THEO5100M Contemporary Issues in Religion and Gender
30 Credits Class Size: 20
Module manager: Dr Caroline Starkey
Email: c.starkey@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable
Year running
2018/19
This module is approved as an Elective
Module summary
How are women depicted in religious traditions? In what ways do religious views of women impact upon their social roles and status? Why are women typically not allowed to occupy the same positions of leadership and responsibility within religions as men? This module will familiarise students with contemporary debates on religions and gender, and, in engagement with these debates, will enable them to develop advanced critical skills in theology and the history and sociology of religions. Topics covered include feminist liberation theology, female divinity, religions and women's human rights and spiritual ecofeminism.
If the module recruits three or fewer students, it will be delivered via 3 hours of supervision with the module leader (instead of the format specified below).
Objectives
- to familiarise students with contemporary debates on religion and gender in engagement with these debates;
- to develop advanced critical skills in theology, history and sociology of religions;
- to teach students to think and express themselves independently about the issues involved.
Syllabus
- An examination of contemporary debates on religion and gender, focusing particularly on women's studies.
- An introduction of the following:
> methodological approaches to the study of gender and religion, religion, feminism and patriarchy;
> feminist analyses of women in selected religions with reference to scripture, language and roles (e.g.: Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism);
> the work of selected commentators (e.g.: Elisabeth Schussler Fiorenza, Rosemary Radford Ruether, Mary Daly, Judith Plaskow, Fatima Mernissi, Leila Ahmed, Rita Gross, Ursula King, Carol Christ, Luce Irigaray);
Teaching Methods
| Delivery type |
Number |
Length hours |
Student hours |
| Seminar |
11 |
2 |
22 |
| Private study hours |
278 |
| Total Contact hours |
22 |
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) |
300 |
Private study
Reading and note-taking, project design and planning; research (library based / empirical), drafting and redrafting account of outcomes of research; preparation of material for meetings with academic tutor. 278 hours
Opportunities for Formative Feedback
Attendance monitoring, draft essays, tutor meetings
Methods of Assessment
Coursework
| Assessment type |
Notes |
% of formal assessment |
| Assignment |
6,000 words |
100 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) |
100 |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
Reading List
The reading list is available from the Library website
Last updated: 05/04/2019
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team