Essay Questions 2021-22
Module: Religions in Dialogue and Conflict (TRS020L439S)
Assignment: 3,000-word essay. Deadline: 2 pm on 25th April. You are asked to submit the essay via Turnitin.
Please answer one of the following questions:
1. Discuss the practical and theological questions that arise from the encounter of persons from different faith traditions.
2. Critically evaluate the proposals of Dupuis, Heim and Karkkainen for a Trinitarian theology of religions.
2. Discuss and critically evaluate the ‘fourfold’ dialogues of common life, common action, religious experience and theological exchange?
3. Religions can cause conflict and violence, but they can also contribute to building peace. Discuss with reference to either Christianity or Islam.
4. In what way and to what extent can the figure of Mary, the mother of Jesus, be a model/basis for interfaith dialogue between Muslims and Christians? For your argument make use of Quranic passages and/or academic scholarly works.
5. Discuss and critically evaluate Pentecostal contributions to theology of religions and inter-faith dialogue.
6. Provide a critical examination of the origins, challenges and prospects for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
7. Analyse and critically assess the phenomenon of Hindutva, Hindu nationalism.
8. What are the peculiarly Indian elements in Dalit theology and what questions does it raise for the future direction of the Christian encounter with Hinduism?
9. How are ethics and meditative practice configured in Buddhism? What can Christians learn from Buddhists for their own commitment to social justice?
10. “As for Muhammad’s time in Medina, the mediaeval [Christian] polemic against him is marked above all by two groups of motives: his conduct of war and his sexual life, both [considered to be] not worthy of a prophet anyhow” (Noth, A., in The Encyclopedia of Islam, 2nd ed. Vol 7 , 1993, p. 380).
Explain this statement, select and analyse ONE of the two motives provided by polemicists, and critically respond to their argument. Provide evidence from reliable scholarly sources.
NB: use a scholarly balanced approach to analyse both argument and counter-argument.