Conversations for Theology: Interdisciplinary Reading and Analysis (AR9001W)

Content

This seminar unit develops students’ interdisciplinary knowledge and critical reading skills by engaging with primary sources (e.g., texts, artworks) and contemporary issues. Students analyse these using multiple interpretative methodologies, including intercultural, philosophical, historical, and systematic approaches. Through this multi-faceted analysis, students discover how diverse scholarly perspectives can inform and shape theological discourse.

The seminar structure emphasises collaborative inquiry, where students learn to deploy different analytical frameworks strategically and assess how methodological choices shape interpretive outcomes. This intensive engagement with diverse interpretive strategies prepares students to navigate the methodological sophistication expected in advanced theological discourse, in and beyond university life. Students emerge with enhanced capacity for nuanced hermeneutical analysis and a deeper appreciation for how interdisciplinary dialogue enriches theological understanding, positioning them to contribute meaningfully to scholarly conversations that span traditional disciplinary boundaries.

Learning outcomes

Unit sequence

This unit develops the advanced analytical skills essential for rigorous theological scholarship. Students learn to navigate the interpretive complexity that defines contemporary theological discourse, where multiple methodological frameworks intersect and compete. The unit emphasises engagement with challenging primary sources while building competency in evaluating diverse methodological approaches. Students develop the intellectual flexibility to move between different approaches and assess their relative strengths and limitations. The unit prepares students to engage critically with the methodological pluralism characteristic of current theological scholarship, equipping them with the sophistication needed to contribute meaningfully to ongoing scholarly conversations. By the end of this unit, students will possess the critical reading skills necessary to engage with complex theological arguments, evaluate scholarly claims with appropriate nuance, and situate their own work within broader interpretive debates. These competencies form the foundation for advanced theological inquiry across all specialisations within the discipline.

Pedagogy

This unit centres on active, collaborative learning that transforms students from passive recipients to engaged participants in knowledge construction. While brief lectures will provide essential foundational concepts and theoretical frameworks, seminars will constitute the primary pedagogical approach, fostering critical thinking through peer dialogue, debate, and collective inquiry. This student-centred methodology recognises that deep learning occurs through articulating ideas, questioning assumptions, and engaging with diverse perspectives. Seminars create an intellectual community where students develop analytical skills, communication competencies, and independent thinking essential for academic and professional success.

Indicative Bibliography

• Graham, Elaine, Heather Walton, and Frances Ward. Theological Reflection: Methods, 2nd ed. SCM, 2019.
• Lé Mon, Martha Middlemiss, and Anna-Sara Lind, eds. Doing Multidisciplinary Research on Religion: Methodological, Conceptual and Theoretical Challenges. Brill, 2024.
• Lury, Celia, Rachel Fensham, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas et al., eds. Routledge Handbook of Interdisciplinary Research Methods. Routledge, 2018.
• Moschella, Mary Clark, and Susan Willhauck, eds. Qualitative Research in Theological Education: Pedagogy in Practice. SCM, 2018.
• O’Callaghan, Phyllis, ed. A Clashing of Symbols: Method and Meaning in Liberal Studies. Georgetown University Press, 1988.
• Remesh, Babu P., and Ratheesh Kumar, eds. Practising Interdisciplinarity: Convergences and Contestations. Routledge, 2024.
• Somerville, Margaret A., and David J. Rapport, eds. Transdisciplinarity: Recreating Integrated Knowledge. EOLSS, 2000.
• Strenski, Ivan. Thinking about Religion: An Historical Introduction to Theories of Religion. Wiley–Blackwell, 2006.
• Swinton, John, and Harriet Mowat. Practical Theology and Qualitative Research Methods. SCM, 2006.
• Walton, Heather, ed. Literature and Theology: New Interdisciplinary Spaces. Routledge, 2016.
• Weingart, Peter, and Nico Stehr, eds. Practising Interdisciplinarity. University of Toronto Press, 2018.

Assessment