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Department of the Study of Religions

The Holocaust in Theology, Literature and Art

Course Code:
15PSRH028
Status:
Course Not Running 2012/2013
Unit value:
0.5
Year of study:
Any
Taught in:
Term 2
The purpose of the course is to analyse different representations of the Holocaust in 20th and 21st century theology, literature, film, and art. The impossibility of adequately expressing the horrors and atrocities of the Holocaust stands in contrast to the need to transmit knowledge about the Holocaust to later generations. How and to what extent is it legitimate to write fiction and poetry about the Holocaust, to address the Holocaust in art, and to make movies about it which are non-documentary and sometimes even have the form of comedy?

Objectives and learning outcomes of the course

At completion of the course students should be able to:

  • evaluate the role of the Holocaust in relation to modern Jewish identity;
  • explain how the Holocaust is dealt with in Jewish and Christian theology;
  • assess the different literary representations of the Holocaust in European, American, and Israeli literature;
  • analyse the ways in which the Holocaust is represented in post-ww2 films;
  • compare Holocaust museums and memorials with regard to the ways in which the Holocaust is presented there;
  • discuss whether and to what extent it is legitimate to represent the Holocaust in fiction and art;
  • write essays that critically assess and analyse the various representations of the Holocaust in theology, literature, and art.

Method of assessment

Coursework: one 5,000 word essay and presentation and assessment notes. Assessment: essay 80%; presentation (10%); assessment notes (10%)