Admission requirements
None.
Description
This course introduces students to religious studies, conceived as an interdisciplinary programme in which knowledge is gathered on the basis of historical and social scientific research about religions and religious phenomena in different cultures in the past and present, with the aim of gaining more insight into the development, function, meaning and practice of religion or aspects thereof. In addition to the history of the field, core concepts, themes, theories, insights, research questions and methods that currently play a role in modern religious studies are discussed from a problem-oriented perspective.
Course objectives
Students who complete this course will:
Gain a deeper understanding of the issues involved in defining and studying religion;
Understand how different perspectives on religion are shaped by their historical context;
Improve their skills in written English.
Timetable
Rooster Religiewetenschappen Rooster Kerncurriculum
Mode of instruction
Lecture
Assessment method
Assessment
Mid-term paper after block 1 (40%) and final paper after block 2 (60%).
Weighting
The final mark for the course is determined through a weighted average of the grades given for these assignments. Resit Students producing unsatisfactory work for either the mid-term or final paper will be asked to submit new pieces on different topics for the resit. Feedback Assignments will be graded via Brightspace.
Reading list
Hillary Rodrigues and John S. Harding, 2009, Introduction to the Study of Religion. London: Routledge.
Further literature will be provided during the course.
Registration
Enrolment through uSis is mandatory.
General information about uSis is available on the
[website](https://www.student.universiteitleiden.nl/en/administrative-matters/registration--de-
registration/course-and-exam-enrolment/course-and-exam-enrolment/humanities#tab-2).
Registration Studeren à la carte en Contractonderwijs
Registration [Studeren à la carte](https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/education/other-modes-of-
study/contract-and-non-examination-courses/a-la-carte-education).
Registration [Contractonderwijs](https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/education/other-modes-of-
study/contract-and-non-examination-courses/contract-teaching).