THEO2571: Faith, Identity and Power in Latin America

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• To engage students in the critical understanding of contemporary religious and social phenomena in Latin America.
• To understand how the history of Latin America has contributed to shaping religious phenomena in the region.
• To develop a critical understanding of Latin American religious traditions as dynamic and constantly changing.
• To understand how different religious traditions have contributed to shaping processes of class formation, ethnic and gender identities and power struggles in the region.

• This module engages in the study of contemporary religious phenomena in Latin America. The course is framed primarily from an anthropological perspective but will also introduce a long-term historical perspective to identify and critically assess processes of continuity and change. It examines how European conquest and colonisation of the American continent has shaped processes of religious change, social differentiation, and the production of knowledge about Latin American societies. It situates historically the conditions for the arrival and development of religious traditions, such as Catholicism, Protestantism, and African religions in the continent. In doing so, it examines how these traditions have adapted to and interacted with indigenous religious practices and worldviews. Thus, it will explore how colonisation, the slave trade, independence from colonialism, globalisation and migration have contributed to shaping religious and ethnic differentiation and the power relations that underpin contemporary social realities of this continent. We will explore the interplay between religious change, gender, racial and ethnic differentiation, and processes of class formation. In doing so, we will analyse how religion has been deployed to dominate but also to resist and to creatively adapt to social and historical changes.

Subject-specific Knowledge:

• Knowledge of different religious traditions and their local manifestations in the Latin American context.
• Knowledge of key debates, concepts and theoretical approaches in the study of religion in Latin America.
• Knowledge and understanding of the interplay between religion, power, ethnic identities, class and gender differentiation in Latin America.
• Knowledge of the cultural and social realities of Latin America and how these contribute to shaping contemporary religious phenomena.

Subject-specific Skills:

Key Skills:

• Students will develop skills in the acquisition of information through reading historical and ethnographic texts and doing independent research.
• To critically think about and discuss the subjects studied in the classroom.
• Oral and written communication skills in class discussions and essays.

• Lectures convey information, enabling students to develop a clear understanding of the subject and to improve their skills in listening and in evaluating information. Lectures will be followed by a seminar session where students will have the opportunity to discuss a key text that will deepen their understanding of the lecture topic.
• Seminars enhance subject-specific knowledge and understanding both through preparation and through interaction with students and staff, promoting awareness of different viewpoints and approaches.
• Formative essays develop subject-specific knowledge and understanding, along with student skills in the acquisition of information through reading and independent research, and in the structured presentation of information in written form.
• Examinations assess subject-specific knowledge and understanding, along with student skills in the structured presentation of information in written form under time constraints.

a) Different components focused on developing essay writing skills due throughout the year. These components will lead to the development of a final summative essay.b) Participation during the lecture and seminars.

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