World Religions and Sacred Scriptures, Distance Learning
The course is offered as a stand-alone course. It is included in Pre-Master in Religious Studies and Theology, 60 ECTS.
The study of religion is a diverse enterprise; religion is as rich a phenomenon as human life itself. The evolution of religions can be studied in relation to the complex development of sacred scriptures. These scriptures entail themes that concern gender and sexuality, art and science, violence and peace, and power and authority. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are world religions, diverse in language, culture, history and creed, but in their scriptural traditions there is a common language that recent scholarly work has discovered. Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism present a rich array of sacred scriptures from across the Indian subcontinent; in China, Korea, and Japan we also find diverse scriptural traditions. Comparative Religion studies common ways of making texts sacred and religious; sacred texts reveal more than just one religion. They also reveal clues to what religion is. In the course, we will both look at particular religions and discover the phenomenon of religion through its sacred texts.
Learning objectives
On completion of the course, the student should be able to:
Knowledge and understanding
- relate both general and specific features of sacred texts in different religions;
- describe the central features of major world religions in a thorough manner;
- outline common methods used in the field.
Competence and skills
- compare similar traits in different sacred texts;
- apply different methods to sacred texts;
- present their analyses to different audiences.
Judgement and approach
formulate problems of ethical and social concerns that specific religious texts give rise to.
Requirements
Courses equivalent to 90 credits from the First Cycle in the humanities, social sciences, educational sciences, theology, law or health sciences, or equivalent competence. Proficiency in English equivalent to the Swedish upper secondary course English 6.
Course Literature
Will Deming, Understanding the Religions of the World: An Introduction, 2nd ed. Chichester, UK: John Wiley and Sons, 2025 (520 pp).
John Bowker, The Message and the Book. Sacred Texts of the World Religions. New Haven and London: Yale University Press, 2012 (357 pp). 6
Philip Novak, The World’s Wisdom: Sacred Texts of the World’s Religions. Edison, New Jersey, Castle Books, 1996 (448 pp).
Articles and source texts will be added (approx. 200 pp).
Syllabus
See the syllabus for further information.