Module description
This module invites students to reflect on the nature of religious life through an exploration of a range of texts written by pre-modern Muslim intellectuals including philosophers and Sufis. Using methods of close textual reading, interpretation and analysis, students delve into various accounts of religious life and experience, including those found in autobiographies. Themes that may be investigated include the good life, spiritual crisis, gratitude and contentment, patience, spiritual wayfaring, and trust.
Assessment details
4000-word essay
Educational aims & objectives
- To develop an understanding of the religious life through an exploration of texts written by Muslim thinkers
- To identify and reflect on key questions and problems arising from core primary texts
- To gain a broad understanding of pre-modern Muslim intellectual history through engagement with primary and secondary literature
- To develop a critical awareness of methodological issues in the study of religious life
- To develop skills in logical argument and in analysis of texts written in a range of styles
Learning outcomes
Generic skills:
- Critically evaluate primary texts and secondary literature to construct interpretations and arguments in a way which demonstrates a comprehensive knowledge of the course material
- Synthesise a range of philosophical material in an original manner in response to a given question
- Engage effectively in debate in a professional manner, and produce coherent presentations of ideas and arguments in oral and written form
- Interact effectively with other students by contributing to class discussions, and by supporting other students in listening and responding to their contributions
- Manage own learning with minimal guidance, taking responsibility for own work and, when required, demonstrating an ability to reflect critically on it
- Seek and make use of feedback on own work
Module-specific skills:
- Display detailed knowledge and understanding of primary texts
- Engage autonomously in close readings of a range of texts, and identify thematic connections among them
- Demonstrate a grasp of the historical and intellectual context of each thinker
- Display confidence and flexibility in identifying and exploring complex issues, and select appropriate methods and textual sources for addressing these
- Demonstrate an ability to reflect philosophically on issues central to the religious life, such as suffering, death, hope, contentment, and perseverance.
Teaching pattern
20 hours of lecture