Overview
In the first section we introduce Māori spirituality and religious practices. We then use this knowledge as a lens to understand and compare key components of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam.
A uniquely Aotearoa New Zealand introduction to what the world’s different spiritual and religious traditions have to offer and how they affect all of us, ‘believers’ or not.
Beginning with Aotearoa’s own Indigenous spiritual traditions and practices, we will investigate the distinguishing features of spirituality and religion, and the central significance of worldviews which incorporate a spiritual realm or wairua dimension, interactions with powerful beings, ideas of tapu and noa, extraordinary spiritual experiences, and the way spiritual and religious practices infuse everyday life.
Having worked through some methods to analyse spirituality and religion, the course provides a basic familiarity with key aspects of the ‘Big Four’ religions: Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam. In this way, the course aims both for an introductory understanding of how spiritualities and religions work in people’s lives, and also for an appreciation of elements they share in common: such as why rituals are so important to spirituality and religion and how they function, the events that cause spiritual or religious traditions to originate or to change and develop, how they provide social solidarity or alternatively division, the way they are impacted by colonialism, and their authorisation of types of ethical behaviour.
About this paper
| Paper title | Māori Spirituality and the World’s Religions |
|---|---|
| Subject | Religious Studies |
| EFTS | 0.1500 |
| Points | 18 points |
| Teaching period(s) | Semester 2
(On campus)
Semester 2 (Distance learning) |
| Domestic Tuition Fees ( NZD ) | $1,040.70 |
| International Tuition Fees | Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website. |
- Restriction
- RELS 101 and RELS 102
- Schedule C
- Arts and Music, Theology
- Eligibility
No prior knowledge of spiritualities or religion is required.
- Contact
Deane Galbraith: deane.galbraith@otago.ac.nz
- More information link
View more information on the Religion website: www.otago.ac.nz/religion
- Teaching staff
Deane Galbraith: deane.galbraith@otago.ac.nz
Will Sweetman: will.sweetman@otago.ac.nz
Ben Schonthal: ben.schonthal@otago.ac.nz- Paper Structure
This course is organised in two parts:
- Māori spirituality and religious practices.
- Key components of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam.
- Teaching Arrangements
- On-campus students will meet two days a week. There will also be tutorials held every second week.
- The Distance Learning offering of this paper is taught remotely. Zoom tutorials will also be run for distance students every second week.
- Textbooks
The paper’s resources are fully web-based. Students will be provided with a course book, detailed study guide, streamed and recorded lectures, and all required reading materials via Blackboard.
No text book is required.- Graduate Attributes Emphasised
Cultural understanding, Global perspective, Research, Scholarship, Critical thinking, Communication, Ethics.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes.- Learning Outcomes
Students who successfully complete the paper will be able to:
- Identify and discuss the principal characteristics of Māori spirituality and spiritual practices, at an introductory level.
- Understand and analyse historical and contemporary developments in Māori spiritual practices and beliefs in light of the impact of colonialization.
- Identify and discuss select elements of the four major world religions, at an introductory level: Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam.
- Analyse and understand a selection of key methodological issues in the critical study of spirituality and religion, achieved in part by comparison of Māori spirituality with world religions.
- Assessment details
- 4 short online quizzes: 30%
- 1 essay: 20%
- Final exam (multichoice and short-answer questions with options): 50%