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RELS300 New Religions, Cults and Popular Spiritualities

Updated: 12 March 2012
Credit Points 6
Offering Not offered in 2013
Intensive School(s) None
Supervised Exam There is no UNE Supervised Examination.
Pre-requisites 12 cp in ANCH or ASST or ECON (units with a 4 or 5 as a second digit [denoting ECON HIST] only) or HIST or PHIL or RELS or candidature in a postgraduate award
Co-requisites None
Restrictions None
Notes None
Combined Units None
Coordinator(s) Lesley McLean (lmclean4@une.edu.au)
Unit Description

This unit will acquaint students with various new religions and contemporary spiritualities as well as the key issues relating to their study. Several types of new religions will be examined including neo-pagan and wiccan traditions; new religious movements such as the Church of Scientology, Heaven's Gate and the Branch Davidians; and a range of 'invented' religions including, for example, Jediism. Factors influencing their origins and development will also be examined.

Materials Textbook information will be displayed approximately 8 weeks prior to the commencement of the teaching period. Please note that textbook requirements may vary from one teaching period to the next.
Disclaimer Unit information may be subject to change prior to commencement of the teaching period.
Assessment Assessment information will be published prior to commencement of the teaching period.
Learning Outcomes (LO) Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to:
  1. exhibit an understanding of important issues relating to the study of religion in the contemporary context;
  2. consider in detail some of the key areas in which modern culture and the world's religions intersect;
  3. undertake an in depth study of an aspect of contemporary concern relating to the world's new religions and popular spiritualities; and
  4. develop an informed attitude towards, and a continuing curiosity and interest in, the varieties of religious belief and practice.

Graduate Attributes (GA)
Attribute Taught Assessed Practised
1 Knowledge of a Discipline
Knowledge of the Studies in Religion discipline will be taught through lectures, essential readings and assignments. It will be assessed in written assignments. 		True True True
2 Communication Skills
In this unit, students learn to communicate through their assignment work. In their essays, students will communicate in well-organised and logical arguments the ideas they have developed in studying particular topics. Students are also expected to participate in online discussions and thus practise communicating their ideas with other students. 		True True True
3 Global Perspectives
This unit concentrates on a comparative perspective of new religions and spiritualities meaning that it has an inherently global aspect. This unit requires students to learn a global perspective through the content of the unit and the models of anlysis provided. A global perspective is both practised and assessed in the written work. 		True True
4 Information Literacy
Students will be directed to relevant literature and taught how to assess its validity. 		True True
5 Life-Long Learning
By completing the assessments, students will be provided with the necessary lifelong skills to be able to research, write and discuss social issues. These skills can be transferred to any discipline, and will be useful in any research positions. These attributes will be assessed in all of the assessments. In addition, students who attend seminars and engage in online discussions will be provided with the skills to debate contentious topics and develop their understanding of a topic through group activities. 		True True
6 Problem Solving
Students will be assessed on their ability to work out how to address the assignment question and where the most appropriate material is to answer the question. 		True True
7 Social Responsibility
Students will be taught about their responsibilities as researchers to provide balanced and accurate research. In addition, students will be taught that they have a social responsibility to question and challenge some 'facts' and opinions. This will be assessed and taught through their responses to the essay, online exercises and discussions in the seminar or online postings. 		True True
8 Team Work
Students will practise their teamwork skills through participating in the seminar or online discussion postings. They will be required to discuss the weekly topics with their fellow students in a thoughtful and respectful manner. 		True
   

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