| 1 | Forced Migration | THM-FM5 |
|
| Faculteit | Godgeleerdheid en Godsdienstwetenschap | | Voertaal | Engels | | Coordinator | dr. E.K. Wilson | | Docent(en) | dr. E.K. Wilson | | Onderwijsvorm | lectures and seminars | | Toetsvorm | opdracht(en), presentatie(s), werkstuk | | ECTS | 5 | | Opmerkingen | Research master students have a different course code:THRM-FM5. For these students there will be formulated an extra assignment. |
|
| terug naar boven |
| |
| 2 | Gender, Religion and Sexual Nationalism | THM-GRSN5 |
| Gender and sexuality are highly politicized in today’s globalized world. Across the world, we see nation states linking their national identity to a particular position in religion to homosexuality, often strongly opposing LGBTQI rights as in the case of Uganda, Russia and many other countries or, as in the case of the Netherlands, linking their national identity to a championing of gay rights to the extent that it is used to support xenophobic positions. Religious actors and transnational religious networks (e.g. evangelical, Catholic) are very influential in these processes. How can we understand processes such as these? How are these processes related to local understandings of gender and sexuality? These are the kinds of question central to this course. |
| Faculteit | Godgeleerdheid en Godsdienstwetenschap | | Voertaal | Engels | | Docent(en) | dr. B.E. Bartelink | | Onderwijsvorm | group discussion | | Toetsvorm | assignments | | ECTS | 5 |
|
| terug naar boven |
| |
| 3 | Global Dynamics | THM-GDLC5 |
The course intends to give insight into the processes that are involved in the interaction between local cultural and religious systems and global economic, political and ideological forces like capitalism and colonialism. In contrast to the widespread assumption that indigenous local cultures just give way to overpowering global forces there are many examples of local cultures dealing very creatively with aspects of globalization on their own terms.
We will deal initially with the concepts of society and culture in order to have a firm basis to discuss the dynamics between local and global patterns and cultural change. We will then discuss in some detail the theoretical approaches of Louis Dumont and Marshall Sahlins (perhaps others) in relation to specific cases. At the end of the course students will write a reflection essay in which they are asked to bring into dialogue a concrete ethnographic case with selected theories (or aspects thereof) discussed in the course. |
| Faculteit | Godgeleerdheid en Godsdienstwetenschap | | Voertaal | Engels | | Coordinator | dr. P. Berger | | Docent(en) | dr. P. Berger | | Onderwijsvorm | lectures and seminars | | Toetsvorm | | | ECTS | 5 | | Opmerkingen | - Workload: sessions 21h, readings 80h (ca. 480 pages), written assignments 12h, presentation(s) 6h, reflection essay 21h.
- Research master students, have a different course code:THRM-GDLC5. For these students there will be formulated an extra assignment.
|
|
| terug naar boven |
| |
| 4 | Historical Methods in Early Christianity | THMHRME5 |
| ‘Method’ has two standard meanings: the philosophy and rationale of a discipline (as in the scientific method, historical method) and the specific procedures, techniques, and skills used to study certain materials like texts, but also archaeological sites, pottery, coins, or inscriptions. This module provides a foundation for graduate study by surveying the methodological landscape for the study of early Christianity, its changing questions and perspectives and evolving techniques. Two central problems—‘What is History?’ and ‘What does it mean to interpret evidence (e.g., texts)?’— provide unifying threads as we follow the development of idealist, positivist, historicist, social-scientific, social-historical, structuralist, post-modern, deconstructive, rhetorical, and other approaches to the past and its representation. The main goal of the seminar is to foster critical self-awareness about the methods we use in our research and to furnish advanced students with a basic map of the key thinkers, disciplinary labels, and technical terms they are likely to encounter. In this module students are prepared for their individual projects in the second semester, i.e. the thesis and the internship. |
| Faculteit | Godgeleerdheid en Godsdienstwetenschap | | Voertaal | Engels | | Docent(en) | dr. S.K. Luther | | Onderwijsvorm | werkgroepen | | ECTS | 5 | | Opmerkingen | Research master students, have a different course code:THRMHRME5. For these students there will be formulated an extra assignment. |
|
| terug naar boven |
| |
| 5 | Jews, Christians and Others | THMJCOE10 |
| This foundational seminar explores the root belonging-categories of ethnos (notional kin-group) and polis from the classical period through the conquests of Alexander and the Romans. How diverse was this constantly changing world and what criteria permitted or constrained what we might call pluralism: tolerance or even support of difference? How did such tolerated variety manifest itself in areas connected with ‘religion’, such as polis calendars, deities, and holy days, translocal sacrificial cults, philosophical schools, and voluntary associations? What limits did the Hellenistic kingdoms and Roman Empire impose on diversity? Why did Antiochus IV move against Jerusalem, or the Roman senate against the Bacchants? What did Hasmonean expansion mean for Judaea’s neighbours? How did Jews/ Judaeans fare in their homeland under foreign rule and as minorities abroad, before and after Jerusalem’s destruction (70 CE)? How did Christianity relate to polis life and to expatriate Jewish communities, in its first generations and as it gained strength in the third and fourth centuries? Through the period of Christianity’s expansion, what possibilities for pluralism existed among Roman leaders (Constantine, Julian, Theodosius I and II), philosophers (Celsus, Porphyry), Jews, and Christian leaders? |
| Faculteit | Godgeleerdheid en Godsdienstwetenschap | | Voertaal | Engels | | Docent(en) | prof. dr. S.N. Mason | | Onderwijsvorm | werkcollege | | ECTS | 10 | | Opmerkingen | Research master students, have a different course code:THRMJCOE10. These students submit an extra assignment. |
|
| terug naar boven |
| |
| 6 | MA mentorship | THMMENTOR |
MA mentors support the first year MA students in their studies by arranging mentor meetings. The meetings are not mandatory, but we do encourage all MA students to attend these meetings. During the mentor meetings you can ask all your questions regarding studying at our faculty and living in Groningen. Also, every mentor meeting has its own theme/topic. Check the planning below to see when which theme is discussed in the mentor meetings. Check the schedule of your master’s degree track to see when exactly the mentor meetings are scheduled.
› September
This meeting in September will focus on the start of your study. Did you have a good start of their study? Do you have a clear overview of your course programme and the of the upcoming exams. If you have any other study related problem, feel free to ask your peers and the mentors.
› October
The meeting in October will focus on the placement. Have you already started searching for one? Where can you find suitable placements and what does the process of searching for a placement and finding a placement look like? If you have any other study related problem, feel free to ask your peers and the mentors.
› November
The meeting in November will focus on the thesis. If you have questions about how to start writing your thesis, finding the right assessor, setting up a thesis contract you can ask them during this meeting. If you have any other study related problem, feel free to ask your peers and the mentors.
› January
During the mentor meeting of January you will take a look ahead to the next semester. Have you found a placement and maybe already made a start with writing your thesis? Again, if you have any other study related problem, feel free to ask your peers and the mentors |
| Faculteit | Godgeleerdheid en Godsdienstwetenschap | | Voertaal | Engels | | Docent(en) | | | Onderwijsvorm | group discussion | | ECTS | |
|
| terug naar boven |
| |
| 7 | Masterthesis | THMTHRSS20 |
|
| Faculteit | Godgeleerdheid en Godsdienstwetenschap | | Voertaal | Nederlands | | Docent(en) | | | Onderwijsvorm | begeleid onderzoek | | ECTS | 20 |
|
| terug naar boven |
| |
| 8 | Muslims and non-Muslims | THMMNME5 |
| A common explanation for the rise of Islam is that it filled the vacuum left by the decaying Roman and Sasanian empires. But, in addition to allusions to the Byzantines (Rūm), the Qur'ān also knows of the Christological controversies of the 5th century that shaped the Christian groups that, in the 7th century, would come under Arab/Muslim rule. It also mentions various religious officials and structures (monks - rabbis - churches - synagogues - etc.), and comments on distinctions between settled and nomadic lifestyles.Assuming the first core seminar and building upon it, this course explores the rise of Islam in the context of late antiquity and examines the ways in which Islam adopted, challenged, and changed pre-existing political-religious structures and discourses. Topics to be covered include the formative moments in the shaping of the nascent ‘Islamic’ identity, the shift from emperor to caliph (including the significance of his various titles: imam, amir al-mu’minin, etc.), including administrative details (such as taxation), the protection (dhimma) afforded the Peoples of the Book, the nature of asabiyya (group-feeling) in cities, country and desert, the discourse surrounding ‘Arabness’ and tribal identity, the tension between mu’min and muslim. |
| Faculteit | Godgeleerdheid en Godsdienstwetenschap | | Voertaal | Engels | | Docent(en) | C.E. Wilde, PhD. | | Onderwijsvorm | werkgroepen | | Toetsvorm | paper/presentation and/or written examination | | ECTS | 5 | | Opmerkingen | Research master students, have a different course code:THRMMNME5. For these students there will be formulated an extra assignment. |
|
| terug naar boven |
| |
| 9 | Reception and Re-Use of Aut. Texts | THMRRATE5 |
This module explores the reception history of the Bible and other authoritative texts. Major themes include the processes through which ancient stories and concepts were incorporated into scripture, as well as their interpretations in varying historical, political, and sociocultural conditions.
In the introductory sessions we reflect on basic questions regarding reception history. Then we look at the reception and interpretation of texts and traditions in a range of sources, especially in the Bible itself, and in early Jewish literature of the Second Temple period. Using specific examples drawn from themes (e.g. creation, the flood, eschatology) and figures (e.g. Abraham, Joseph) found in these sources, we compare interpretations of authoritative texts in these individual traditions. How have religious or political authorities used these authoritative texts? What challenges arise when a narrative found in one source is re-used in another source, or by another tradition? The sessions conclude with a general hermeneutical reflection on the reception of authoritative texts in ancient times, preparing students for critical engagement with the contemporary use of authoritative texts in religious or political circles. Assessment: Self-study, assignments, presentations, paper. |
| Faculteit | Godgeleerdheid en Godsdienstwetenschap | | Voertaal | Engels | | Docent(en) | prof. dr. J.T.A.G.M. van Ruiten | | Onderwijsvorm | lectures and seminars | | Toetsvorm | assignments | | ECTS | 5 | | Opmerkingen | Research master students, have a different course code:THRMRRATE5. For these students there will be formulated an extra assignment. |
|
| terug naar boven |
| |
| 10 | Religion & the Politics of Human Rights | THM-RPHR5 |
|
| Faculteit | Godgeleerdheid en Godsdienstwetenschap | | Voertaal | Engels | | Coordinator | M.B. McIvor, PhD. | | Docent(en) | M.B. McIvor, PhD. | | Onderwijsvorm | hoor-/werkcollege | | Toetsvorm | paper, participation | | ECTS | 5 | | Opmerkingen | Research master students, have a different course code:THRM-RPHR5. For these students there will be formulated an extra assignment. |
|
| terug naar boven |
| |
| 11 | Religion, Gender and Sexuality | THM-RGS5 |
Many conflicts in which religion is involved focus on gender and sexuality. Religious traditions often work on the body, through gendered practices of dressing, gesture, posture, ritual and more materially, such as cutting (e.g. male and female circumcision), scarring, and tattooing. So how can we conceptualize the relationship between religion, gender and sexuality both on the level of politicized societal debates and the level of individual subjectivities?
This course will focus on learning to recognize and conceptualize the links between religion, gender and sexuality. We will first discuss some of the classic authors on these topics. The second part of the course is focused on discussing ethnographic research detailing how sexuality and gender are shaped culturally and religiously. Students will be asked to go deeply into one ethnographic context and communicate their insights to their fellow students and via an essay.
This course will make use of literature from anthropology, gender studies, critical theory and philosophy. |
| Faculteit | Godgeleerdheid en Godsdienstwetenschap | | Voertaal | Engels | | Docent(en) | dr. K.E. Knibbe | | Onderwijsvorm | presentatie(s), seminar | | Toetsvorm | assignments | | ECTS | 5 | | Opmerkingen | Research master students, have a different course code: THRM-RGS5. For these students an extra assignment in the form of a mini-proposal is required. |
|
| terug naar boven |
| |
| 12 | Religion, Violence and Conflict Transf. | THM-RVCT5 |
| This course deals with fundamental questions at the intersection of the discourse and practice of religion, violence and conflict transformation. It will examine how these concepts interrelate and will investigate assumptions that lie behind their use, as well as how they are put into practice. The following elements will be interrogated: the discourse and practice of peacebuilding and conflict transformation; the history and development of religious violence and religious peacebuilding/conflict transformation; religion and reconciliation; transitional justice and religion; religion and conflict; fundamentalism and religious violence; women, religion and peacebuilding; religion, ritual and peacebuilding. The course shall be interdisciplinary, that is using analytical tools from disciplines such as religious studies, sociology, history, theology, anthropology, politics, law, peacebuilding and reconciliation studies etc. Students are invited to participate actively by going beyond describing issues to critically analyzing and interrogating theoretical underpinnings of religion, violence and conflict transformation. Case studies such as South Africa, Israel/Palestine, Zimbabwe, and Northern Ireland inter alia against the backdrop of globalization shall be deployed to facilitate analysis. Various religious traditions including Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and African Religions shall be referred to whenever relevant. |
| Faculteit | Godgeleerdheid en Godsdienstwetenschap | | Voertaal | Engels | | Coordinator | dr. J. Tarusarira | | Docent(en) | dr. J. Tarusarira | | Onderwijsvorm | varied | | Toetsvorm | final paper | | ECTS | 5 | | Opmerkingen | 5 EC’s = 140 hours
Sessions: 7 x 2 hrs = 14 hrs
Study of assigned literature:571 à 6pp per hour = 96 hours and 149 à 8 pp per hour (18 hrs) = in total: 118 hours
Research literature for your paper: 200 pp à 6 p. per hour = 33 hours
Assignments: 13 x 2,5 hours = 33
- The course unit will have the format of a seminar in which the lecturers will supervise discussions of the literature by students on the basis of reaction sheets written in preparation for each session.
- Assessment of this course unit will be based on attendance and active participation in the discussions (Class attendance, participation and Reaction sheets - 20% of the final grade, Presentations - 20% of final grade and a final paper of 4000 words - 60% of final grade.
- Compulsory literature will be announced in the course unit manual.
- Students of the PThU Master’s programme can enrol in this course unit.
- Compulsory attendance in accordance with the Teaching & Examination Regulations applies to this module.
- Research master students, have a different course code: THRM-RVC5. For these students there will be formulated an extra assignment.
|
|
| terug naar boven |
| |
| 13 | Stage Master THRS | THMSTAGE10 |
|
| Faculteit | Godgeleerdheid en Godsdienstwetenschap | | Voertaal | Engels en Nederlands | | Coordinator | M.H.S. Jager | | Docent(en) | | | Onderwijsvorm | stage | | ECTS | 10 |
|
| terug naar boven |
| |
| 14 | Texts of Terror | THMTTE5 |
Religiously motivated fanaticism and violence constitute a threat to human civilization. All religious traditions seem to have a violent potential. Often, however, the monotheism of Jewish, Christian, and Islamic religion is particularly suspected of an aggressive and intolerant potential. Leading figures in all three traditions have turned, at various times, to the exclusion and even violent persecution of people and ideas deemed alien. Sacred texts and ideas drawn from them can play a major role in motivating and justifying the actions of group members. Violent or intolerant behaviour can, from both insider and outside-observer perspectives, reduce the great tradition to a single essence, for which a few selected elements of the tradition are brought forward while many others are ignored.
In this course we study selected texts from Judaism, Christianity, and Islam and contexts in which violence, power, and politics have exploited them. We focus on texts that have been used to justify violent actions in order to understand them better in their original contexts, as a basis for tracking later interpretations and exploring how appeals to these texts functioned in relation to political aims. Ultimately we ask whether monotheism necessarily has violent consequences, and how adherents handle the dangerous potentialities of claims to revealed truth. Historical and cultural factors other than monotheistic thought are given their full weight in this investigation. |
| Faculteit | Godgeleerdheid en Godsdienstwetenschap | | Voertaal | Engels | | Coordinator | C.E. Wilde, PhD. | | Docent(en) | dr. S.K. Lutherdr. A. Versluis C.E. Wilde, PhD. | | Onderwijsvorm | hoor-/werkcollege | | ECTS | 5 | | Opmerkingen | Research master students, have a different course code:THRMTTE5. For these students there will be formulated an extra assignment. |
|
| terug naar boven |
| |
| 15 | Thesis Seminar THRS | THMTS |
| During the seminar meetings, students will discuss and practice specific aspects of the writing, planning and researching process involved in producing a thesis on a master level. Through peer-review, each student will benefit from regular feedback. Methodologies to be discussed and practised include interviewing, observation, discourse analysis and statistical analysis. We will also discuss aspects of thesis planning and writing such as how to write a literature review, how to prepare for an interview, how to find participants, how to analyse interviews, how to write introductions and conclusions etc. |
|
| terug naar boven |
| |
Login
English
Nederlands