- This module will provide students with an awareness of what constitutes religion, spirituality, and the supernatural.
- This module will enable students to evaluate a range of theoretical perspectives on religion, from those that see it as a harmful and restrictive ideology, to those that see it as a valuable mechanism for enriching society.
- This module will provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the pivotal influence that religion, spirituality, and the supernatural have on the modern world.
- This module will enable students to identify a wide range of academic and popular perspectives on some of the
most polarising debates about religion that take place in contemporary societies.
- This module will embody an approach to learning that is rooted in scholarly reflections on topical discussions
about religion, spirituality, and the supernatural.

(LO1) Students will be able to demonstrate an advanced awareness of what constitutes religion, spirituality, and the supernatural.

(LO2) Students will be able to evaluate a range of theoretical perspectives on religion, spirituality, and the supernatural.

(LO3) Students will be able to identify the pivotal influence that religion, spirituality, and the supernatural have on the modern world.

(LO4) Students will be able to critique a wide range of academic and popular perspectives on some of the most polarising debates about religion that take place in contemporary societies.

(S1) Global perspectives – This will be achieved through engagement with relevant academic research and popular perspectives about a range of debates about religion, spirituality, and the supernatural.

(S2) Creative problem solving – This will be achieved through examining social policy responses to religious, spiritual, and supernatural topics.

(S3) Critical thinking – This will be achieved through engagement with a range of perspectives on topical debates about religion, spirituality, and the supernatural.

(S4) Communication skills (spoken) – This will be achieved through participation in seminar discussions.

- Theoretical debates about religion, spirituality, and the supernatural
- The evolving profile of religion, spirituality, and the supernatural
- Fundamentalism, sectarianism, extremism, and terrorism
- Religion, women and minorities
- Freedom of speech, criticism of religion, blasphemy, and hate speech
- Religion in public spaces and politics

Teaching Method 1: Lectures
Scheduled Directed Student Hours: 12 hours
Unscheduled Directed Student Hours: N/A
Description: The lectures will follow a pre-defined syllabus and will introduce students to key literature, concepts, and examples. Audio-visual materials will be used to enhance the delivery of the teaching. Interactive technological tools will also be used to facilitate student participation.
Attendance Recorded: No

Teaching Method 2: Seminars
Scheduled Directed Student Hours: 11 hours
Unscheduled Directed Student Hours: N/A
Description: The seminars will relate to the previous lecture and will provide an opportunity for students to discuss a required academic reading in addition to the lecture content. Seminar questions will be specified at the end of each lecture.
Attendance Recorded: Yes

Self-Directed Learning Hours: 127 hours
Description: Students will be expected to complete the required readings, review the lecture con tent, explore further relevant materials where necessary, plan for their assessment, engage with additional academic literature for their assessment, and write their assessment.