Religion and Pluralism, Ancient & Modern

Rijksuniversiteit Groningen

						
							What were the limits of tolerance and acceptance? Which roles did inclusion and exclusion play in the ancient world? How were notions of self and other shaped, and what were their mutual influences?


					
open_in_newstudy website

locatieGroningen
diplomaMA 
typeregulier, 60 EC
start1 september
taalvolledig English
opleidingsduur12 maanden voltijd
accreditatiesNVAO
croho-code60824
numerus fixusnee
honoursnee
This MA track studies the existence and coexistence of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Exploring the impact of religious diversity on social identity formation in the Graeco-Roman and late antique periods until the rise of Islam, it analyses the role of tolerance and acceptance, of rejection and exclusion in their mutual relationships during the last two millennia.  
You will focus on a historical and philological analysis of the textual sources documenting the contacts among these religious traditions, approaching them from different angles and with diverse methods. Archaeology, codicology, paleography, epigraphy, textual analysis and interpretation illuminate each other in the scrutiny of the evidence concerning religious diversity in the ancient world. 
This MA track is unique due to both the interdisciplinary study of ancient Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions in one track, and the possibility of combining with a modern specialization. In it, students will encounter, firsthand, people from the ancient world and know how they grappled with religious diversity; they will envisage the varied religious roots of the modern world.


					

Waarom aan de University of Groningen?

integrated approach of religious pluralism, politics, and their many global interfaces
focus on historical context of modern societies
taught by internationally recognized experts in the field
opportunity to pursue your own research interests
expertise on various religions, taught at non-denominational university
possibility to combine with study of religious diversity in the modern world
part of Double Degree Programme Religion and Pluralism with the University of Córdoba

Studieprogramma

opbouw
1e jaar

opbouw

You can also follow this track within the two-year Research Master's programme in Theology and Religious Studies. See: https://www.rug.nl/masters/theology-religious-studies-research/

Another option is to specialize in religious pluralism throughout history and enroll in the Double Degree Programme Religion and Pluralism of the University of Groningen with the University of Córdoba: https://www.rug.nl/masters/ddm-religion-and-pluralism/

The programme consists of one core module on Religious Diversity in the Greco-Roman World (10 ECTS), Research Methods (5 ECTS), three electives (5 ECTS each), a thesis (20 ECTS), and a placement (10 ECTS).
For part-time options, please contact the student adviser.

	1	2	3
	periode
Compulsory: The Construction of Religious Identities in Europe: Religious Diversity in the Graeco-Roman World	10 EC
Elective: Texts of Terror keuzevak	5 EC
Compulsory: New Historical Methods for the Study of Christian Pluralism		5 EC
Elective: Interreligious Debates and Otherness in Iberian Societies keuzevak		5 EC
Elective: Reception and Re-Use of Authoritative Texts keuzevak		5 EC
Master's Thesis + thesis seminar afstuderen			20 EC
Internship stage			10 EC

tracks

track Double Degree Programme Religion and Pluralism

If you wish to understand religious pluralism throughout history, you might consider doing this track as part of the Double Degree Programme Religion and Pluralism with the University of Córdoba.

The Double Degree Programme consists of two Master's Programmes: Religion and Pluralism, Ancient and Modern (University of Groningen, The Netherlands) and Religious Pluralism: Jews, Greeks, and Arabs from the Post-Classical Era to the Early Modern Period (University of Córdoba, Spain).
The full programme takes 18 months and consits of 90 ECTS.

taal van onderwijs	100% en
avondonderwijs	n.v.t.
afstandsonderwijs	n.v.t.

onderwijsvormen

group discussion, individual assignment, internship, lecture, literature study, research, research proposal, oral presentation, self study, seminar, tutorial

study load

1 ECTS = 28 hrs. of study. One year contains of 60 ECTS. You will have on average 6 hrs. of lessons per week at the Faculty, the rest of the hours is reserved for preparation of the classes and studying.

study abroad

We have various exchange contracts with universities both inside and outside Europe, enabling students to follow part of their degree programme at a foreign university. Another option is to take an internship or to do part of the research work abroad.

For an overview of our exchange partners, see: https://www.rug.nl/ggw/education/exchange-programme/partner-universities

study guidance

Master's students are expected to show a large degree of independence. If necessary you can make use of various forms of study supervision and study support. For example, you can contact a mentor or your study advisor. While writing your thesis, you will receive personal supervision from one of the lecturers.

Immediately after arrival, students who gained their Bachelor's degree at a different faculty or university as well as international students will be allocated a mentor who will help them get to know the Faculty. You can also go to the study advisor if you have doubts about your abilities or for whatever reason run the risk of study delay. You will receive intensive supervision while writing your thesis. The Master's programme includes a thesis seminar, where attention is paid to how to tackle writing a Master's thesis, and where the progress of the process is monitored closely. You will also receive structural supervision from the lecturer who is the specialist in the field of your thesis.

Toelating en kosten

startmomenten

1 september 2024

aanmelding deadline : 1 mei 2024
wettelijk tarief : € 2530 (€1265 in het eerste jaar)
instellingstarief : € 15900
niet-EU/EER studenten : € 18700

1 september 2025

aanmelding deadline : 1 mei 2025
collegegeld nog niet bekend

International students and Dutch students with non-Dutch qualifications are not automatically admitted to a Master's degree programme at the University of Groningen. The full registration procedure will take longer than for Dutch students with regular Dutch qualifications and consists of three steps: application, admission and registration.

After you submit your application in Studielink, you will receive a message from Studielink stating that the University of Groningen (UG) has to verify your educational background through the Progress Portal. You will receive a separate email with your login details (make sure to also check your spam folder).
Check the application guide for international students for more information about the admissions procedure.
Students with a Dutch bachelor's degree send all the documentation by mail to studentoffice.rcs@rug.nl.

toelatingseisen

vooropleiding
Bachelor's degree in Theology, Religious Studies, Arts, Philosophy or Social Science (e.g. Anthropology, Psychology, Sociology). Depending on your former study and courses a reading package will be provided. We assume that you are aware of the concepts and theoretical discussions outlined in this literature. Students with another bachelor's degree may be admitted via a pre-master's programme.

cijferlijst
An overview of the courses from the bachelor's programme followed with an explanation of these courses.

taaltoets
An English language test for Dutch students is only important if you do not have a VWO-diploma. TOEFL: 90 internet; IELTS: 6.5 (6.0 on each part).
Exemption granted if:
-You are a native speaker of, and have completed your full secondary level education in: the USA, Canada (only when taught in English), the UK, Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand.
- You have completed a full-time Bachelor programme (nominal duration of at least three years) in: the USA, Canada (only when English taught), the UK, Ireland, Australia, or New Zealand.

If English was the medium of instruction during your previous education, but you do not meet any of the above mentioned requirements, you are still required to provide proof of your English language proficiency.

studie kosten

bron: University of Groningen
bedrag	kostenpost
€ 12000.00	levensonderhoudper jaar
€ 740.00	studiematerialenper jaar
€ 400.00	visa/permitper jaar

inbegrepen in collegegeld

registration fee

examination

De stad

studievereniging

Gerardus van der Leeuw

Gerardus van der Leeuw is the study association of the Faculty of Religion, Culture and Society at the University of Groningen.
Besides broadening activities (for example, lectures or career events) for both the Religious Studies and Theology programs, they organize relaxing activities such as get-togethers and trips abroad.

aan het woord: studenten en docenten

Arturo Diaz Guttierez Barriga - Mexico
Sara Vaz Velho de Noronha Penaguião - Portugal
Addy van der Woerd - NL

Arturo Diaz Guttierez Barriga - Mexico

One of my interests in religions is how they help in the formation of identities

I chose the program at the University of Groningen for two reasons: The historical and social approach that the program has (other universities have a more theological approach), and the opportunity of studying the three monotheistic religions (other programs are focused on Christianity or Islam). Also, I like the courses on texts studies.

My master’s thesis is about the split between Jews and Samaritans. Both religious communities share several beliefs, texts, practices, origins, and yet they are not the same...

For my internship, I will work at a historical research agency concentrating on museum design and exhibitions. They are currently working on the exhibition at the Jewish Museum in Groningen, and I will help with research. I will be a comparative study on several Jewish museums based in synagogues and how the religious aspect of the building might influence its use for cultural activities.I did my bachelor's in History at the Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana in Mexico City, and besides the cultural shock and the evident differences regarding the weather, living in Groningen has been a marvelous experience. The international environment in such a small city and its student essence makes studying at Groningen a great experience.After graduation, I would like to do research and teach at a university. The field of Religious Studies in Mexico is far from being developed and accepted at the universities. I want to help this to change. Also, as a former worker at a Research and Documentary Center of the Jewish Community, which also organizes cultural events, I want to collaborate on the planning of courses and activities for promoting an inter-religious society.

lees verder ...

Sara Vaz Velho de Noronha Penaguião - Portugal

I wanted to study the social aspects of religion

Previously, I studied Anthropology at the University of Lisbon (ISCSP) in Portugal and so I had come across pluralism before. Added to this, I knew that I wanted to study the social aspects of religion and find a course that looked at pluralism in history and debated it with reference to contemporary issues.

I have particularly enjoyed this mixture of historical and contemporary debate in the course...

My thesis involves research with young people in the Groningen Feminist Network and the academic research tools taught at the University of Groningen have been very instructive to my research. Our studies have included looking at both gender and sexuality, which are topics that both feed into my thesis and are large parts of many current debates- the small size of classes and quality of the lecturers have also really contributed to my experience.I hadn’t previously been to Groningen, and have been really happily surprised by the young spirit of the city. It’s the perfect combination of a small city where everything can be reached by foot or on bike whilst at the same time being full of life with a lot to explore. Overall, my experience has been extremely positive; both academically and for meeting people from lots of different countries and backgrounds. In the future I hope to work in education, and the MA here at the UG is setting me up well for this.

lees verder ...

Addy van der Woerd - NL

Unique perspective on historical-political issues and social inequality

I chose the Master's degree programme in Religion and Pluralism, Ancient and Modern because I saw it as a logical continuation of my Bachelor's programme in Theology in this Faculty, and the Philosophy of a specific discipline (Theology) in the Faculty of Philosophy. I was particularly excited by the part-historical, part-philosophical approach to substantive concepts such as 'religion'.Every course unit has a specific focus (historical, conceptual, thematic) and at least half your mark is based on a final essay...

Writing essays helps you to develop your organizational skills and discipline. If you know that planning isn’t your strongest point, don’t be afraid to say so. A bit of help from other people can go a long way!It’s fascinating to merge various approaches and fields of interest in my Master’s thesis. That’s why I combined early Islam with my interest in philosophy and hermeneutics, and ended with the ninth-century Arabic scholar Al-Kindi. He was the one who introduced Aristotelian concepts into Islamic ideology.The Master’s programme helps you develop a critical attitude and analytical skills. This gives you a unique perspective when it comes to historical-political issues and social inequality. If I can combine this with my placement field (a television company), I might soon find a job making documentaries. But I also have ambitions in politics, journalism and teaching.

lees verder ...

Keuzehulp

Studievergelijker

University of Groningen
Leiden University
Radboud University Nijmegen
University of Amsterdam
Tilburg University
VU University Amsterdam

1/22 University of Groningen
Religion and Pluralism, Ancient & Modern

€ 303 gemiddelde kamerhuur

4 eerstejaars

75% vrouw

? uur contacttijd/week

100% Engelstalig

instelling	opleiding	instroomeisen
Utrecht University	Leraar VHO godsdienst/levensbeschouwing full-time,part-time educational	geen aanvullende eisen
University of Amsterdam	Lerarenopleiding Godsdienst en levensbeschouwing educational	geen aanvullende eisen
University of Amsterdam	Lerarenopleiding Godsdienst en levensbeschouwing part-time educational	geen aanvullende eisen

Religion and Pluralism, Ancient & Modern

Rijksuniversiteit Groningen

Deze opleiding

Waarom aan de University of Groningen?

Studieprogramma

tracks

track Double Degree Programme Religion and Pluralism

Onderwijs

onderwijsvormen

study load

study abroad

study guidance

Toelating en kosten

startmomenten

toelatingseisen

studie kosten

inbegrepen in collegegeld

De stad

studievereniging

Gerardus van der Leeuw

aan het woord: studenten en docenten

Arturo Diaz Guttierez Barriga - Mexico

One of my interests in religions is how they help in the formation of identities

Sara Vaz Velho de Noronha Penaguião - Portugal

I wanted to study the social aspects of religion

Addy van der Woerd - NL

Unique perspective on historical-political issues and social inequality

Keuzehulp

Studievergelijker

Na de studie

Beroepsperspectief / arbeidsmarkt

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