Religion, Science and the Supernatural (RELN2520)
Information valid for Semester 1, 2025
Course level
Undergraduate
Faculty
Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
School
Historical & Philosophical Inq
Units
2
Duration
One Semester
Attendance mode
In Person
Class hours
Lecture 2 Hours/ Week
Tutorial 1 Hour/ Week
Assessment methods
Tutorial Participation (for Internal students)10%
Online Journal Entries(for External students)10%
Essay 1: Short Essay 35%
Essay 2: Research Essay 35%
Course enquiries
Associate Professor Tom Aechtner (Semester 1, St Lucia, In person, External)
Study Abroad
This course is pre-approved for Study Abroad and Exchange students.
Current course offerings
| Course offerings | Location | Mode | Course Profile |
| Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025) | St Lucia | In Person | Course Profile |
| Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025) | External | External | Course Profile |
Please Note: Course profiles marked as not available may still be in development.
Course description
This course examines the interactions between some of the most significant components of modern society: religion, ideas of the supernatural, and science. The course first provides historical views on these ways of understanding the world. It explores noteworthy religion and science events, including as the trial of Galileo and early religious responses to the theory of evolution. RELN2520 then tackles modern issues related to religion, the supernatural, and science, including creationism, questions about life elsewhere in the universe, the psychology of religion, religion and health, the rise of contemporary atheism, feminist critiques of religion and science, as well as religion and the Big Bang Theory.
