Module manager: Alistair McFadyen
Email: A.I.McFadyen@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2024/25
None
THEO1970 Introducing Theology THEO1760 Studying Christianity
This module is approved as a discovery module
The module will help you understand how diverse Christians and Christian communities think (how they use scripture, tradition, reason; experience); what they have mostly thought about (core Christian doctrines and practices) and why (driven by characteristics of faith in Jesus and demands of time and place). You will be helped to understand the way in which key doctrines are linked together; how they are related to worshipping Christian communities and their life in the world; how they inform, shape and are reinterpreted in challenging situations. Attention will be drawn to the significance of contemporary contributions to Christian thinking and practice from diverse contexts and perspectives, including, e.g., Black theologies; feminist theologies; liberation theologies; disability theologies; African theologies; Pentecostal theologies.
This module will give students an overview of Christian theology, its diversity and coherence and its relation to practice and context.
It will equip students with the basic concepts, vocabulary, information and skills required to study Christian theology in academic contexts, and to engage confidently, critically and constructively in and with theological reflection in Christian and other traditions.
By the end of the module the students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate a broad understanding of the major themes in Christian theology, how they relate to each other, and the diversity of approaches to each theme.
2. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of key controversies or debates in Christian theology past and present.
3. Identify, and reflect critically, on theological methods (the way authors work with scripture, tradition, reason, experience, context, etc.) being practised in a Christian theological text.
4. Analyse and evaluate Christian theological arguments in relation to their methods and/or outcomes.
5. Understand and use key terminology and concepts required for the study of Christian theology.
This module will include topics such as:
Methods and Approaches
Sources and methods in theology: scripture, tradition, reason, experience (which could include LGBTQI experience)
Theology and/as response to contexts (such as, for example, race, sex, gender, class, or culture)
Theology and worship
Theology and science
Themes and Topics
Christology; salvation; atonement; eschatology; creation; Holy Spirit; Trinity.
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 11 | 1 | 11 |
| Seminar | 10 | 1 | 10 |
| Independent online learning hours | 50 | ||
| Private study hours | 129 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 21 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 200 | ||
Independent online learning: Approximately 5 hours per seminar (=50 hours) allocated for preparation tasks, some of which will be online
Private study: exam preparation 49 hours; work on sources exercise 40 hours; reviewing and preparing for lectures 40 hours
Structured seminar preparation will include the option of online weekly log/journal entries (maximum 200 words) in the period before the mid-module assessment, from which students can select two for formative feed.
Feedback will be available on the theological analysis/sources exercise (mid-module assessment) before the exam.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Source Analysis | Critical analysis of specified theological sources (800 words) | 30 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 30 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
| Exam type | Exam duration | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Online Time-Limited assessment | 1.0 Hrs 30 Mins | 70 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Exams) | 70 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
The reading list is available from the Library website
Last updated: 4/29/2024
Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team