HSY2470

The religious quest: Judaism, Christianity and Islam

Proposed to be offered next in 2000

Constant Mews

8 points - Two lectures and one tutorial per week - First semester - Clayton - Prohibited combination: HSY2480/HSY3480 1992 or previously

Objectives To acquire and demonstrate a critical understanding of the evolution of monotheist tradition in differing cultural contexts, from its earliest beginnings to its encounter with the modern world.

Synopsis Judaism, Christianity and Islam each claim to present a vision of 'the people of God'. This subject will examine critically the nature, evolution and interaction of these three monotheist religions as they have developed from late antiquity to the modern period. It will investigate their common heritage from the borders of the Mediterranean world - belief in one god, the idea of prophetic inspiration and the notion of a sacred scripture - and ask why each of these traditions has evolved in ways that have often been mutually exclusive. How does each tradition cope with the major questions of life? What role have non-religious factors, such as ethnicity, political ambition and gender, played in their evolution and interaction? To what extent have these religions been able to coexist with each other in the past? This subject will examine the experience of religious persecution and dissent, as well as the encounter of monotheistic traditions with secular and scientific ideas in the modern world.

Assessment Tutorial exercises, short essay and long essay (total 4000 words): 65% - Examination (2 hours): 35%

Prescribed texts

Bible Old and New Testaments; any version
Armstrong K A history of God Mandarin, 1994
Dawood N J The Koran Penguin, 1966
Epstein I Judaism Penguin, 1959
Guillaume A Islam Penguin, 1956

Recommended texts

Eastman R (ed.) The ways of religion OUP, 1993

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