Year
2024Credit points
10Campus offering
Prerequisites
THCT100 What Christians Believe or PHIL107 Philosophy of World Religions
Teaching organisation
The unit involves 150 hours of focused learning, or the equivalent of 10 hours per week for 15 weeks. The total includes formally structured learning activities such as lectures, tutorials, online learning, video-conferencing, or supervision. The remaining hours typically involve reading, research, and the preparation of tasks for assessment.Unit rationale, description and aim
Understanding Australian culture and society requires an appreciation of the diverse religious traditions that have shaped and continue to shape contemporary Australia. This unit introduces students to the nature, expression, history, and practice of religion in contemporary multicultural and pluralistic Australia. Students will explore how Aboriginal and the world's religions are practised by diverse communities in the Australian context and analyse their implications for shaping contemporary Australian culture and society. This unit aims to provide students with the opportunity to develop a critical understanding of the ongoing role and influence of religion in Australian society today.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
| Learning Outcome Number | Learning Outcome Description | Relevant Graduate Capabilities |
|---|---|---|
| LO1 | Reflect critically on the theory and practice of religion in contemporary Australia | GC1, GC2, GC3, GC5, GC6, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC11 |
| LO2 | Apply the central concepts and modes of enquiry pertaining to the study of religion and belief systems in Australian and global contexts | GC1, GC2, GC3, GC5, GC6, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC11 |
| LO3 | Assess critically the influence and expression of religion in the arts, belief systems, and ethics of Australian Aboriginal spiritualities and the world’s major religions in Australia | GC1, GC2, GC3, GC5, GC6, GC7, GC8, GC9, GC11 |
Content
Topics will include:
- Classic and recent theory, method, and practice to the academic study of religion;
- Nature of the relationship between religion, culture, society, and theology;
- The nature, ethics, practice, and contemporary challenges of Australian Aboriginal spiritualities;
- The contemporary presence of the world’s religions and traditions in Australia;
- Challenges of cultural diversity and religious pluralism in the contemporary Australian society;
- Religion and the arts, literature, music, and aesthetics in contemporary multicultural and pluralistic Australian society.
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit involves 150 hours of focused learning, or the equivalent of 10 hours per week for 15 weeks. The total includes formally structured learning activities such as lectures, tutorials, online learning, video-conferencing, or supervision. The remaining hours typically involve reading, research, and the preparation of tasks for assessment.
The unit is normally offered in attendance or multi-mode mode. Students learn through formally structured and sequenced learning activities that support the achievement of the learning outcomes. You are asked to critically reflect, analyse, and integrate new information with existing knowledge, draw meaningful new connections, and then apply what you have learned. Collaborative and peer-learning is also emphasized in order to enable students to acquire and develop an appreciation of the role of religion in Australian society,
THSR202 emphasises students as active, adult learners. Students are recognised as adult learners who engage best when what they are learning is relevant to them and gives them the opportunity to be responsible for their own learning. In many ways, the student is the one who drives the learning forward, and your active participation in this unit is essential. Learning is designed to be an engaging and supportive experience, which helps students to develop critical thinking and reflection skills.
Assessment strategy and rationale
In order to pass this unit, you are required to attempt all assessment tasks and achieve an overall grade of Pass (50% or higher).
The assessment tasks for this unit are designed for you to demonstrate your achievement of each learning outcome.
Task 1 asks you to reflect upon the practice of religion in Australian culture, utilizing some of the key concepts and modes of inquiry pertaining to the study of religion in an academic context. This task is designed to allow you to display achievement of Learning Outcomes 1 and 2. Feedback provided from Task 1 will help you with the other two assessment tasks.
Task 2 is an extended written task that asks you to critically analyse the practice of religion and the role of belief systems in both Australian context. This task is designed to allow you to further display achievement of Learning Outcomes 1 and 2
Task 3 invites you to apply the critical tools that you have acquired to a case study. This task is designed to allow you to display your ongoing achievement of Learning Outcomes 1,2 and 3
Overview of assessments
| Brief Description of Kind and Purpose of Assessment Tasks | Weighting | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|
Introductory written task: Students are asked to reflect upon the practice of religion in Australian culture. | 20% | LO1, LO2 |
Extended Written Task: Requires students to critically analyse the practice of religion and the role of belief systems in both Australian and global contexts. | 40% | LO1, LO2 |
Project: Requires students to apply the critical tools that you have acquired to a case study. | 40% | LO1, LO2, LO3 |
Representative texts and references
Ata, A.W. Us and Them: Muslim-Christian Relations and Cultural Harmony in Australia. Bowen Hills: Australian Academic Press, 2009
Bouma, G. Australian Soul: Religion and Spirituality in the Twenty-First Century. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006.
Budden, C. Following Jesus in Invaded Space: Doing Theology on Aboriginal Land. Eugene, OR: Pickwick Press, 2009.
Charlesworth, M. et al, eds. Aboriginal Religion in Australia: An Anthology of Recent Writings. Aldershot: Ashgate, 2005.
Gaita, R. Essays on Muslims & Multiculturalism. Melbourne: Text Publishing, 2011.
Hume, L. Ancestral Power: The Dreaming, Consciousness, and Aboriginal Australians. Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 2002.
Lamb, W. and I. Barns. God Down Under: Theology in the Antipodes. Adelaide: Australian Theological Forum, 2003.
Rainbow Spirit Elders. Rainbow Spirit Theology: Toward an Australian Aboriginal Theology. 2nd ed. Adelaide: ATF Press, 2012.
Tacey, D. Re-enchantment: The New Australian Spirituality. Pymble: HarperCollins, 2000.