The End of the World: Apocalyptic Visions of History

Learning Outcomes

Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Discuss the historical background of apocalyptic thought and literature up to Late Antiquity.
• Analyse the relationship between Jewish apocalyptic literature and Christian apocalyptic texts and motifs.
• Interpret critically a variety of primary sources from the period up to Late Antiquity.
• Evaluate critically the theoretical and methodological approaches used by scholars working on apocalyptic.
• Explain your own views on debates within the fields of apocalyptic and Jewish-Christian-Muslim relations up to Late Antiquity.
• Explain the significance of apocalypses for the history of the Eastern Mediterranean up to Late Antiquity, and for understanding of the relationship between groups of Jews, Christians and Muslims and the empires with which they interact.
• Express familiarity with the content of apocalyptic writings and themes from the Ancient World.

Transferable and Generic Skills

Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:

• Work independently on complex tasks.
• Communicate a coherent and convincing argument in written formats.
• Organise and structure material to write confidently. 
• Display effective time management.

Knowledge and Understanding

Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:

• The relationships between Jews, Christians, Muslims and other societies up to Late Antiquity and what this contributes to knowledge of the Ancient World.
• Key events and environments in the history of the Eastern Mediterranean up to Late Antiquity.
• The latest research on the subjects of apocalyptic, the history of Late Antiquity and Jewish-Christian-Muslim relations.
• The genre of apocalyptic.
• Key primary sources that provide evidence for relations between Jews, Christians, Muslims and their neighbours, and what they show about attitudes to historical events.

Indicative list of topics:

• the nature and significance of the genre of apocalyptic sources
• the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Greeks
• the Jewish War against Rome
• the Byzantine-Persian wars and conquest of Jerusalem
• the emergence of Islam and the Arab conquests
• themes in apocalyptic primary sources

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching methods include:

• Lectures introducing key topics
• Seminars to discuss primary sources and scholarship
• Individual essay tutorials

Learning methods include:

• Preparatory reading before each seminar
• Participation in seminar discussion
• Close analysis of diverse primary sources in seminars
• Independent reading of the sources provided and of related scholarly works
• Independent research of additional information and source materials

Lecture elements will provide you with general knowledge and understanding about chronology, sources and key concepts. This will be consolidated through readings and seminar discussions of primary and scholarly source material. Discussion in seminars will help you to develop your own ideas about a topic, to analyse a range of source material and to articulate a critical argument.

Resources & Reading list

Textbooks

J J Collins (1984). The Apocalyptic Imagination. New York: Crossroad.

E K Rosen (2008). Apocalyptic Transformation: Apocalypse and the Postmodern Imagination. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.

M Himmelfarb (2010). The apocalypse: a brief history. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.

J J Collins (2014). The Oxford Handbook of Apocalyptic Literature. Oxford: OUP.

M G Reddish (1990). Apocalyptic Literature: A Reader. Nashville: Abingdon.

Assessment strategy

Assessment StrategyAssessments designed to provide informal feedback:

• You will engage in small group exercises, focusing on specific formative tasks, which will be reviewed in class
• You will be encouraged to discuss preparation for your formal assessment with your tutor
• You will have the opportunity to seek individual advice on your work in progress from your tutor
• Guidance and advice in class on preparation, completion and presentation of assignments will be available to you

The formal assessments will promote skills of analysis and critical thinking. They will also reinforce organisational, planning and writing skills.

Summative

This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.

Referral

This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.

Repeat

An internal repeat is where you take all of your modules again, including any you passed. An external repeat is where you only re-take the modules you failed.

Repeat Information

Repeat type: Internal & External