Religion and Art

The aim of this course is to give an introduction to:

• the main types of two- and three-dimensional art and of architecture within Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam;
• the most important differences in views of art within these five religions;
• convictions and debates about art within these five religions;
• methods and theoretical perspectives in the study of religion and art;
• how religious art is used in popular culture and advertising; and
• how religious art is used in the criticism of religions

RELV233 is an optional unit within the Bachelor´s Programme in the Study of Religions.

The student has by the end of the course gained the following learning outcome defined in knowledge, skills, and general competence:

Knowledge:

The student

• has general knowledge about the main types of art, different views of art, and convictions and debates about art within Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
• has general knowledge about methods and theoretical perspectives in the study of religious art.
• has knowledge about how religious art is used in popular culture, advertising, and in the criticism of religions.
• has the capability of analysing religious art with the help of some central methods and theoretical perspectives from the History of Religions and the History of Art.
• has the capability of putting the knowledge about religious art in relation to wider contexts within the History of Religions.

Skills:

The student

• has the capability of analysing subject-matters in English and of drawing conclusions of one´s own.
• has the capability of critically examining methods and theoretical perspectives used in the study of religious art.
• has the capability of writing a coherent analytical text about religious art, thereby demonstrating a capacity for using the norms and techniques of academic writing.
• has the capability of conveying information about the subject field to others, both in writing and orally.

General competence:

The student

• has practice in handling large quantities of information and literature within a short time period, and of interpreting and presenting information.