Queer Theologies and Theories (THE2028)
| Staff | Professor Susannah Cornwall - Convenor |
|---|---|
| Credit Value | 30 |
| ECTS Value | 15 |
| NQF Level | 5 |
| Pre-requisites | None |
| Co-requisites | None |
| Duration of Module | Term 1: 11 weeks; |
Module aims
The main objective of the module is to provide you with specialised knowledge and critical understanding of queer Christian theologies and broader queer theories. An important aim of the seminars is to develop a thorough understanding of primary texts, some of them based in worshipping communities’ practices, and secondary texts, including commentaries on relevant literature. You will develop your skills in interpreting texts of various kinds, which may include e.g. visual art and film.
The module is research-led and will allow you to undertake your own project of applying queer theologies and theories to a practical task. It is also responsive to emerging queer practices within communities.
This module is expected to improve your future prospects via allowing you to develop your skills of evaluating and assessing theory, and negotiating complex arguments which are sometimes both politically and religiously freighted. You will be required to engage respectfully with others’ arguments and learn to disagree well.
The module contains various forms of assessment: summative (two essays, group presentation, participation) and formative (quizzes, tutorials), which tap into and develop distinct transferable skills: technical writing, identifying and reviewing the relevant literature; extracting the most relevant content and expressing it in brief form; working as part of a group, communicating complex data to an audience in an accessible form; and individual leadership skills.
ILO: Module-specific skills
- 1. Demonstrate knowledge of some of the major developments, questions and figures in queer theologies and queer critical theory
- 2. Apply your learning to assess the problems and potentials of queer theologies
- 3. Think and write with critical insight about the work of interpreting texts in queer perspective
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
- 4. Demonstrate an ability to analyse texts with nuance and to take account of their historical and political contexts
- 5. Develop and present a coherent argument with appropriate use of evidence and awareness of a range of alternative views
ILO: Personal and key skills
- 6. Undertake a short piece of research on a specified topic with limited guidance, showing that you can evaluate, organize and present complex material
- 7. Demonstrate consistency, creativity and rigour in method and argument
- 8. Exercise substantial autonomy in the management of your own learning
- 9. Participate appropriately in a learning group and contribute fully to a group task
Syllabus plan
Whilst the content may vary from year to year, it is envisioned that it will cover some or all of the following topics:
- Introduction to queer theologies and queer critical theory
- Queer Christologies
- Queer theology, ethnicity and race
- Constructive queer theologies
- Queer Christian practice
- Queer biblical interpretation
- Tensions between queer theologies and other critical approaches
You will typically engage with a range of resources which may include visual art, film, and written texts.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 33 | 267 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 22 | 11 x 2 hour lectures or equivalent |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 11 | 11 x 1 hour seminars or equivalent |
| Guided Independent Study | 30 | Preparation for group work presentation |
| Guided Independent Study | 237 | Reading and preparation for seminars and essays |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quizzes (ELE) | Two quizzes of 10 questions each | 1-9 | In-quiz feedback and class discussion |
| Tutorial | 15-minute tutorial with lecturer | 1-9 | Oral feedback from tutor; reflection on self-reflexive feedback |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay 1 | 40 | 2500 words | 1-9 | Written feedback and tutorial |
| Essay 2 | 40 | 2500 words | 1-9 | Written feedback |
| Group presentation | 10 | 5 minutes or equivalent per student | 1-9 | Written and oral feedback |
| Participation | 10 | Continuous assessment based on threshold tasks | 1-3, 8-9 | Written and oral feedback |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay 1 | Essay | 1-9 | Referral/Deferral period |
| Essay 2 | Essay | 1-9 | Referral/Deferral period |
| Group presentation | Script (and slides where relevant) as for individual presentation 500 words | 1-9 | Referral/Deferral period |
| Participation | Assessment of engagement with threshold tasks as appropriate | 1-3, 8-9 | Referral/Deferral period |
Re-assessment notes
Deferral – if you miss an assessment for certificated reasons judged acceptable by the Mitigation Committee, you will normally be either deferred in the assessment or an extension may be granted. The mark given for a re-assessment taken as a result of deferral will not be capped and will be treated as it would be if it were your first attempt at the assessment.
Referral – if you have failed the module overall (i.e. a final overall module mark of less than 40%) you will be required to submit a further assessment as necessary. If you are successful on referral, your overall module mark will be capped at 40%.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
- Cheng, Patrick S. (2011), Radical Love: An Introduction to Queer Theology , New York, NY: Seabury Books
- Cornwall, Susannah (2011), Controversies in Queer Theology , London: SCM Press
- Lightsey, Pamela (2015), Our Lives Matter: A Womanist Queer Theology , Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock
- Loughlin, Gerard (ed.) (2007), Queer Theology: Rethinking the Western Body , Oxford: Blackwell
- Tonstad, Linn Marie (2018), Queer Theology: Beyond Apologetics, Eugene, OR: Cascade
Module has an active ELE page?
Yes
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
Available as distance learning?
No
Origin date
06/11/2017
Last revision date
11/08/2020
Key words search
Queer, theology, Christian, queer theology, queer theory