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ASR310 - Mysticism and Religious Experience

Year:

2020 unit information

Offering information:

Commences 2021

Enrolment modes:

Trimester 2: Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Cloud (online)

Credit point(s):1
EFTSL value:0.125
Unit Chair:John Powers
Prerequisite:

Nil

Corequisite:

Nil

Incompatible with:

Nil

Scheduled learning activities - campus:

1 x 1-hour class per week, 1 x 1-hour seminar per week

Scheduled learning activities - cloud:

Learning experiences are via CloudDeakin

Content

Mysticism and Religious Experience focuses on descriptions of advanced meditative states and spontaneous encounters with transcendent beings by some of the most important figures in world religions. It is a historical and topical survey of some of the world's major mystical traditions, which will be concerned with the principal characteristics of mysticism in Hinduism, Buddhism, Daoism, and Islam and with the thoughts and practices of some major figures in these traditions. Other related concerns will be questions about (1) the nature of religious experience and its relationship to religious authority; (2) the psychology of religion, especially of mystical religion; (3) contrasts between mysticism and other forms of religious experience, such as prophetism; and (4) implications of mystical experience for religious belief and theological expression. We will begin by considering some of the most influential models for analysing and categorising accounts by mystics and the systems in which they trained, and this theoretical background will enable us to compare and contrast these descriptions in a global religious perspective.

 

These are the Learning Outcomes (ULO) for this unit

At the completion of this unit, successful students can:

Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes

ULO1

 Apply discipline specific methodology to critically analyse reports of mystical experiences in four traditions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Daoism, and Islam

GLO1 Discipline knowledge and capabilities

GLO4 Critical thinking

ULO2

Examine and explain how mystics and their reported experiences have influenced the development of their respective traditions.

GLO1 Discipline knowledge and capabilities

GLO4 Critical thinking

ULO3

Evaluate influential interpretive models for understanding mysticism

GLO1 Discipline knowledge and capabilities

GLO4 Critical thinking

ULO4

 Understand and critique the relation between the doctrines of religious traditions, the training regimens of mystics, and the reported outcomes of their training.

GLO1 Discipline knowledge and capabilities

GLO4 Critical thinking

These Unit Learning Outcomes are applicable for all teaching periods throughout the year.

Assessment

Assessment table
Assessment Description Student output Grading and weighting
(% total mark for unit)		 Indicative due week
Assessment 1 (Individual) - Research and Writing Exercise 1000 words 25% Week 4
Assessment 2 (Individual) - Journal 1000 words 25% Ongoing
Assessment 3 (Individual) - Essay 2000 words 50% Week 11

The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.

Unit Fee Information

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