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Studying religion

This free course, Studying religion, will give you an opportunity to think about some of the key concepts and methods of the discipline of Religious Studies. You will meet examples of different forms of religious practice and belief, mostly from Britain and India.
Course learning outcomes
After studying this course, you should be able to:
- discuss some of the ways in which the concept of 'religion' has been and is used in the study of religion
- understand some examples of religious activity in Britain and India on 'special days' and have some practical experience in the study of these examples
- identify and evaluate critically the motives, concerns and methods that typically distinguish the academic study of religion known as religious studies from other approaches to religious belief and practice.
First Published: 09/08/2012
Updated: 21/08/2017
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Course content
- Introduction
- Learning outcomes
- 1 What is religion: video
- 2 That special day
- 3 Religion in the landscape
- 4 Why study religion?
- 5 What is religion?
- 6 Religion in context: Special days in Britain
- 7 How should we study religion?
- 8 Religion in context: Hinduism in Calcutta
- 8 Religion in context: Hinduism in Calcutta
- 8.1 Hinduism as a ‘religion’
- 8.2 The diversity of Hinduism
- 8.3 Worship in temples and street shrines
- 8.4 Hinduism in eastern India: religion in Calcutta
- 8.5 Looking for Hinduism in Calcutta
- 8.6 The Dakshineswar temple
- 8.7 The festival of Durga Puja in Calcutta
- 8.8 Hinduism as ‘a world religion’: a more recent understanding
- 9 Conclusion
- References
- Acknowledgements
I live by faith: the religions described File
Transcript 1 File
Transcript 2 File
Transcript 3 File
Transcendental Meditation (TM) File
What TM is File
‘I live by faith: the religions described’ File
‘I live by faith: the religions described’ Extracts B, C and E File
‘I live by faith: the religions described’ Extracts B and F File
New religious movements: definitions, variety and numbers File
‘The nature of a religion and the nature of secular worldviews’ File
Introduction: Benares File
Transcript 4 File
Durga Puja in Calcutta File
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20 hours study
Level 1: Introductory
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