Overview

The module may include, but will not be limited to, the following topics: The historical background of Judaism; The Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) and the central tenants of the Jewish faith, including the covenant, the mitzvot, and the concept of ‘God’s chosen people’; The impact of the destruction of the Second Temple and the development of diasporic Judaism; Influential Jewish thinkers: Moses Maimonides and Moses Mendelssohn; The practice of contemporary Judaism: rites of passage, dietary laws, religious festivals and rituals; the diverse denominations within modern-day Judaism; Modern Judaism and certain issues: feminism and environmentalism.

Learning Outcomes

• • Apply philosophical insights, themes and debates from different Jewish schools appropriately to broader social, political and disciplinary contexts, including the medical and biological sciences, and law.

• • Demonstrate a critical and sophisticated understanding of the multi-faceted complexity of Judaism, for example, in the relationship between specifically religious beliefs, texts, practices and institutions, and wider social and cultural structures, norms, aesthetics and aspirations.

• • Demonstrate comprehension of and intelligent engagement with the rich philosophical and spiritual traditions of Judaism in its varied forms, in addition to the central philosophies and traditions of the Jewish faith.

• • Discuss and demonstrate a strong comprehension of Judaism’s classic sources and their subsequent articulations by various central interpreters of the tradition(s).

• • Present relevant information on a topic related to Judaism in a clear, coherent and engaging manner, demonstrating a firm understanding of the topic in question.