This unit explores and critiques the history and ideas underpinning popular representations of Christianity (e.g. The Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons). It aims to investigate the construction of religious cultures in their broader context: versions of the life of Jesus; saints' lives (e.g. the role of Mary Magdalene); relics and legends (e.g. the Holy Grail); the role of societies (e.g. medieval Templars and the modern Opus Dei); the impact of new thinking on artists (da Vinci, Botticelli) and on Christian architectural and artistic representations; the popularity of popular Christianities in the new millennium. -- Course Website
Instructor: Dr Peter Howard
