English Literature and Religion BA (Hons)

You must choose either this module or Literature at Work.

This module is an opportunity to reflect on how the skills and knowledge you are gaining on your degree can benefit you in the future. You will use the expertise and resources available within the University to find out more about the possible career options available to you. You will also explore some of the philosophical, theological and ethical issues which may arise in the workplace, as well as investigating theological meditations on the nature and meaning of work in the contemporary world.

This module focuses on modern western philosophy in an important period of intellectual history. We will be introduced you to the most influential philosophers from the beginning of the 17th century through to the end of the 19th century, and explore the ethical and religious issues surrounding their work. You will learn about the interaction between philosophical and religious thought, and construct your own arguments in response to these ideas. This will help you to understand the concepts behind the debates surrounding religious belief in contemporary life.

Applied ethics is an essential part of philosophy, and on this module you will apply your developing understanding of ethical thought to an important area of contemporary life.  Many of the debates surrounding the topic of death employ religious arguments. By considering a range of widely debated issues in this area, you will learn how ethical theory interacts with practical matters and everyday life.

On this module you will explore a range of debates concerning a central themes in the philosophy of religion – the problem of evil. The existence of suffering, pain and atrocities has been used to question the existence of a benevolent God, and we will discuss some of the philosophical and theological responses to this problem. You will approach the topic through the works of various different philosophers, evaluating their different perspectives and forming your own critical responses.

On this module you will expand your understanding of religion through the study of literature. This will involve exploring texts across a variety of genres, styles and time periods, all of which engage with ideas of religion and spirituality. We will also introduce you to important concepts in literary theory, such as intertextuality and reader-response theory. Throughout the module you will build skills in analysis and critical reflection, considering how real experiences and debates can be expressed through fiction.

This module explores the complex relationship between religion and politics. We will consider the role religion plays in international relations, government policy and social identity, as well as discussing how governments can use religion to connect with citizens or to advance political agendas. Using case studies from across the world, we will investigate topics such as:

• Religious freedoms and human rights
• Democratisation
• Religious extremism
• Sectarian conflicts
• Fundamentalism
• Secularisation.

Religion can heavily impact the lives of individuals within society, whether or not they are believers. On this module you will consider religion from a sociological perspective, engaging with some of the debates and theories which address it. You will explore how religious and non religious lives can be understood within wider social structures and processes. We will use concepts of structure, agency and intersectionality to examine the role of religion in society, communities and individual lives.

On this module you will explore one of the most pressing issues facing humanity: its relationship with an increasingly devastated natural environment. You will examine modern spiritual outlooks on the natural world, as well as emerging eco-theologies. We will consider how religious thinkers have responded to climate change and mass extinction, and how religious ideas can contribute to debates about sustainable living. You will consider tradition, doctrine and ancient wisdom and explore these alongside contemporary environmental issues and movements.

On this module we will consider the different ways books and films tell stories, and what happens to literature and literary characters when they are translated onto the screen. We will introduce you to the theory, methods and conventions behind the process of adaptation. In addition to examining specific examples of film adaptation, you can choose to experiment creatively on an adaptation project of your own, using what you have learnt.

On this module you will consider the relationship between American literature and the physical and symbolic spaces of its settings. In American culture concepts of space and setting have a particular relevance that dates back to events such as the declaration of independence, the founding of civic spaces, and the Californian gold rush. You will be challenged to think creatively, critically, and innovatively about physical space and literature. In doing so we will explore the relationship between American socio-economic history and the development of a specifically American literary tradition.

On this module we will consider whether we can meaningfully approach literary texts outside of their historical contexts. We will question whether a text can mean anything to anybody, or if are there more objective ways of understanding them. This module engages with some of the most fundamental questions in literary studies. It will equip you with the theoretical background and skills you need to offer insightful readings of any text, irrespective of when and where it was published.

This module explores the ways new forms of news and entertainment in the eighteenth century revealed the unstable boundaries between truth and fiction. This led to the emergence of literary forms that came to typify the literature of later periods, such as the novel. Print provided a forum for writers to express concern over different forms of power, an issue debated in terms of empire, political and religious authority and personal identity, and responsibility. On this module you will consider how the literature of this period deals with questions of personal liberty, love, sexuality, and desire. 

Science fiction has a history of encouraging readers and viewers to reflect on their post industrial choices, and consider how they have affected the wellbeing of the planet and its inhabitants. On this module we will draw on a range of critical perspectives around utopianism to approach landmark texts in the history of science fiction. You will also have the opportunity to get involved with our ongoing science fiction writing project, Terra Two: An Ark for Off-World Survival

This module considers the sentimental turn literature took at the end of the eighteenth century, and explores its impact on what followed in both the Romantic movement and the Gothic revival. The writers we study on this module reckon with the power of the imagination, the limits of perception, the nature of human society, and the affective potential of literature itself, as well as processing the events of an age characterised by revolution. The literature of this period not only reflects the reader's world, but seeks to change it. 

On this module we will consider how diseases and contagion are represented in narratives from the late Eighteenth century to the present day. We will trace connections, similarities and differences in the literary representation of the spread, symptoms, and management of disease, covering contagions from rabies to zombie viruses. The module considers how diseases in texts can reflect contemporary anxieties about society. As well as covering a broad range of historical periods, the module also draws on a number of genres from novels to films to TV series, and introduces texts such as medical handbooks and advertisements alongside literary works.

This is a dynamic module which explores Shakespeare’s works in their present day and early modern contexts through a range of perspectives. Considering their creative potential for performance, we will look at contemporary stagings of his plays, film and television adaptations. We will discuss Shakespeare's place in a national and global culture, and explore current discussions around colour/gender-conscious casting, considering the implications of casting on the way we understand the texts. Through this you will engage with a range of theoretical approaches, from new historicism, cultural materialism and postcolonialism, to feminist and queer readings.  

On this module you will encounter varied and interesting texts produced within and written about major conflicts of the 20th and early 21st centuries. We will start with depictions of the mechanised horror of the Western Front and progress through representations of:

• The Second World War
• The Spanish Civil War
• Vietnam
• The Troubles in Northern Ireland
• 9/11 and the War on Terror

We will read texts by writers as diverse as Martha Gellhorn, George Orwell and Kurt Vonnegut, and examine the complex relationship between language, experience, trauma and memory.

In your final year you will devise, plan and write an independent research project on a topic of your choice. You will be supported throughout this process by a supervisor with expertise in your chosen topic. This is an opportunity to develop further as an independent learner, demonstrating analytical skills which may include research in a fieldwork context. You can choose a short 5,000 word dissertation or a long 10,000 word option worth twice as many credits. You will also need to show awareness of your academic, professional and personal development through writing a learning journal.

On this module you will explore the complex and often problematic relationship between feminist ethics and the Abrahamic religions. You will draw on your understanding of the complexity of religious traditions and ethical theories, as you explore arguments made by feminist thinkers. You will also examine and reflect upon various presumptions, prejudices and discriminations made in relation to gender, at both theoretical and practical levels.

On this module you will apply the knowledge and understanding you have built through the course so far to a new area, using the medium of film to explore theological and ethical issues. We will introduce you to the language and conventions of film analysis, before supporting you to explore individual films or scenes in detail. As you move towards your final assignment you will investigate a theological theme or ethical concept through your choice of relevant films.

The negotiated study is your opportunity to carry out independent research into a topic of your choice, within the broad field of Theology and Religious Studies. You will work independently to develop a proposal, research the topic and negotiate your own direction. A tutor with specialist knowledge in the area you are focusing on will support you in this study.

This module will explore key themes and theories relating to the Holocaust and wider genocide studies. We will consider how different mediums such as art, literature and film have been used to articulate responses to the Holocaust. As part of the module you will visit a Holocaust centre or museum, giving you an in depth understanding of the effects of genocide on victims, bystanders, perpetrators and survivors.  

This module examines the role of religion in a global context through the application of theories concerning globalisation, secularisation, fundamentalism and migration. We will explore this through various media, including:

• Books
• Articles
• News items
• Film
• Literature
• Online media.

Throughout the module you will consider case studies illustrating specific religions interacting with global issues, to give context to the different theoretical perspectives.

On this module you will explore the role myth plays in explaining and defining human experience, from ancient mythology to popular culture. You will explore the religious nature of myth alongside theoretical explanations of how myth functions for individuals and communities. Through creative writing workshops and the study of established mythologies, you will have the opportunity to write your own myth.

On this module we will explore the role of the visual in religious practice and identity. Symbolism has always been important in religion, and today this imagery is given new meaning through its inclusion in public and personal spaces. You will respond to various forms of public art and visual objects which are informed by religion, including:

• Community wall art
• Statues
• Architecture
• Body art
• Mass produced imagery.

We will consider how these art forms can be inspirational or offensive, and how they can convey religious ideas in different political and cultural contexts.

Spirituality is now a widely discussed topic in debates about the place of religion within society. On this module you will investigate the concept of the spiritual revolution in contemporary society, considering its relationship with religion, secular society and economics. We will explore topics such as:

• The growing individualisation of religious belief
• Spiritual approaches to wellbeing and mindfulness
• Spiritual responses to environmental issues
• Changing attitudes and practices around death and mourning.

The Victorian poet Matthew Arnold said of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre that “the writer’s mind contains nothing but hunger, rebellion, and rage.” These are also themes that characterise much of the writing of the Victorian period. Whether the issues are societal or individual, many Victorian novels protest against the privations and injustices writers saw around them. At the same time, there were also funny, rude, and sensational texts, and texts which imagined a different kind of future in the emergent genre of science fiction. This module includes a variety of writing from across the Victorian era, and considers texts within the political, environmental, and social contexts in which they were produced.

Twentieth-century literature was formed in the crucible of revolutions, global conflicts, shifts in the planet’s ecology, and profound technological and social challenges to traditional patterns of life. This was an age of both genocide and Apartheid on the one hand, and an upsurge of claims for self-determination and human rights on the other. Literature developed in equally radical and often contradictory fashion, responding to political, social, and wider cultural shifts. On this module you will examine experimental and provocative texts across a range of forms, interrogating how modernity unfolded in the twentieth century, and asking questions about its continuing role in shaping the present.

This module takes literary trends, such as the vogue for young adult vampire fiction during the late 2000s, or the enthusiasm for fantasy fiction we’re experiencing in the 2020s, and situates them in a longer historical view. We will encourage you to consider broader narratives of subversion and experimentation, and confront questions about literary value, originality, and influence. We may look, for instance, at a recent work of Gothic fiction such as Colleen Hoover’s Verity (2018), alongside nineteenth-century sensationalist novels, eighteenth-century Gothic novels, the occult works of early modern figures, and even trace the novel’s influences all the way back to Dante’s thirteenth-century exploration of hell in Inferno. 

On this module you will investigate the theatrical experimentation that took place over the last century, and consider its impact on the contemporary stage. You will learn about the major movements and perspectives of the period in the context of wider intellectual, cultural and aesthetic debates. Through this we will explore the creative dynamics between:

• Tradition and innovation
• Word and image
• Writing and performance
• Reading and spectatorship.

This is an opportunity to get involved with a current staff research project. The topics on offer in any particular year will reflect the research being carried out by your tutors. This is a great way to be part of the research culture within the department and add to the creation of new knowledge. You will build further on the research skills you have already developed, which will help you with your own independent dissertation.

On this module you will examine a selection of texts from 20th century American literature, and relate these works to their cultural, social and political backgrounds. We will focus on texts that demonstrate formal innovation and experimentation, and the module reading list will reflect the huge variety evident in twentieth century American narrative and representation. You will read Native American, African American and Chinese-American texts alongside literature produced in the wake of radical social change such as Beat writing, Vietnam narratives, and responses to queer San Francisco.

On this module we will examine texts from the English-speaking Caribbean, a region that has produced two Nobel Prize winners in Literature. We will introduce you to a range of writing from and about the Caribbean, so that you can appreciate the longstanding global impact of this writing, and consider how it is currently being marked and remembered. We will particularly focus on the close connections of the past and present between Britain and the Caribbean.

On this module you will examine texts from a variety of locations, including Europe, the USA, Africa and the Asian subcontinent. Using these texts we will debate some of the contradictions of contemporary global society. You will consider:

• Whether local traditions or global culture has more impact in the modern world
• What those in one part of the world do or do not owe to those living in another
• Whether the popularity of literary texts which aim to represent and understand ‘the other’ is something to celebrate, or simply another form of exoticism.

On this module we will examine how different genders and sexualities are presented in film, literature, TV and a host of other media. We will investigate how different cultural groups use popular culture and literature to reinforce, challenge, transgress, or disrupt traditional gender expectations. This module challenges you to draw on all of the skills, theories and approaches encountered throughout your degree to interrogate the representation of gender roles and sexuality in popular culture.

This is a second opportunity to get involved with a current staff research project. As with Research Now I, the topics on offer in any particular year will reflect the research being carried out by your tutors. It's a great way to be part of the research culture within the department, while building your own research skills further.