TFF4005 – Theory and Method in the Study of Theology and Religion

The course introduces you into research methods in the study of religion and theology, with the explicit goal to assist you in the development of your MA thesis project. You will learn how to develop a good research question, generate a coherent research design, collect data and analyze data/materials. The course will be concerned with approaches to gather new data as well as with the analysis of already existing data and materials (e.g. biblical texts). We will discuss ethical challenges of research as well as concerns pertaining moral presuppositions, situatedness and positioning in designing research projects.

The course will provide a keen attention to the production of a first draft of a research proposal for your master thesis. Therefore, the teaching will involve interactive sessions to discuss your ideas for a research question, research design, as well as potential methodological challenges of your project. This course will be a first and crucial step towards your master thesis.

• Ability to develop a research question and to critically reflect on its quality.
• Knowledge of different research methods in the study of religion and theology.
• Ability to make informed choices about planning and designing a research project for a MA thesis.
• Ability to critically assess the use of methods in relation to the research question and available data/ material.
• Understand the use of methods to produce new knowledge about religion and theology.
• Ability to formulate and solve complex problems.

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The teaching language of this course is English. Each course session lasts three teaching hours and involves lecture parts as well as interactive exercises to apply and reflect on the learned contents.

Mandatory activities:

The course design and the learning contents require the participation of students in the course. Therefore, attendance at the course sessions is compulsory. If you are unable to attend a lesson, you can arrange an absence with the teacher. An absence of 20% can be agreed. If you need more absences and have a valid reason (e.g. illness) further absences can be agreed upon.

Moreover, the course involves the following mandatory tasks:

1. Describe the orientation criteria for the development of a good research question. Draft two or three potential research questions for your master thesis. Discuss how each of these meet the orientation criteria for the development of a good research question (500 words).
2. Describe what a research design is and sketch a potential research design (i.e. selection and application of methods) for your master thesis. Suggest how the planned methods will allow you to answer your research question, refer to the course teaching and the literature from the reading list to do so (600 words).
3. Write a first short draft of the research proposal for your thesis, including a short introduction to the topic, research question, selection of methods, and reflection on positionality and ethical issues (1000-1500 words). Prepare the draft in light of insights from course teaching and literature from the reading list.
4. Presentation of ideas for the research proposal in the group supervision meeting and providing peer feedback to fellow students’ ideas for the research proposal.
5. E-learning course on data protection. The course takes 2-3 hours to complete and is conducted in Canvas. You can find more information on this website.

Term paper, 3000-4000 words.

The exam consists in a coherent proposal for the master thesis including (a) working title of the thesis, (b) introduction and previous research on the topic, (c) research question, (d) selection and planned application of research methods (research design), (e) critical reflection on research ethics, positionality, and potential challenges of the planned thesis.

Previous exams and grading guidelines