development in the spiritual and mystical traditions of
the Abrahamic faiths focusing on primary textual sources. Topics to be covered: Temple
and Psalter, Rabbinic spirituality, medieval Jewish Pietists and Hasidism, Christian
monasticism, patterns of following Christ, divine ineffability and mystical experience,
Spanish 16th Century mysticism, purification of the soul in Islam, spirituality of pilgrimage
and fasting, Sufi traditions, Song of Songs, modern post-religious spirituality.
PH305 Aesthetics
This module is the study of feelings, concepts, tastes and judgments arising from
perception and appreciation of objects, natural and contrived, considered moving,
beautiful or sublime. Among the topics considered are representation and illusion,
copying, plagiarism and authenticity, censorship, expression and imagination, taste,
objectivity in aesthetics, and the function and ontological status of art. Questions which
arise include: Why do we attach such importance to aesthetic education and practice? Is
the beautiful something universal or essential? Why do people take aesthetic pleasure in
tragedies and other horrors? Does art work by expressing, communicating, arousing,
purging or symbolizing feeling and emotion? Does the perception of beauty have
connections with moral virtue? Among the philosophers examined are: Plato, Aristotle,
Hume, Diderot, Burke, Kant, Schiller, Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, Collingwood, Sartre and
Merleau-Ponty.
PH307 Political Philosophy
This module has an historical section dealing with Plato, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau,
Hegel, Marx and J.S. Mill. A second section covers freedom, rights, civil disobedience
and political obligation, and also examines the political theories of Rawls and Nozick.
PH313 Nineteenth Century German Philosophy
Hegel on: sense-certainty and perception; self-consciousness; the Absolute; idealism.
Schopenhauer on: the self; epistemology; value; pessimism. Nietzsche on: perspectival
seeing; the will; eternal recurrence; sources of morality.
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Religious Experience and Spirituality (15)
This module explores areas within what can be called the spiritual dimension of human
existence through a focus on the notions of religious experience and spirituality.
Questions that will be addressed include: can we somehow step beyond the difficulties of
trying to describe God in human language and experience God directly? Are religious
experiences simply the product of our upbringing, the community we live in, the books we
read, and so on? What do we understand by the term spirituality and in what ways might
this be related to religious experience? Can spirituality be understood in a non-theistic
way and what might be the implications of this? Can a theistic understanding of religious
experience and spirituality be judged to hold any rational meaning for human life today?
What do religious experience and spirituality tell us about the nature of human identity?
PH318 Aquinas and Bonaventure
History, it is said, is the teacher of life, and we can learn much about life from the study of
two of the giants of medieval thought, Thomas Aquinas and Bonaventure of Bagnoregio.
The medieval world of the thirteenth century was not, as is often commonly portrayed, a
world characterized by ignorance and superstition. The world of the thirteenth century
was a world of social, intellectual and religious turbulence, and for that reason a
fascinating world. Western civilization as we know it today was created in medieval
Europe and Aquinas and Bonaventure were at the heart of the thought of that period.
This module examines the main features of medieval thought, acknowledging and
exploring its roots in the classical Greek and Christian philosophical and theological
traditions. It then moves to investigate how each of the two thinkers provided distinctive
and innovative approaches to the academic and religious challenges posed by an age
that bore many features similar to our own. In particular the module addresses such
major themes as the relationship between faith and reason, the nature of God and the
understanding of the human person. The fact that their thought offers valuable insights
for our contemporary understanding of such fundamental theological issues confirms that
history is indeed the teacher of life.
Bonaventure (15)
Bonaventure (1217-1274) is regarded as one of the renowned medieval thinkers and
spiritual writers. His writings, inspired by the dynamic impact of the life experience of the
great St Francis of Assisi, provide distinctive and innovative approaches to the
philosophical and theological challenges posed by an age that, like our own, was marked
by rapid social, political and religious change. This half-module explores the nature of the
medieval intellectual, social and religious context within which Bonaventure is situated,
the fundamental features of his thought and in particular addresses such major themes
as Faith and Reason, the Nature of God, the Human Person and Creation Theology. It
will also highlight the considerable contemporary relevance of his thought.
PH319 Kierkegaard
Kierkegaard has been described as the father of modern existentialism. Wittgenstein
described him as the greatest thinker of the nineteenth century. He was a committed
10
Christian (though this is rarely obvious from his writings) and interested in doing
philosophy in relation to life. Issues include: what is it to be a Christian; the nature of
truth; faith and reason; paradox and passion; the ethical and the religious.
PH325 Love, Sex, Death and God
Philosophers and theologians have made a distinction between different
kinds of love - eros, agape, and philia. How are we to understand the
nature of these loves? Are they really distinct? What is their philosophical, moral,
and religious significance? And what bearing do they have on our nature as
human beings? We shall approach these issues by looking at some of the
classical sources (Plato, St Paul, Aristotle), and shall then move on to the
contemporary philosophical debate.
PH329: Philosophy of Science
Science is often considered the major player in today’s culture, and the ultimate source of
truth. This module evaluates this claim by a systematic study of scientific knowledge and
method. The central questions concern the nature of theories, laws of nature, scientific
explanation, the ability of science to describe unobservable entities underlying
phenomena, the nature of causation, and the social and historical aspects of scientific
practice. These various issues link up with topics studied in logic and metaphysics.
Although historical examples will be discussed to illustrate the various arguments, no indepth knowledge of science is presupposed.
PH326: Hellenistic Philosophy (15)
Greek philosophy made progress after the death of Aristotle (322). The Stoics devised an
ethics of endurance and a new logic and cosmology, the Epicureans worked out a nondeterministic physics and the Sceptics developed a combination of doubt and
acceptance, which they found practical for both epistemology and for every-day life. All
three of these Hellenistic schools thought philosophy should lead to peace-of-mind and
tranquility but not to complacency. This half-module will examine their arguments and
consider their contemporary relevance.
PH327: Neo-Platonist Philosophy (15)
After Plato and Aristotle, the greatest philosopher writing in Greek, was the Alexandrian
metaphysician Plotinus. His Enneads offer a case for an elaborate philosophical system
based on the triad, unity, intellect and soul. Plotinus had a number of students and
successors including Porphyry, Iamblichus, Proclus, Augustine and Pseudo-Dionysius
who developed his thought. Despite Plotinus’ originality, it is instructive to examine his
sources including the writings of the Middle Platonists and the Gnostics. This half-module
will also consider modern responses to Neoplatonism in both European and analytic
philosophy.
NOTE: students who sign up for PF/PH326 and 327 may be assessed as for a whole
module.
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PH328: Heidegger after Nietzsche (15)
Heidegger’s confrontation with Nietzsche’s writings in the 1930’s initiated a period of
intense revision and reinterpretation by Heidegger of his own philosophical project. This
course will examine the effect Nietzsche had on Heidegger’s later writings, including The
Word of Nietzsche: God is Dead, the Letter on Humanism, and The Question Concerning
Technology. By the end of the course students will understand Heidegger's critique and
rejection of the Western metaphysical tradition and the essential role that art and poetry
play in his conception of thinking at the end of metaphysics.
PH330: Modern French Thought (15)
This half-module will introduce students to modern French thought. Beginning with the
tradition of structuralism in thinkers such as Ferdinand de Saussure, Marcel Mauss, and
Lévi-Strauss this course will trace the developments of this movement in the domains of
linguistics, social sciences, and philosophy. Post-structuralist reactions to structuralism in
philosophers such as Jacques Derrida, Michel Foucault, and Julia Kristeva will also be
considered. Epistemological issues raised by French thought will also be considered
through an engagement with the philosophy of Merleau-Ponty. Contemporary
developments in French phenomenology through an engagement with philosophers such
as Jean-Luc Marion and Michel Henry will conclude this course.
PH331: Normative Ethics (15)
How do we arrive at our moral judgments? Is there some “switch” in our brains that
indicates right or wrong, or can reason itself constitute both an indication and a motivation
for moral behavior? We will read and analyze Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, Hume's
Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals, and Kant’s Critique of Practical Reason with
a view towards understanding what role reason plays in establishing normative principles
of morality. We will also read and discuss some related contemporary work in ethics.
PH332: Philosophy of Social Science (15)
This half-module will provide an introduction to a range of issues concerned with the
investigation of social phenomena such as society, culture, economy, and religion.
Through a philosophical engagement with the major intellectual traditions of social
science in the English, French, and German speaking worlds issues such as the conflict
in interpretations, multiple accounts of modernity, the status of truth claims, the sociology
of knowledge, theories of society, and perspectivism will be investigated and analysed.
Methodological, ontological, and epistemological/hermeneutical issues will be discussed
in as far as they affect a philosophical understanding and interpretation of social
phenomena.
PS303 Interpersonal and Sexual Ethics (15)
This module examines the ethical issues which arise in regard to interpersonal
relationships, including sexual relationships. The topics considered and analysed include:
truth telling and lying; promise keeping; fidelity in relationships; confidentiality; the
12
appropriateness or otherwise of various kinds of sexual activity within different kinds of
relationships; divorce and second marriage and the demands of special relationships.
Pre-requisite modules: PS100 Foundations of Christian Ethics or PS300 Christian
Ethics
PS304 Bioethics (15)
This module explores in detail various ethical dilemmas (as well as proffered solutions)
that arise in regard to numerous procedures encountered in the world of medicine.
Topics considered include: human gene therapy; genetic screening and counseling;
reproductive technology; euthanasia and the prolongation of life; transplants; research
and experimentation and resource allocation.
Pre-requisite module: PS300 Christian Ethics or PS100 Foundations of Christian
Ethics
PY308 Moral Psychology (15)
Moral psychology, the study of human behaviour in moral contexts, is an interdisciplinary
and growing research area in psychology which addresses issues such as the
development of morality, theories of moral decision making, cognitive processes
underlying moral judgments and decisions, evidence for types of moral reasoning, the
role of altruism in morality, and neuropsychological evidence for morality in the brain. In
this course we will explore the history of psychological thinking about morality, the
differences between psychological and philosophical approaches to understanding
morality, emerging theoretical and empirical research paradigms for studying the
psychology morality, and the key distinction between rational and non-rational theories of
morality. Current empirical research in the field will be used to highlight key issues and
debates in the area. At the end of the course the student should have developed a
greater insight into moral reasoning and behaviour,
both their own and others.
ST308 Political Theology (15)
Political Theology seeks to explore how Christianity in particular and religious faith in
general can be responsibly and appropriately mediated through social and political life.
This half-module will trace this as a historical theme, from Augustine’s City of God
through medieval and Reformation thinkers. Modern political theology, which emerges
from post-war Europe, is in some ways a first-world counterpart to liberation theology.
Theologians such as J.B. Metz and J. Moltmann seek to challenge the ‘privatised’ and
alienating understandings of the gospel which have left it adapted and domesticated by
liberal capitalism. Other issues, such as religion and violence, and political theology in
non-Christian traditions, will be explored. This half-module can be taken by itself, or
together with ST309 Theologies of Liberation.
ST309 Theologies of Liberation (15)
This half-module will introduce the distinctive challenge and contribution made by
liberation theologies from Latin America and elsewhere. Liberation Theology represents a
13
major paradigm shift in modern theology: faith seeking, not just understanding, but
transformation. Christian truth is to be articulated from the determinative experience of
those who are suffering poverty and injustice; they are set at the forefront of the
theological agenda. Theology is seen as ‘critical reflection on historical praxis’,
undertaken on behalf of the poor in situations of oppression and injustice. (G. Gutiérrez).
We will look at the some of the main themes and writings of Latin American liberation
theology, and those of other related movements of theology, such as Black and Asian
theologies of liberation and, especially, Feminist, which similarly seeks to do theology
from the ‘margins’- namely, from women’s experience of being marginalised and
subjugated by religious traditions and institutions. This module is independent of ST308
Political Theology, but can be taken in conjunction with it.
ST308/9 Political and Liberation Theologies
ST308 and ST309 can be taken together to form this full module.
ST310 The Theology of Jewish Christian Relations
Since the Christian Church emerged from its Jewish matrix in the first century, Christian
attitudes towards Jews and Jewish faith have been hostile and negative. A ‘Teaching of
Contempt’ was the norm: Jews were portrayed as a blind and faithless people,
responsible for the death of Jesus, no longer in a covenantal relationship to God and now
superseded in God’s favour by the Christian Church.
This theological negation of Judaism has devastating social equivalents: frequent
persecution of Jews and pogroms, culminating in the horror of the Holocaust in Nazi
Germany. Only in the last thirty years has there been a new attempt to revise the
relationship of the two traditions and to construct a theology in which Christians and Jews
relate to one another with respect and friendship. Among the topics covered are:










How to understand the parting of the ways in the 1st Century.
The presence of anti-Jewish sentiments in the New Testament.
Paul’s discussion of Jewish faith in Romans 9-11.
Anti-semitism in Christian theology.
How Jews interpret themselves and the living tradition of Jewish faith.
What Jews make of Jesus.
Covenant and complementarity.
The Holocaust as a challenge to Jewish and Christian faith.
Salvation and Mission to the Jews.
Alternatives to a theology of supersession.
ST313 The Tasks of Life: Four Jewish and Christian Thinkers: Weil, Pascal,
Kafka and Levinas
The module will examine four significant thinkers, Simone Weil, Blaise Pascal, Franz
Kakfa and Emmanuel Levinas who are linked by a shared sense that our knowledge of
ourselves, God and our purpose is difficult and tentative, best lived rather than thought,
glimpsed in fragments rather than grasped through extended metaphysical narratives.
They write in different human and religious contexts which are important factors in how
they are to be read: Pascal in the rigorous Augustinianism of French 17th Century church
14
reform; Weil as an isolated, non-baptised Catholic in 1930s France; Kafka as a German
Jewish novelist in Prague in the 1910s-20s and Levinas as a Lithuanian/French Jew
responding through philosophy to the Shoah. In various ways they deal with brokenness
and turn this into something religiously powerful.
TH301 Human Person in the Christian Tradition 2 (15)
This module aims to continue and enhance the investigation begun in the first halfmodule into Christian understandings of the human person. It will also investigate the
issues raised by modernity’s ‘turn to the subject’ and the subsequent questioning of this
in postmodernity, with reference to some important primary sources in these periods,
including Pascal, Barth, Rahner, Schillebeeckx. Themes to be explored include: the
aftermath of the justification debate; the turn to the subject in Romanticism; theological
anthropology and the relationship between grace and creation in the twentieth century;
the theological crises of modernity: Barth’s dialectical theology, political theologies,
feminism, non-Western theologies of the self.
NEW MODULES
Please note that the following modules* are still subject to approval.
Contemporary Philosophy of Religion* (15)
This half module will enable you to study key twentieth-century Philosophers of Religion
in their historical and religious contexts, and to focus on themes in the Philosophy of
Religion which have been particularly significant during the twentieth century.
Philosophers/themes studied may include:

Absolute Idealism – Bradley, Bosanquet

Personal Idealism – Rashdall, Tennant

American Pragmatism – Peirce, James, Dewey, Rorty

Personalism – Rosenzweig, Buber, Macmurray

Existential Philosophy - Tillich

Process Philosophy – Whitehead, Hartshorne, Griffin

Wittgensteinian Philosophy of Religion - Phillips

Reformed Epistemology - Plantinga

Religious Diversity - Hick

Comparative Philosophy of Religion - Ward

Philosophy of Religion and Spirituality - Cottingham
Life and After Life* (15)
This half module is an interdisciplinary study of beliefs about life after death/eternal life in
a range of world religions, examining the topic from historical, exegetical, philosophical,
psychological, and pastoral perspectives.
Topics may include:

Beliefs about life after death in Egypt, Greece and Rome

Existence after death in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament

Intertestamental views of the afterlife
15










Eschatology in the New Testament
Jewish teaching about life after death
Islamic teaching about life after death
Dualist and modified dualist interpretations of life after death
Monist interpretations of life after death
Revisionist interpretations of eternal life
Reincarnation in Eastern and Western thought
The implications of parapsychology for beliefs about life after death
‘Near-death experiences’
The pastoral implications of beliefs about life after death
Iris Murdoch: Ethics and Religion in Philosophy and Literature* (15)
This half module offers an opportunity to study the ideas of a key twentieth-century
philosopher and novelist on ethics and religious belief, encompassing the disciplines of
Moral Philosophy, Aesthetics, Theology, and Literary Studies.
Topics studied may include:
 The life of Murdoch and its relevance to study of her philosophical and literary work
 The philosophical context for Murdoch’s ethics
 Murdoch’s ethical theory
 The relationship between ‘God’ and the ‘Good’
 Murdoch’s ontological argument
 Murdoch on art, ethics and religion
 The Time of the Angels
 The Nice and the Good
 The Philosopher’s Pupil
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THE UNDERGRADUATE DISSERTATION: THE PROCEDURE
This only applies to current Second Year Undergraduates
The Undergraduate Dissertation (6,000-8,000 words) should be written on a topic
approved by the College.
The usual procedure for completion of the dissertation is as follows:
1. Choose your topic, following any guidelines for your programme (above), and
approach the member of staff you wish to supervise your dissertation.
2. If the member of staff is willing to supervise you, write a proposal - an outline of the
dissertation not longer than two A4 pages, with provisional bibliography.
3. Ask for a tutorial on the proposal, during which the member of staff:
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Will indicate whether he/she thinks that the project is viable and, if so,
Will discuss with you how the proposal might be developed into a dissertation
May make suggestions for further reading
Will draw your attention to the College guidelines on the avoidance of plagiarism and
regulations for the submission of essays and dissertations.
4. In the event that your proposal is unworkable, you may repeat steps 1 - 3 not more
than twice.
5. Where the content of a proposal is unusual, or any in way controversial, the member of
staff will seek the opinion of another member of staff in the same subject area.
6. Remember to complete the ‘Undergraduate Dissertation’ section of your Module
Registration Form and return it to the Undergraduate Administrator by Thursday 25
March 2010.
7. Write a draft of the dissertation, to be submitted to your supervisor not later than 10
January 2011
8. Ask for a tutorial, normally before Reading Week in the Lent term (or during July for
final year Diploma students – but check staff availability in advance).
9. You may write a further draft and ask for a further tutorial, if necessary.
10. Write the final draft and submit the dissertation in accordance with the regulations for
the submission of essays and dissertations. For undergraduate students, the deadline is
the first day of the summer term – i.e. Tuesday 3 May 2011
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The Undergraduate Dissertation:
List of Suggested Topics 2010/11
PHILOSOPHY
Aesthetics (Dr Peter Gallagher)
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‘There is nothing which does not share in goodness and beauty’ (Aquinas).
Comment.
Hegel carefully distinguishes art, as a spiritual experience, from religion and
philosophy. Analyse this distinction.
Can iconoclasm be defended?
Could a work of art be both aesthetically pleasing and morally reprehensible?
Philosophy of Religion
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Compare and contrast any TWO ways of understanding the claim that ‘God
exists’. (Dr Vardy or Dr Burns)
Critically evaluate any ONE proof for the existence of God. (Dr Vardy, Dr Burns or
Dr Rout)
Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the understanding of God as wholly
simple (Dr Vardy, Dr Burns or Dr Rout)
Can divine omniscience be reconciled with human freedom? (Dr Vardy or Dr
Burns)
If God is omnipotent, are there limits to what God can do? (Dr Vardy or Dr Burns)
Evaluate the claim that God can respond to prayer. (Dr Vardy or Dr Burns)
Compare and contrast the philosophical arguments for one ‘western’ and one
‘eastern’ understanding of what happens to us when we die. (Dr Burns)
Critically analyse the response of St. Augustine and/or St. Thomas Aquinas to the
problem of evil. (Dr Vardy, Dr Burns or Dr Rout)
Interpreting Religious Language (Dr Elizabeth Burns)
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‘The limitations of our language render us capable of describing God only in
terms of what he is not’. Assess this claim.
Could an understanding of the nature of metaphor help a religious believer to
explain what is meant by ‘divine personhood’?
What is the significance of the realism/non-realism debate for Theology today?
Discuss with reference to the work of one scholar you have studied.
Is it reasonable to accept D Z Phillips’ claim that he is merely describing the
beliefs and practices of the thoughtful theist?
How far would you agree with Iris Murdoch that great art is evidence for the reality
of the Good?
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Religious Experience (Dr Paul Rout)
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Evaluate the reliability of religious experience as a basis for belief in God.
Kierkegaard (Dr Peter Vardy or Dr Paul Rout)
 Evaluate the claim that Soren Kierkegaard is a relativist.
 Compare and contrast the approach to religion of Kierkegaard and EITHER Kant
OR Hegel.
SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY
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An agreed topic in Christology (Dr Anthony Baxter)
The resurrection of Jesus: its character, credentials, importance (Dr Anthony
Baxter)
Recent approaches to the historical Jesus (Dr John McDade)
Knowledge of God (Dr Anthony Baxter)
Faith: its nature, cogency, point (Dr Anthony Baxter)
Feminist Contributions to the Doctrine of the Trinity (Dr James Hanvey)
An Agreed topic on Barth (Dr James Hanvey)
An Agreed topic on Von Balthasar (Dr James Hanvey)
Balthasar's interpretation of the Descent into Hell (Dr John McDade)
An Agreed topic on Rahner (Dr James Hanvey)
‘Give Unto Caesar’: the Bible as a Source for Christian Commitment
(Dr Michael Kirwan)
Rahner and Metz: a theological conversation (Dr Michael Kirwan).
Does Religion Cause Violence? An Assessment of the Arguments
(Dr Michael Kirwan).
Judaism and Christianity
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Christian and Jewish Responses to the Holocaust (Dr John McDade)
CHRISTIAN ETHICS
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‘Sacrifice surgery?’ Outline and analyse the ethical issues in the case of the
conjoined twins, Jodie and Mary (Dr Helen Costigane)
Does the ‘just war theory’ apply to a ‘war against terrorism’? (DrHelen Costigane)
Do we have a ‘right to die’? (Dr Helen Costigane)
Are there limits to conscience? (Dr Helen Costigane)
‘Retribution, revenge or rehabilitation?’ What is a Christian response in the area
of crime and punishment? (Dr Helen Costigane)
‘Remarriage after divorce is wrong’. Discuss (Dr Helen Costigane)
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A topic on an aspect of business ethics (ethics of advertising/whistleblowing, or
corporate social responsibility, transnational corporations, or business and the
environment) (Dr Helen Costigane)
The saviour sibling’s question: To be a gift, a giver, or a subject of robbery? (Dr
Agneta Sutton)
Can homosexual/lesbian couples ever be as good parents and role-models for
children as heterosexual couples? (Dr Agneta Sutton)
SOCIOLOGY OF RELIGION
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A topic from the Sociology of Religion (Dr James Sweeney)
PSYCHOLOGY OF RELIGION
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Has a century of research added anything to our understanding of conversion?
(Fr Brendan Callaghan)
Does Freudian psychology have anything positive to offer to our understanding of
how people live out their religious beliefs? (Fr Brendan Callaghan)
How might a developmental approach to religious belief and behaviour have
relevance for theological reflection? (Fr Brendan Callaghan)
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