Prospectus

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Religious Studies: Enlightenment and Modern Christianity and Judaism

Master

‘Christianity, Judaism, and the Modern World’

The confrontation with the modern world raises all sorts of fundamental questions for believers. How to deal with traditional faith in the face of the rapid technological, social, political, and economical changes? Are religion and theology subject to the modern spirit too? And if so, is this development to be welcomed by believers? Or should it rather be rejected as undermining the stability of faith, and, consequently, of society in general? Ever since 1800 believers from various religions, including Christianity and Judaism, are involved in the continous debate over the relationship between religion, faith, and the modern world. It has been, and still is, the cause of conflicts between religious liberals and traditionalist believers, between modernists and fundamentalists. Major issues of these controversies concern the relationship between science and religion, the scholarly criticism of sacred texts, the role of the historical, philological, psychological and anthropological disciplines in the domain of belief, and, last but not least, the authority of the religious tradition. Reflections about these central issues are of special interest in this MA track.

First year

Compulsory for all students Religious Students: Workshop Endnote – Master Religious Studies – wednesday 7 october 14.30-16.30 uur in the Library, instructionroom.

Course EC Semester 1 Semester 2
MA Jewish and Islamic Law in Modernity in the West 5
MA Jews in Modernity: Between Assimilation and Self-determination 5
MA Required General Course Religious Studies 5
MA War and Peace: Science and Religion in Roman Catholicism 1880-1940 5

More info

The confrontation with the modern world raises all sorts of fundamental questions for believers. How to deal with traditional faith in the face of the rapid technological, social, political, and economical changes? Are religion and theology subject to the modern spirit too? And if so, is this development to be welcomed by believers? Or should it rather be rejected as undermining the stability of faith, and, consequently, of society in general? Ever since 1800 believers from various religions, including Christianity and Judaism, are involved in the continous debate over the relationship between religion, faith, and the modern world. It has been, and still is, the cause of conflicts between religious liberals and traditionalist believers, between modernists and fundamentalists. Major issues of these controversies concern the relationship between science and religion, the scholarly criticism of sacred texts, the role of the historical, philological, psychological and anthropological disciplines in the domain of belief, and, last but not least, the authority of the religious tradition. Reflections about these central issues are of special interest in this MA track.

Supervision

Those students who wish to focus on ‘Judaism in the modern world’ are advised to contact Prof. J. Frishman. Those who wish to focus on ‘Christianity in the modern world’ are advised to contact Prof. E.G.E. van der Wall.

Supervision is on an individual basis, in combination with group meetings in the working group ‘Kerkhistorisch gezelschap S.S.S.’

Programme structure

1. Common Course: Required General Course (5 EC)

2. Compulsory Courses (3×5 EC)

  • Science and Religion in Western Christianity 1880-1940

  • The Halakhic Process: Studies in Jewish Biomedical Law

  • Working group ‘Kerkhistorisch gezelschap S.S.S.’

3. Additional Courses (20 EC)
For example, courses in the history of Modern Christianity, Modern Judaism and World Christianity

4. MA thesis (20 EC)