THEOREL 302 : A History of the Apocalypse

Arts

2024 Semester Two (1245) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

An apocalypse is a divine revelation about the shape of history. It is written for a society in crisis, often describing that society’s collapse before the coming of a better world. This course traces the development of apocalyptic thought in the religions of the West, from the ancient Middle East through to apocalyptic themes in modern cultures.

Course Overview

Apocalyptic thought is still very much alive in the global cultures influenced by the Abrahamic faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. It can be seen in explicitly apocalyptic movements like ISIS or American Christian Zionism, but it is also implied when people talk about being on the "right side of history" or being "red-pilled." This course introduces you to the distinctive features of apocalyptic thought from its origins in Judaism through to its current manifestations in popular and political culture. Among the topics covered are early Jewish apocalyptic texts, Early Christianity as an apocalyptic sect, apocalyptic thought in Islam, American apocalypticism, apocalyptic thought as a response to European imperialism, secular apocalypses, apocalypses in popular culture.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: 30 points at Stage II Restriction: THEOREL 202

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: People and Place
Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4: Critical Thinking
Capability 6: Communication
Capability 7: Collaboration
Graduate Profile: Bachelor of Arts

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Gain a broad overview of the origin and development of apocalyptic thought over three millennia of human history. (Capability 3)
  2. Understand some of the ways in which apocalyptic thinking shapes the way in which many human societies still analyse the shape history, especially in times of crisis. (Capability 1 and 3)
  3. Understand some of the social, political and cultural conditions which draw humans to apocalyptic thought. (Capability 1 and 3)
  4. Develop the ability to read historical and contemporary texts in a critical way:- to identify how texts are shaped by their context and expected audience- to understand how interpretation of sacred texts changes over time- to identify and evaluate the arguments and evidence used by modern scholars. (Capability 1 and 4)
  5. Evaluate information about a highly contentious and complex field. (Capability 1, 3 and 4)
  6. Develop the ability to locate, use and evaluate scholarly sources of information, build collaborative relationships in a group project, and develop communication skills, including skills of oral presentation. (Capability 4, 6 and 7)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Short assignments 80% Individual Coursework
Presentation 20% Group Coursework

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 2 hours of lectures, a 1 hour tutorial, 4-5 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 2-3 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.

Deadlines for coursework are set by course convenors and will be advertised in course material. You should submit your work on time.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at scheduled activities, including tutorials, to complete the requirements of the course.

Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities will not be available as recordings.

The course will not include live online events.

The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Recommended Texts:
Before the semester starts, get a Bible and read:
Book of Daniel, chapters 7-12 
Mark 13
Matthew 24
1 Thessalonians 4-5
Book of Revelation (Apocalypse)
You can use any translation, but be aware that translations differ from each other. 
Try this site: http://www.bibleodyssey.org/bibles?SearchText=Daniel%207-12 to look at three modern English translations of our texts in parallel.

These are some other apocalyptic texts we'll be looking at in this course. Links will be provided via the TALIS reading lists in 2024, but feel free to locate and read them beforehand.
The Book of the Watchers (1 Enoch 1-36)
1-2 Maccabees
Qur'an 4. 157-159, 27.82-85, 18.92-101, 39.67-75, 81.1-14
Sahih Muslim 2947b, Book 54, Hadith 159
Sahih al-Bukhari 2476, Book 46, Hadith 37

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

No specific changes have been made in response to course feedback for 2022, but students are encouraged to offer feedback on course provision and design throughout the semester, as well as through SET feedback at the end of the semester.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

Well-being always comes first
We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - for more information, look at this Canvas page https://canvas.auckland.ac.nz/courses/33894, which has links to various support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption, we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the university website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.

Published on 28/10/2023 08:14 a.m.