Spiritual concepts from around the world
Religious impulses have created some of the most enduring and powerful traditions in human history, how can we investigate these beliefs, practices, and communities without belonging to them ourselves? How can we be respectful while still maintaining a critical distance?
These are just some of the questions you'll be exploring in this online course, which offers an introduction to contemporary religious studies from an academic perspective.
Delivered over four modules, we'll go right from the basics of what a religion is (and why we use the word 'religion'), to how we can approach our studies with self-awareness and an appropriate attitude, and some of the methods and tools available to us.
You'll be introduced to religious ideas from a variety of backgrounds, including Sikhi (Sikhism), Islam, and Buddhism, as well as New Religious Movements such as Caodaism and Rizalism.
The course is suitable for beginners and those looking to deepen their knowledge, or anyone who wants to learn more about the contemporary study of religion.
Reviews
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An Engaging Intro Course
Talilula Longchar
For a short course, it tries to pack in a lot. I found it very insightful and engaging as well.
For a short course, it tries to pack in a lot. I found it very insightful and engaging as well.
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Very Well Done
Jasmine Morris
As someone who studies religion in their own personal time, I would say this is a great introductory course for those who want to start off on the “right foo...
Read MoreAs someone who studies religion in their own personal time, I would say this is a great introductory course for those who want to start off on the “right foot”. And for those (like myself) who have been studying religion, this is a great refresher course. This course also helped me to narrow in on what exactly I want to study in regards to religion (which is like what Luke said, a multidisciplinary field). Thanks Luke for all the hard work you put into this
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Fantastic!
S P
Using this to give a few ideas for online teaching (due to the coronavirus school closure). Fascinating ideas and ways to teach these beliefs!
Using this to give a few ideas for online teaching (due to the coronavirus school closure). Fascinating ideas and ways to teach these beliefs!
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Excellent way to access religion... even if you're not re...
Ruth McCready
Easy and informed way to learn about religions in a general sense. Would be great for anyone who wants to gain perspective on how religion works in the real ...
Read MoreEasy and informed way to learn about religions in a general sense. Would be great for anyone who wants to gain perspective on how religion works in the real world. Could be great for businesses who want a short course to help employees understand other religions and cultures.
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Brilliant
Raoof Mir
Course curriculum
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2
Module 1: Definitions
- What do we mean when we talk about religion? FREE PREVIEW
- How would you define religion?
- Discussion
- Belief (Video) FREE PREVIEW
- Belief FREE PREVIEW
- Case study: Islam: the Six Articles of Faith
- Practice (video)
- Practice
- Ritual
- Rigid rituals or adaptive patterns?
- Order and chaos
- Case study: murti puja
- Community (video)
- Community
- Case study: langar in the gurdwara
- Texts
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3
Module 2: Perspectives
- Literary bias, and marginalised voices
- Case study: the Ramayana
- Alternative perspectives
- Religion: a Western phenomenon?
- Sects, cults, and New Religious Movements
- Case study: Caodaism
- Internal diversity and the world religions paradigm
- Religion or religions?
- Case study: Mahayana and Theravada
- Similarity and difference
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4
Module 3: Interpretations
- Who creates religion?
- Case study: Sharia Law in the UK
- No universal agreement
- Bias, context, epoche
- Reductionists vs Religionists
- Flexible frameworks
- Cataloguing the types
- Ninian Smart
- Ritual Dimension
- Experiential Dimension
- Mythological Dimension
- Doctrinal Dimension
- Ethical Dimension
- Institutional Dimension
- Material Dimension
- Interdimensional travel
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5
Module 4: Methods
- How can we study religion?
- Sociological approaches to the study of religion
- Scientific approaches to the study of religion
- Psychological approaches to the study of religion
- Phenomenological approaches to the study of religion
- Religious studies as a multidisciplinary field
- Looking at lived religion
- Secularisation theory and liquid religion
- Religious literacy
- Guide for the student of religion
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6
Conclusion
- PDF Course Notes - yours to keep!
- Conclusion
What you get when you enrol...
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Video lectures
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Downloadable PDF copy of the course notes
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Access to online discussion areas
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Access to the OCRS Student Group on Facebook
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Dedicated support from your tutor by email
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Certificate of Completion when you finish
Your tutor
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Director, OCRS
Luke Burns
I have a keen interest in religion, spirituality, and the critical investigation of religious traditions from around the world. In 2016 I founded the Online Centre for Religious Studies, an organisation that aims to make religious studies accessible for a wide audience, without hiding anything behind specialist language. I was in part inspired by the way that open source programming documentation is often written in a clear, open, and friendly style, without sacrificing detail or meaning. I am currently an undergraduate student at the Open University, working towards a BA in Humanities with a focus on Religious Studies.
How to talk about religion, without talking religiously
I started getting interested in religion about ten years ago -- and not just one religion -- I mean the whole thing. Religious systems from all over the world, from Christianity to Ayahuasca Shamans and back. I was fascinated by the complex rituals, the intense experiences, the baffling statements about who we are and where we come from.
If you've felt that way, you'll probably also know that finding good quality information about religion in general, and individual traditions in particular, can be hard work.
I’ve grown up with the internet, so my impulse was to look online for knowledge, but everywhere I looked I found two options: go to university, or go to church (or mosque, or gurdwara, or...). There were a few places offering real scholarship online, but mostly it was badly formatted religious websites, potluck on Wikipedia, or books. I chose books (a lot of books).
But without any guidance about who to read, I went through a lot of material I later discovered was out of date, questionable, or flat out wrong.
That's why, since 2016 (and honestly, even before that), I've been amassing material and building this course -- to bring you straight to contemporary academic perspectives, explained clearly, and without the barriers of heavy academic language.
This course will clear up any confusion you might have about what religion is, give you the tools for understanding religious traditions in the world, and speed up your learning journey.
Pricing
Sure, sounds great, but how much does it cost?
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Enrol now
Free
Regular price
FAQ
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Do I have to be religious to join?
Definitely not! This course is all about the academic study of religion, it's not training you to be more (or less!) religious.
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How long does the course last?
Completely up to you - the basic release schedule takes place over eight weeks, but you have lifetime access, so feel free to study in your own time and at your own pace.
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Is this course right for me?
If you're curious about religion, and want a clean, modern approach to studying traditions from around the world, then yes! The material is aimed at beginners, but we go into depth on quite a few areas, so it's ideal for those with experience who want to broaden their knowledge.
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What about refunds?
You can cancel your enrolment for any reason with the first 14 days - check out our terms and conditions for more information: https://oc-rs.org/terms/
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Do I get support?
Absolutely, you can email me at any time if you have questions about the course material. There's also a discussion area where you can reach out to other students.