Christianity in Contemporary China and India
Postgraduate course
- ECTS credits
- 5
- Teaching semesters
- Autumn, Spring
- Course code
- RELMIN636
- Number of semesters
- 1
- Teaching language
- English
- Resources
- Schedule
Course description
Objectives and Content
The purpose of the course is to understand Christianity as a religious minority in modern and contemporary China and India. In both countries minimum two percent of the national population professes adherence to one or the other variety of Christianity, centered geographically on some regions more than others. In both countries, Christianity has a long history, going back more than a millennium, and in both countries Colonialism and Imperialism have boosted the status of this religion. In recent years, in contrast, several Christian groups have faced discrimination, repression, and acts of violence.
The course will provide an introduction to the history of Christianity in both countries, to the main varieties of the religion, discuss the respective legal frameworks and contentious issues and shed light on characteristic forms of the religion in terms of discourses, practices, and material cultures.
Learning Outcomes
The student shall by the end of the course have gained the following learning outcome defined in knowledge, skills, and general competence:
Knowledge:
The student
- can describe the historical trajectories of Christianity in China and India
- can give a basic outline of the challenges and opportunities faced by different Christian groups in both countries
- can outline specific forms of discourse, practices, and material cultures of Christianities in China and India
Skills:
The student
- can compare the situation of Christianities in India and China
- can articulate this in a comparative essay
- can critically assess other students' ideas and observations through peer-reviews
General competence:
The student
- can analyze, assess, and articulate the reasons for the emergence, decline and resilience of religious minorities in societies
- can problematize stereotypes about religious minorities
ECTS Credits
Level of Study
Semester of Instruction
Place of Instruction
Required Previous Knowledge
Recommended Previous Knowledge
Credit Reduction due to Course Overlap
Access to the Course
Teaching and learning methods
The teaching and student activities in this course will entirely take place online.
Examples
- short introductory videos
- readings
- following each video/reading there will be a short quiz, that tests the students basic understanding of the video/reading
- individual feedback on discussion postings and essays from the instructor
- participation in online discussions
Compulsory Assignments and Attendance
In this course the following compulsory requirements have to be approved in order to sit for the examination:
- Course quizzes following videos and/or texts. There will be 1-5 quizzes per week, and successful completion of at least 70 % of the quizzes is required.
- An outline (minimum 500 words) of the final essay (see below, under vurderingsformer) shall be posted 10 days before delivery date.
- comments on essays of other students (peer-reviewed assignments)
Compulsory requirements are evaluated with "approved/not approved."
Forms of Assessment
Grading Scale
Assessment Semester
Reading List
The reading list consists of around 600 to 800 pages.
The reading list is published by December 1st. for the spring semester.