When Kierkegaard wrote his early philosophical work, 'Fear and Trembling', one of his intended targets was what he saw as the Hegelian view of religion as participative in the communal life of the state. For Kierkegaard, such an approach reduced religion to rational categories of human thought, rather than a faith relation between the human subject and a transcendent God. This course examines a range of existentialist approaches to religion as a way of life, rather than a doctrinal checklist, from the Early Church through to the work of Emmanuel Levinas.
Existentialism and Religion
This is an In-person course which requires your attendance to the weekly meetings which take place in Oxford.
Overview
Programme details
Course starts: 3 Oct 2024
Week 1: From Patristics to Pascal: engaging fideism
Week 2: Kierkegaard's response to the Hegelian 'System'
Week 3: Kierkegaard revises Schelling: Anxiety Unto Death
Week 4: Kierkegaard's religious discourses
Week 5: Tolstoy's engagement with Christianity
Week 6: Nietzsche on religion
Week 7: Twentieth Century German existentialism and religion
Week 8: Twentieth Century French existentialism and religion
Week 9: Levinas, the infinite and God
Week 10: Meursault in the dock
Recommended reading
All weekly class students may become borrowing members of the Rewley House Continuing Education Library for the duration of their course. Prospective students whose courses have not yet started are welcome to use the Library for reference. More information can be found on the Library website.
There is a Guide for Weekly Class students which will give you further information.
Availability of titles on the reading list (below) can be checked on SOLO, the library catalogue.
Preparatory reading:
- Existentialism from Dostoevsky to Sartre / ed. Kaufman, W.
- Existentialism: A Very Short Introduction / Flynn, T.
Certification
To complete the course and receive a certificate, you will be required to attend at least 80% of the classes on the course and pass your final assignment. Upon successful completion, you will receive a link to download a University of Oxford digital certificate. Information on how to access this digital certificate will be emailed to you after the end of the course. The certificate will show your name, the course title and the dates of the course you attended. You will be able to download your certificate or share it on social media if you choose to do so.
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Course Fee | £285.00 |
| Take this course for CATS points | £30.00 |
Funding
If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, you are a full-time student in the UK or a student on a low income, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:
Tutor
Dr Magnus Moar
Magnus Moar is a graduate of Oxford and Sussex Universities with a doctoral thesis focussing on the work of Kierkegaard. Magnus has a published article on Kierkegaard and Levinas and has been teaching undergraduates for fifteen years.
Course aims
To teach the students the key elements of existentialism and its engagement with theology through the work of its foremost thinkers.
Course objectives:
1. To examine the key features of works written by existentialist philosophers in their engagement with religion.
2. To situate a subjectivist view of religion in the context of theological discourse and religious life.
3. To show the significance of existential thought to faith, religious devotion and the relation to the divine.
Teaching methods
The sessions will be in a seminar format including both presentation of the key ideas and open discussion based around short extracts and articles. Students will have the opportunity, if they wish, to give a short presentation as a part of their portfolio assessment.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course students will be expected to:
1. Have a good understanding of the relationship between existentialism and religion.
2. Develop their critical and analytical skills through the reading, the portfolio and the sessions.
3. Enable a keener sense of inter-communication through group discussion.
Assessment methods
Students can complete Option A: up to 3 pieces totalling 1,500 words or Option B: a single piece totalling 1,500 words
Coursework is an integral part of all weekly classes and everyone enrolled will be expected to do coursework in order to benefit fully from the course. Only those who have registered for credit will be awarded CATS points for completing work to the required standard.
Students must submit a completed Declaration of Authorship form at the end of term when submitting your final piece of work. CATS points cannot be awarded without the aforementioned form - Declaration of Authorship form
Application
To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £30 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.
Please use the 'Book' or 'Apply' button on this page. Alternatively, please complete an Enrolment Form (Word) or Enrolment Form (Pdf)
Level and demands
The Department's Weekly Classes are taught at FHEQ Level 4, i.e. first year undergraduate level, and you will be expected to engage in a significant amount of private study in preparation for the classes. This may take the form, for instance, of reading and analysing set texts, responding to questions or tasks, or preparing work to present in class.
Credit Accumulation and Transfer Scheme (CATS)
To earn credit (CATS points) you will need to register and pay an additional £30 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online. Students who register for CATS points will receive a Record of CATS points on successful completion of their course assessment.
Students who do not register for CATS points during the enrolment process can either register for CATS points prior to the start of their course or retrospectively from January 1st after the current full academic year has been completed. If you are enrolled on the Certificate of Higher Education you need to indicate this on the enrolment form but there is no additional registration fee.