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Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
109
Jewish and Islamic
civilisations
COURSE CODE:
PLACES 2011:
POINTS 2010:
DEGREE AWARDED:
TR001 (TSM)
10
425-570
B.A.
TSM points:
See note on page 28
Jewish and Islamic civilisations cannot be studied as a
single honor course. It must be combined with one other
subject within the two-subject moderatorship (TSM)
programme. TSM is a joint honors programme. An honors
degree is awarded in both subjects.
For subjects that combine with Jewish and Islamic
civilisations see page 92.
See also:
TR001/008: World religions and theology, page 90
What is Jewish and Islamic
civilisations?
Starting with how the world of the Bible and the Ancient Near
East was the birthplace of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, this
course charts the historical and philosophical development of
Jewish and Muslim religious and cultural traditions. All periods
of history are examined through texts as well as archaeological,
artistic and architectural evidence. Religious literature is
studied alongside philosophical and scientific treatises, poetry,
biography, novels, historical writings, decrees and charters, art,
and film.
Is this the right course for you?
You will enjoy this course and succeed in gaining an excellent
and broad arts degree if you are interested in the origins of the
Bible, early Christian communities and the cultural and religious
expressions of Judaism and Islam from the ancient world to
present times. A range of student activities will be available to
you and often these activities help you to develop precisely the
kind of skills employers look for.
Students do not just encounter religious cultures in the lecture
theatre and libraries, as central to this course are visits to
museums, sacred sites and cultural destinations. For example,
students have visited Israel, Berlin and Poland.
Trinity College’s Department of World Religions and Theology
offers students in Ireland a unique non-denominational context
for studying religions: it is not affiliated to any church or religious
body and we do not presume that you have any previous
knowledge of the subject.
Course content
This course offers you the opportunity to study the world that
produced the Bible, and Jewish and Islamic culture and history
from their origins – asking how and why these religions came
into being – to their modern contexts, where we examine how
religion has shaped European, Middle Eastern, North African
and Western civilisation.
In your first year you will study a range of introductory courses,
including:
n
Introduction to Jewish civilisation from antiquity
to the modern period
n
Introduction to Islamic civilisation
n
The world of the Bible
From the second year on, you may choose from a range
of courses depending on the individual interests you have
discovered in your first year. You can choose to combine a
range of philosophical and historical courses, as well as cover
all periods of history. In addition you may decide to study
Arabic, Greek or Hebrew. In second year you can avail of the
opportunity to take a course outside the Department of Religions
in Trinity College’s Broad Curriculum programme (see page 13).
Assessment structure
Students write between three and six essays over the course
of the year. In addition they sit two examination papers at the
end of the year.
Did you know?
n
Trinity College is the only university in Ireland that
offers a course in Jewish and Islamic civilisations.
Study abroad
A student exchange programme offers you the opportunity
to spend up to a year at the University of Leuven in Belgium,
the University of Glasgow in Scotland or Heythrop College,
London. Recently scholarships have been made available to
enable students to spend a summer in Israel participating in
archaeological digs.