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- Religion today: Themes and issues
Religion today: Themes and issues

There is a widespread perception in the West that we live in a secular age, an age in which religion is at best an optional extra, if not a false delusion completely out of place. However, religion still arouses passion and causes controversy; it controls and transforms lives. An informed understanding of the contemporary world thus requires an appreciation of the role of religion in shaping ideas, world-views and actions that have an impact on the social as well as on the personal life of the individual. This free course, Religion today: Themes and issues, gives you a glimpse into this fascinating area.
Course learning outcomes
After studying this course, you should be able to:
- show an awareness of the key themes and debates in the field of religious studies
- understand that religions have different, and sometimes contrasting, ways to present their beliefs and practices, and that the beliefs and practices of one religion are represented differently by others
- understand that different media are used to represent and present religions.
You can start this course right now without signing-up. Click on any of the course content sections below to start at any point in this course.
If you want to be able to track your progress, earn a free Statement of Participation, and access all course quizzes and activities, sign-up.
Course content
- Introduction
- Learning outcomes
- 1 Considering the issues
- 1 Considering the issues
- 1.1 What are the issues?
- 1.2 Continuity and change
- 1.3 Representation
- 1.4 The Victoria and Albert Museum's 'Sacred Spaces' exhibition
- 1.5 Differing perspectives
- 1.6 Sources of authority
- 1.7 Language
- 1.8 Religion and spirituality
- 1.9 Community and identity
- 1.10 Religion and the individual
- 2 Engaging with the issues
- 2 Engaging with the issues
- 2.1 New perspectives
- 2.2 Insider/outsider perspectives
- 2.3 Is religion a museum piece?
- 2.4 Theological, reductionist and phenomenological perspectives 1
- 2.5 Theological, reductionist and phenomenological perspectives 2
- 2.6 Theological, reductionist and phenomenological perspectives 3
- 2.7 Conclusion
- Conclusion
- Keep on learning
- References
- Acknowledgements
- This site has Copy Reuse Tracking enabled - see our FAQs for more information.
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About this free course
15 hours study
Level 3: Advanced
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