ObjectivesThe aim of the course is to offer an initial grounding in interfaith relations for interested women and men, from within the Catholic community and beyond. The course will introduce students to theological study in the Catholic tradition; to ecumenical and interfaith dialogue in the Catholic and Christian context. Students will undertake a preliminary study of other faiths, especially Judaism and Islam, and will develop skills in social and cultural analysis, engagement and dialogue, with a view to preparing themselves for leadership in interfaith relations.
Entry requirementsBachelor degree or equivalent.
Academic titleGraduate Certificate in Interfaith Relations
Course descriptionGraduate Certificate in Interfaith Relations
GradCertInterfaithRel
40 cp
Minimum duration: 6 months full-time or equivalent part-time.
Course available at: Canberra, ACT
EFTSL value of units: All 10 cp units in this course have an EFTSL value of 0.125. Units with a cp value of a multiple of 10 have corresponding EFTSL values.
1. Requirements for Completion of the Graduate Certificate
To qualify for the Graduate Certificate, a student must complete 40 cp from the Schedule of Unit Offerings.
Schedule of Unit Offerings
Unit Code Credit Points Unit Name
ECUM500 10 Ecumenical and Interfaith Dialogue
ECUM501 10 Judaism and Islam
ECUM502 10 Socio-Cultural Analysis and Leadership in Interfaith Relations
THEO558 10 Foundations of Christian Faith
ECUM500 Ecumenical and Interfaith Dialogue
10 cp
Prerequisites Nil
Teaching Organisation 2 contact hours per week for 12 weeks or equivalent of lectures, tutorials and workshops.
The unit explores church teaching – with a particular focus on the teaching of the Catholic Church – on the Christian call to dialogue in ecumenical and interfaith situations. Theological issues, such as the role of Jesus Christ in salvation and the church's mission of proclamation and dialogue, are examined in historical and contemporary contexts. Specific dialogues are considered with the view to developing a practical theology of ecumenical and interfaith relations.
ECUM501 Judaism and Islam
10 cp
Prerequisites Nil
Teaching Organisation 2 contact hours per week for 12 weeks or equivalent of lectures, tutorials and workshops.
The unit aims, firstly, to provide students with a basic introduction both to Judaism and Islam, their origins and forms, their beliefs and practices, and their legal codes and social life. In the second part of the unit students will explore, as a practical exercise in interfaith relations, a particular question in either one or other of the two religions (eg, theological aspects of the Shoah, or Islam and socio-political life), or a particular aspect of dialogue between Christians and the other two Abrahamic religions (eg, in cooperating to alleviate human misery). The methodological emphasis in this unit is on Jewish and Muslim self-understanding and on authentication from within each religion of the variety of traditions that are found there.
ECUM502 Socio-Cultural Analysis and Leadership in Interfaith Relations
10 cp
Prerequisites Nil
Teaching Organisation 2 contact hours per week for 12 weeks or equivalent of lectures, tutorials and workshops.
This unit focuses on social and cultural analysis and on engagement as a critical and practical approach to leadership in the context of interfaith relations and dialogue between religious traditions. It introduces students to the field of social and cultural analysis providing methodologies for relating theology, and the study of religious faith traditions, to the social sciences. The emphasis throughout is on the need for adequate social and cultural analysis to underpin interfaith dialogue and serve as the foundation for authentic leadership in and between religious faiths. The unit helps students develop skills in engagement and dialogue as key features of leadership in the field of interfaith relations.
THEO558 Foundations of Christian Faith
10 cp
Prerequisites Nil
Incompatible THEO695 Foundations of Christian Faith
Teaching Organisation 2 hours per week for 12 weeks or equivalent. The unit may be offered on-campus and online.
This unit will introduce students to the study of Catholic theology. It explores the foundational perspectives of the Christian tradition in relation to God, Jesus, Church and sacraments and seeks to encourage students to critically reflect on religious faith as practiced in a diverse and pluralistic world.