- Overview
- Module description
The Invention of God (THE2218)
| Staff | Professor Francesca Stavrakopoulou - Convenor |
|---|---|
| Credit Value | 30 |
| ECTS Value | 15 |
| NQF Level | 5 |
| Pre-requisites | None |
| Co-requisites | None |
| Duration of Module | Term 1: 11 weeks; |
Module aims
This module will enable you to better understand and critique ideas about the emergence of monotheism (‘one-god’ religion), aniconism (imageless worship), and constructs of the divine in the societies that gave rise to the Hebrew Bible and related early Jewish and Christian writings. You will learn how to read literary, visual, and archaeological material with critical eyes, and consider the ways in which power, gender, sexuality, materiality, class, and place intersect to shape ancient and modern responses to this material.
ILO: Module-specific skills
- 1. Demonstrate critical awareness and knowledge of the religious, socio-cultural, and historical contexts of selected biblical texts
- 2. Relate the iconographic and archaeological artefacts considered to their wider social, political, and religious contexts, both past and present
- 3. Reflect critically on our own locatedness as we gaze at the past
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
- 4. Demonstrate knowledge of, and critical reflection on, contrasting scholarly, historical, and social perspectives
- 5. Show the ability to make careful use of historical-critical, visual-critical, and social-scientific critical methods in biblical and artefactual interpretation
ILO: Personal and key skills
- 6. Communicate clearly and imaginatively in both written and/or oral form
- 7. Construct logical and lucid arguments using appropriate methods
- 8. Participate appropriately within group work
- 9. Generously engage with methods and people who may represent opinions and viewpoints different from your own
Syllabus plan
Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics:
- What is a god?
- Heaven, the underworld, and the in-between
- Divine bodies and human bodies
- Sex, death, and power
- Creator gods, divine warriors, and monsters
- Royal gods and temples
- The life, death, and resurrection of Mrs God
- Inventing the aniconic God
- Inventing the monotheistic God
- Persistent polytheisms
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 33 | 267 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 22 | 11 x 2 hour lectures |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 11 | 11 x 1 hour workshops |
| Guided Independent Study | 267 | Private study |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artefact analysis | 1000 words | 1-7, 9 | Written feedback and general discussion in class |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portfolio | 100 | 6000 words in total | 1-7, 9 | Written feedback |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portfolio | Portfolio | 1-7, 9 | Referral/Deferral period |
Re-assessment notes
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
- Niditch, S., The BlackwellCompanion to Ancient Israel (Oxford: Blackwell, 2017)
- Romer, T., The Invention of God (New Haven: Harvard University Press, 2015)
- Smith, M.S., The Early History of God (Grand Rapids: Eisenbrauns, 2002)
- Stavrakopoulou, F. and J. Barton (eds), Religious Diversity in Ancient Israel and Judah (London: Bloomsbury, 2010)
- Zevit, Z., The Religions of Ancient Israel (London: Continuum, 2001)
Module has an active ELE page?
Yes
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
Available as distance learning?
No
Origin date
30/01/2018
Last revision date
14/02/2022
Key words search
Religion, Bible, god, goddess, archaeology, monotheism, polytheism
