| Unit name | Towards a Theology of Religion (Wesley College) |
|---|---|
| Unit code | THRS30138 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Reverend Dr. John Emmett |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
none |
| Co-requisites |
none |
| School/department | Department of Religion and Theology |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
We live in a plural society, where we meet people at home, work and leisure who have a faith different to ours. This course seeks to investigate different approaches to our neighbours whose approach to life and faith may be different to ours. Is there a way to celebrate differences and yet remain faithful to one&?s own tradition? The course will argue that what we need is a Theology of Religion. The course will begin by exploring some different approaches to studying the religions of others: 1) Phenomenological 2) Anthropological 3) Philosophical It will argue the importance of a dialogical model. Two other approaches to the Study of Religions in a plural world will be explored in detail: 1) The Exclusurist Model 2) The Pluralist Model. The variety of theories under both models will be investigated in depth, with evaluations of the two approaches. Finally, the course will seek to develop a model for the Theology of Religion, which attempts to answer the usual criticisms usually made of each model.
