Last modified: 04 Oct 2022 13:20
The course offers an introduction to the intersections of art and Christianity, from the earliest days of the institution to the present. Through detailed examination of art and architecture, students will engage with some the church’s earliest debates and conversations, defining the spaces in which Christians worshipped and central identity of Christianity as it existed both in experience and in the imagination of people throughout its 2000-year history. Whereas Judaism and Islam restrict the making of images, Christianity was one of the greatest patrons of the arts, recognising visual culture’s intrinsic power in shaping the minds of the faithful and potential converts. The strategies the Church employed were innovative and successful, but always remined debated and significantly contributing the urge towards Reformation in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
| Study Type | Postgraduate | Level | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term | First Term | Credit Points | 30 credits (15 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | Aberdeen | Sustained Study | No |
| Co-ordinators |
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This course provides students a detailed examination of visual culture’s central importance to the history of Christianity, shaping some of the church’s earliest debates and conversations, defining the spaces in which Christians worshipped and central identity of Christianity as it existed both in experience and in the imagination of people throughout its 2000 year history. Whereas Judaism and Islam restrict the making of images, Christianity was one of the greatest patrons of the arts, recognising visual culture’s intrinsic power in shaping the minds of the faithful and potential converts. The strategies the Church employed were innovative and successful, but always remined debated and significantly contributing the urge towards Reformation in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
Students will examine early controversies on the visual arts in Christianity and their impact throughout the history of the religion. They will examine medieval manuscripts containing the text and images of Scripture and understand the close relationship between the two. They will explore architectural spaces to determine how they developed to facilitate the liturgical and ritual needs of the community. They will understand how images could be used criticise Christianity and the Church, feeding into popular culture and used to articulate the needs and wants of a community who grew increasingly aware of their own religious agency.
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Each week, students should submit two images relevant to the week’s topic and write a 200-word response to a given reading via MyAberdeen/Padlet. Rolling feedback via MyAberdeen by course coordinator. |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Apply | Apply knowledge of visual arts and texts critically to evaluate key episodes in Church history. |
| Conceptual | Apply | Show a critical understanding of historical and contemporary discourses on art and faith. |
| Conceptual | Apply | Demonstrate a broad understanding of the intersections of art and Christianity from its earliest history to the present. |
| Conceptual | Apply | Demonstrate confidence in researching, organising and delivering written and oral academic work in a class presentation on a defined topic, and an essay on a self-defined topic. |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
A 15-20 minute presentation, distributed throughout the semester. Follow-up feedback will be provided. |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Apply | Apply knowledge of visual arts and texts critically to evaluate key episodes in Church history. |
| Conceptual | Apply | Show a critical understanding of historical and contemporary discourses on art and faith. |
| Conceptual | Apply | Demonstrate a broad understanding of the intersections of art and Christianity from its earliest history to the present. |
| Conceptual | Apply | Demonstrate confidence in researching, organising and delivering written and oral academic work in a class presentation on a defined topic, and an essay on a self-defined topic. |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 60 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 12 | Feedback Weeks | 15 | |
| Feedback |
Written feedback within 3 weeks + informal oral feedback on request. |
Word Count | 4000 | |
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Apply | Apply knowledge of visual arts and texts critically to evaluate key episodes in Church history. |
| Conceptual | Apply | Show a critical understanding of historical and contemporary discourses on art and faith. |
| Conceptual | Apply | Demonstrate a broad understanding of the intersections of art and Christianity from its earliest history to the present. |
| Conceptual | Apply | Demonstrate confidence in researching, organising and delivering written and oral academic work in a class presentation on a defined topic, and an essay on a self-defined topic. |
There are no assessments for this course.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 100 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Written feedback within three weeks. Informal oral feedback on request. |
Word Count | 5000 | |
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Apply | Show a critical understanding of historical and contemporary discourses on art and faith. |
| Conceptual | Apply | Demonstrate a broad understanding of the intersections of art and Christianity from its earliest history to the present. |
| Conceptual | Apply | Demonstrate confidence in researching, organising and delivering written and oral academic work in a class presentation on a defined topic, and an essay on a self-defined topic. |
| Conceptual | Apply | Apply knowledge of visual arts and texts critically to evaluate key episodes in Church history. |
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