2017/18 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

THEO3390 Philosophy and the Spiritual Life

20 creditsClass Size: 50

Module manager: Professor Mark Wynn
Email: m.wynn@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable

Year running 2017/18

This module is approved as a discovery module

Module summary

This module examines religious and spiritual commitments in their material context, by considering the relationship between religious and spiritual commitment and engagement with the everyday sensory world. The module aims to use the recent philosophical literature on the spiritual life to develop an understanding of particular spiritual practices and traditions.

Objectives

This module will equip students to develop an in-depth and critical understanding of various ideals of the spiritual life, by drawing on the contemporary philosophical literature on the spiritual life, to address issues such as: the relationship between the emotional, perceptual, behavioural and creedal dimensions of the spiritual life; the role of the arts and aesthetic experience in the transmission of religious and spiritual traditions; the importance of place-relative practices in sustaining religious and spiritual identities; the relationship between worldview and conceptions of human well-being.

Learning outcomes
- An understanding of key concepts and methods drawn from the recent literature on philosophy and the spiritual life
- An ability to apply these concepts with critical awareness to particular spiritual traditions
- An appreciation of the interaction between philosophical and theological methods in the study of spiritual practices

Syllabus

Issues explored will typically include some of the following although the exact specification will vary from year to year:

1. The spiritual importance of 'place'
2. The role of emotional experience in the spiritual life
3. The significance of the arts in the formation of spiritual identities
4. Conceptions of the human good in a variety of spiritual traditions
5. The relationship between creedal and practical commitments in a variety of spiritual traditions

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Lecture	11	1.00	11.00
Seminar	10	1.00	10.00
Private study hours			179.00
Total Contact hours			21.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			200.00

Private study

Up to 4 hours gathering and reading resources, note-taking and thinking per lecture = 40 hours
Up to 4 hours gathering and reading resources, note-taking and thinking per seminar = 36 hours
Up to 52 hours planning, gathering & reading resources, note-taking, thinking, drafting & re-drafting for essay
Up to 52 hours planning, gathering & reading resources, note-taking, thinking, drafting & re-drafting for exam

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Lecture attendance
Seminar attendance and participation
Occasional informal conversation and email correspondence

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Essay	3000 words	50.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		50.00

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

Exams

Exam type	Exam duration	% of formal assessment
Standard exam (closed essays, MCQs etc)	2 hr 00 mins	50.00
Total percentage (Assessment Exams)		50.00

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: 20/07/2017

Disclaimer

Browse Other Catalogues

• Undergraduate module catalogue
• Taught Postgraduate module catalogue
• Undergraduate programme catalogue
• Taught Postgraduate programme catalogue

Errors, omissions, failed links etc should be notified to the Catalogue Team.PROD