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History & The Arts
Religion as Mother - JJ Bachofen
JJ Bachofen, a Swiss professor, thought religion was part of the process that started before monogomy, when mothers were the only reliable parent - hence, god was a woman. This animation explains more...
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History & The Arts
Religion as Ritual - Auguste Comte
French philosopher, Comte, thought religion was such a huge ritual that removing it may be chaos. This animation explains more.
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History & The Arts
Religion as Social Control - Karl Marx
Why did Karl Marx thought religion was like Opium? Had Marx got his way, society would be so happy being revolutionaries, there’d be no need for religion. This 60 second animation explains more.
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History & The Arts
Decolonising Religious Studies and promoting equality, diversity and inclusion
Suzanne Newcombe reflects on how the Religious Studies department at The Open University tried to make their module more inclusive and relatable to the diverse student demographic.
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History & The Arts
Exploring immortality
To mark the new BA (Hons) qualification in Religion, Philosophy and Ethics (R45), Suzanne Newcombe and Carolyn Price discuss how researchers in Religious Studies and Philosophy investigate immortality.
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History & The Arts
Jediism: Will the Real Religion Please Stand Up
Can Jediism be classed as a religion, or is it merely a cultural fad? Check out our article then watch a short video on its characteristics.
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History & The Arts
Hanukkah: a festival of light
What's Hanukkah all about? And how do Jewish people celebrate it?
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History & The Arts
What have big meals got to do with Christmas?
We take a look at why feasting, giving gifts and spreading cheer goes hand in hand with the festive season.
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Health, Sports & Psychology
An introduction to death, dying and grief
Explore interesting and challenging ideas around death, dying and grief. This free course, An introduction to death, dying and grief, invites you to think more deeply about death and dying and encourages you to think about it in different ways. This course will introduce you to different perspectives on death; ethical issues related to dying and...
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History & The Arts
What is Diwali?
Diwali is a festival of lights and celebrates the triumph of light over darkness – but where does this stem from? Suzanne Newcombe looks at the religious festival’s origins in this article.
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Health, Sports & Psychology
Magical Modernity in a Muggle World? Witchcraft, Spirituality and Everyday Enchantment
Does magic only exist in the wizarding world for the likes of Harry Potter? Dr Sara MacKian explores all the enchantment and spiritualities of our muggle-filled land.
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History & The Arts
Can you resist zombification?
From The Walking Dead to Call Of Duty WWII, zombies are everywhere. Join us on an exploration of the undead amongst us...