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2021/22 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

EAST1500 Introduction to Religious and Philosophical Texts of East Asia

20 creditsClass Size: 40

Module manager: Dr Martin Seeger
Email: m.seeger@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2021/22

This module is approved as a discovery module

Module summary

The module introduces some of East Asia's major religious and philosophical texts. These texts will be discussed in relation to their historical and cultural contexts on the one hand and as part of religious praxis and artistic reproduction on the other. In order to do so, students will be asked to engage in a basic anthropological, historical and hermeneutic conversation with a number of insightful texts of Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism, Shinto, Islam or Christianity.

Objectives

This module enables students to understand and critically analyze East Asia's major religious and philosophical texts in their broader historical and cultural context.

Learning outcomes
By the end this module, students should be able to:
(1) demonstrate a firm understanding of East Asia's religious and intellectual basis through thorough textual analysis and discussions of translated primary sources,.
(2) to demonstrate good understanding of how East Asian texts have been studied in the West
(3) to question the East Asian distinction between apocrypha and canonical texts
(4) interpret specific pre-modern and modern East Asian religious and intellectual developments in their appropriate contexts
(5) transcend the boundaries between text, art and performance to fully understand the significance of the production of texts

Skills outcomes
Students will be expected to

- have acquired a thorough grounding in the religious and intellectual textual basis of East Asia.
- be able to interpret specific pre-modern and modern East Asian religious and intellectual developments in their appropriate contexts
- transcend the boundaries between text, art and performance to fully understand the significance of the production of texts


Syllabus

- Introduction to some of the main textual sources of Buddhism, Islam, Shinto, Christianity, Confucianism and Daoism.
- explore the function of certain texts within the context of religious textual practices
- connect the production of texts with the development of visual and performing art

Teaching methods

Delivery typeNumberLength hoursStudent hours
Lecture111.0011.00
Seminar111.0011.00
Independent online learning hours48.00
Private study hours130.00
Total Contact hours22.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)200.00

Private study

Reading of primary sources in translation and on-line research into textual databases.

A BREAK DOWN OF HOURS:
SEMINAR PREPARATION: 20 HOURS
SEMINAR REVISION: 20 HOURS
WRITING OF REFLECTIVE ESSAY 20 HOURS
READING/RESEARCH AND WRITING OF 1,500 WORD ESSAY: 20 HOURS
REVISION AND PREPARATION FOR LECTURES 50 HOURS
ONLINE LEARNING 48 HOURS (Students will be required to identify and analyse relevant online sources, such as online dictionaries, newspaper articles, JSTOR, etc; in addition, VLE will be used for online discussions of themes, concepts and questions that were introduced in the seminars and lectures)

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Progress will be closely monitored through assessment and in-class discussions of submissions and assigned readings. Feedback will be provided through the assessed essays.

A 1,500 word essay is to be submitted on VLE and students will receive detailed feedback on the essay. The assignment will ask the students to read and analyze certain passages through approaches and methods addressed in class.

The 1,500 word reflective essay is to be submitted on VLE and students will receive detailed feedback on this essay. At the beginning of the semester, we will encourage students to write a reflective journal on a weekly basis throughout the semester; based on this journal students will then write their reflective essay which should consider the module’s classroom discussions, major themes and required reading texts. During the first session of the module we will offer a workshop on how to write a reflective essay.

Students are also strongly encouraged to visit the lecturers during their office hours in order to discuss certain passages or concepts introduced in class.

Methods of assessment


Coursework
Assessment typeNotes% of formal assessment
Essay1,500 words; questions will be posted on VLE; submission on VLE; feedback via VLE50.00
Reflective log1,500 word reflective essay; during the first session there will be a workshop on how to write a reflective essay that considers the classroom discussions, the major themes of the module and required reading texts50.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 06/07/2021 16:32:20

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