This is an In-person course which requires your attendance to the weekly meetings which take place in Oxford.
Religion has played a highly important part in the lives of human beings.
This course considers two of the great religions of India, Hinduism and Buddhism.
It considers their origins and early historical development, their key texts and beliefs, and the foundations of their ethics.
It proceeds by way of lectures (principally) and discussion.
No prior specialist knowledge is required to attend it.
Course starts: 24 Jan 2024
Here is roughly how we shall proceed:
Week 1: Introduction; Hinduism: The Vedic Period - pre-Aryan and Aryan culture, sacred literature, renouncer tradition.
Week 2: Hinduism: The Classical period - literature, Gods.
Week 3: Hinduism: Ethics; Buddhism: Scripture, the Buddha and his teachings.
Week 4: Buddhism: The Buddha and his teachings cont., early development, expansion.
Week 5: Buddhism: Divisions; Ethics.
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
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.
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| Course Fee | £140.00 |
| Take this course for CATS points | £10.00 |
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:
Formerly, Research Fellow, Oxford & Burney Student, Cambridge & Visiting Fellow, Harvard.
Alongside international articles, he is the author of three volumes of a clear and concise and original philosophical work on God's nature and existence.
He is a Course Director & Tutor (Religion & Philosophy), Cambridge University.
Course aim and objectives:
Lectures (principally) and discussion.
By the end of the course, students should have:
A short essay (ca 750 words) on an agreed topic.
Students must submit a completed Declaration of Authorship form at the end of the term when submitting their final piece of work. CATS points cannot be awarded without the aforementioned form - Declaration of Authorship form
To earn credit (CATS points) for your course you will need to register and pay an additional £10 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).
Students who register for CATS points will receive a Record of CATS points on successful completion of their course assessment.
To earn credit (CATS points) you will need to register and pay an additional £10 fee per course. You can do this by ticking the relevant box at the bottom of the enrolment form or when enrolling online.
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 at the required standard.
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 the 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.
Most of the Department's weekly classes have 10 or 20 CATS points assigned to them. 10 CATS points at FHEQ Level 4 usually consist of ten 2-hour sessions. 20 CATS points at FHEQ Level 4 usually consist of twenty 2-hour sessions. It is expected that, for every 2 hours of tuition you are given, you will engage in eight hours of private study.
