A Survey of the History of Israelin Old Testament times . The Faith of thr OT depicted in tems of historical development,but also in relation to the social,politacal and religius situation in the comtemporary peoples and cultures of the Anicent Near East. The origin and the main characteristiscs of the individual books of the OT discussed. The afterlife of some OT texts also discussed.

The topic of this course is the history of the Christian religion from the beginning to our times. The course is an introductory and overview course and will, on the basis of recent research, discuss the most significant characteristics of the main periods in the history of the Christian religion. In its survey, it will proceed chronologically, i.e. moving from the early Christian period through history to the modern era. The course will also explore particular themes appearing in different historical and cultural contexts. The themes are 1) orthodoxy and heresy, 2) the Christian religion and violence, 3) the formation of historical secularities, 4) monastic movements. Although the course will center on the dispersion and development of the Christianity in Europe, its spread will be discussed from a global perspective as well. Theoretically and methodologically, the course belongs to the discipline of the history of religon.

The aim of this course is to provide a historical overview of Christian thought. A special emphasis will be on the formation of creedal texts as well as the history and characteristics of various denominations.

This course deals with both theological and philosophical ethics. The focus is on the most important, Western theories of ethics as well as ethical concepts. Special weight is on Biblical ethics and Christian ethics, both historically and current.

The course contains a discussion of the beginnings of Early Christianity as well as of its historical and ideological background. Special emphasis will be given to the roots of Christianity in early Judaism. Attention will also be paid to the ideological roots of Christianity in Hellenistic thought. Early Christian literature will be discussed with emphasis on a historical approach to the sources. Included is a general discussion of the nature and form of writings of this sort. In this way, a basis will be laid for a qualified interpretation of and research into Early Christian literature.

Bible Hebrew for beginners.

What impact does the New Testament have today? Is it good or bad? How should we approach religious texts like the writings of the New Testament that belong to an entirely different paradigm in terms of knowledge? What value and benefits can and should such texts have today? These are the general core questions that students in this course will address, on the basis of a number of New Testament texts that relate to select contemporary issues. Special attention is paid to social issues and questions of human rights that biblical texts have or have had an impact on, for better or for worse. Various aspects of fundamentalism in biblical interpretation will be addressed in search for appropriate academic responses to such approaches. Students will also address the question of the value and benefits of the New Testament in our society, whether for individuals or in a professional context, for instance, related to social welfare or pastoral care.

The Qur´an, the scripture of Islam, is one of history´s most influential texts. Muslims believe that the Qur´an literally contains God´s word. Therefore, this book forms the foundation of Islam´s major religious ideas. At the same time, there has been an ongoing debate about to what extent the Qur´an can provide solutions to contemporary problems. In this course, the history and the main religious, legal and political issues of the Qur´an will be evaluated. After discussing the Qur´an organization and early history,  the following issues will be scrutinized: the Qur´an self image, the creation of the world and apocalypse, justice, views of other religions (especially Christianity and Judaism), the status of women, political authority and when, how or whether to wage war.

What is the field of Church Denominations and how does one distinguish between church, denomination and congregation? What is ecumenism? What is the academic contribution of World Christianity and Missiology to Church Denominations? What is the history of church denominations, and how do they branch out and unite? What is common to the denominations? The course addresses dogmas, organization, issues and practices of majority churches and movements in the world. The course discusses the work of church denominations in Iceland and the development of legislation regulating religious communities. Finally, the course discusses the relations between World Christianity, ecumenical bodies and mission in and between church denominations.

The Lutheran worship service  is a ritual that builds on ancient tradition of liturgy and church music, yet also innovative and contextual. Each service is rooted in components of liturgy, church music, diakonia and homiletics. In the service, experts and volunteers come together in diverse leadership roles and complex collaboration.  The course is vocational and practical and has two different foci. It focuses on the one hand on singing together and learning about liturgical music, and, on the other, on  the preparation and performance of a worship service. In the singing part of the course, the focus is on singing-along with others, vocal training and training in liturgy and hymnody. The cultural heritage of the hymnody will be introduced.  In the project management part of the course, students learn long time planning of events, and to work together in groups to plan the service, articulation, enunciation and to plan a worship service on the public radio. The course is a restricted elective course for students in vocational training to become pastors or deacons, but a free elective course for other students who want to get a deeper understanding of worship and Church music, such as students in Church music or singing.

Attn: This elective course cannot be taken instead of the compulsory course GFR076F Liturgy and Hymnology

Lectures on the church, its nature,part,religious life and sacraments.

The primary purpose of this course is to provide students with a basis on which to read and interpret the texts of the New Testament independently. The main elements of the grammatical structure of ancient Greek will be studied and text examples from the New Testament and other early Christian texts will be read for that purpose. Special emphasis will be put on the knowledge and use of ancient Greek within the fields of theology and religious studies.

Bible Hebrew for beginners.

The course is mostly designed for ordained ministry in the Lutheran Church of Iceland, but is also suitable as part of other professional studies of care, which use the methods and knowledge of spiritual care, such as social workers and nurses. 

In this course, the roles, methods and tools of pastoral and spiritual care are defined and discussed  how these tools apply to liturgy, discussions, mediation and group work. The importance of interdisciplinary collaboration to pastoral and spiritual care is sketched in relation to theories and practices of other academic fields, such as psychology of religion. Theories of grief and bereavement, challenges of old age, loneliness, trauma and growth are applied to concrete examples. The context and practices of pastoral and spiritual care is analyzed. The group goes to field trips and the course focuses on active engagement through role play and case study.

In this course selected Old Testament prophetic literature will be read and analyzed on historical, literary, linguistic and theological grounds. Efforts will be made to answer questions about the texts’ history of origin, their structure and message of individual pericopes in their time of making, as well as regarding the message of the final form of the respective prophetic books in the historical context of early Judaism. Selected texts will be read in the original Hebrew and thus students will be able to utilize the basic knowledge they have acquired in the course Hebrew GFR326G.  

The topic of this course is the relationship between Christianity and politics through history. The relations between religion and politics has influenced the development of Christianity more than most other components in its history. Although the course will geographically center on Christianity in Europe, it will also include, for contrast and comparison, examples from other regions and religions. Source work will concentrate on primary sources from Northern Europe but also include sources from other regions. The course will proceed chronologically, discussing the relationship between religion and politics in 1) early Christianity, 2) late antiquity, 3) the Middle Ages 4) the period of the Reformation, 5) the modern era. Christian religious ideas which have been prominently used in the field of politics will receive particular attention. Theories on the relationship between religion and politics in the field of the history of religion, theology, philosophy, sociology, and political science will be introduced.

The focus of this course will be on the theology of Martin Luther, and the historical reasons for his reformation. Different types of Luther’s writings will be read, covering key theological themes. Emphasis will also be put on the main events in Luther’s life, and the historical settings of his writings.

The course builds on the students´s previous knowledge in ancient Greek, and their skills to read the New Testament in Greek is strengthened. For that purpose selected passages from the Gospel of Mark as well as the Gospel of John are read, with support from grammatical, lexical and other appropriate tools. The course will also serve as preparation for exegesis of the New Testament.

What impact does the New Testament have today? Is it good or bad? How should we approach religious texts like the writings of the New Testament that belong to an entirely different paradigm in terms of knowledge? What value and benefits can and should such texts have today? These are the general core questions that students in this course will address, on the basis of a number of New Testament texts that relate to select contemporary issues. Special attention is paid to social issues and questions of human rights that biblical texts have or have had an impact on, for better or for worse. Various aspects of fundamentalism in biblical interpretation will be addressed in search for appropriate academic responses to such approaches. Students will also address the question of the value and benefits of the New Testament in our society, whether for individuals or in a professional context, for instance, related to social welfare or pastoral care.

The Qur´an, the scripture of Islam, is one of history´s most influential texts. Muslims believe that the Qur´an literally contains God´s word. Therefore, this book forms the foundation of Islam´s major religious ideas. At the same time, there has been an ongoing debate about to what extent the Qur´an can provide solutions to contemporary problems. In this course, the history and the main religious, legal and political issues of the Qur´an will be evaluated. After discussing the Qur´an organization and early history,  the following issues will be scrutinized: the Qur´an self image, the creation of the world and apocalypse, justice, views of other religions (especially Christianity and Judaism), the status of women, political authority and when, how or whether to wage war.

What is the field of Church Denominations and how does one distinguish between church, denomination and congregation? What is ecumenism? What is the academic contribution of World Christianity and Missiology to Church Denominations? What is the history of church denominations, and how do they branch out and unite? What is common to the denominations? The course addresses dogmas, organization, issues and practices of majority churches and movements in the world. The course discusses the work of church denominations in Iceland and the development of legislation regulating religious communities. Finally, the course discusses the relations between World Christianity, ecumenical bodies and mission in and between church denominations.

The Lutheran worship service  is a ritual that builds on ancient tradition of liturgy and church music, yet also innovative and contextual. Each service is rooted in components of liturgy, church music, diakonia and homiletics. In the service, experts and volunteers come together in diverse leadership roles and complex collaboration.  The course is vocational and practical and has two different foci. It focuses on the one hand on singing together and learning about liturgical music, and, on the other, on  the preparation and performance of a worship service. In the singing part of the course, the focus is on singing-along with others, vocal training and training in liturgy and hymnody. The cultural heritage of the hymnody will be introduced.  In the project management part of the course, students learn long time planning of events, and to work together in groups to plan the service, articulation, enunciation and to plan a worship service on the public radio. The course is a restricted elective course for students in vocational training to become pastors or deacons, but a free elective course for other students who want to get a deeper understanding of worship and Church music, such as students in Church music or singing.

Attn: This elective course cannot be taken instead of the compulsory course GFR076F Liturgy and Hymnology

Lectures on the church, its nature,part,religious life and sacraments.

The course is mostly designed for ordained ministry in the Lutheran Church of Iceland, but is also suitable as part of other professional studies of care, which use the methods and knowledge of spiritual care, such as social workers and nurses. 

In this course, the roles, methods and tools of pastoral and spiritual care are defined and discussed  how these tools apply to liturgy, discussions, mediation and group work. The importance of interdisciplinary collaboration to pastoral and spiritual care is sketched in relation to theories and practices of other academic fields, such as psychology of religion. Theories of grief and bereavement, challenges of old age, loneliness, trauma and growth are applied to concrete examples. The context and practices of pastoral and spiritual care is analyzed. The group goes to field trips and the course focuses on active engagement through role play and case study.

In this course selected Old Testament prophetic literature will be read and analyzed on historical, literary, linguistic and theological grounds. Efforts will be made to answer questions about the texts’ history of origin, their structure and message of individual pericopes in their time of making, as well as regarding the message of the final form of the respective prophetic books in the historical context of early Judaism. Selected texts will be read in the original Hebrew and thus students will be able to utilize the basic knowledge they have acquired in the course Hebrew GFR326G.  

The topic of this course is the relationship between Christianity and politics through history. The relations between religion and politics has influenced the development of Christianity more than most other components in its history. Although the course will geographically center on Christianity in Europe, it will also include, for contrast and comparison, examples from other regions and religions. Source work will concentrate on primary sources from Northern Europe but also include sources from other regions. The course will proceed chronologically, discussing the relationship between religion and politics in 1) early Christianity, 2) late antiquity, 3) the Middle Ages 4) the period of the Reformation, 5) the modern era. Christian religious ideas which have been prominently used in the field of politics will receive particular attention. Theories on the relationship between religion and politics in the field of the history of religion, theology, philosophy, sociology, and political science will be introduced.

The focus of this course will be on the theology of Martin Luther, and the historical reasons for his reformation. Different types of Luther’s writings will be read, covering key theological themes. Emphasis will also be put on the main events in Luther’s life, and the historical settings of his writings.

The course builds on the students´s previous knowledge in ancient Greek, and their skills to read the New Testament in Greek is strengthened. For that purpose selected passages from the Gospel of Mark as well as the Gospel of John are read, with support from grammatical, lexical and other appropriate tools. The course will also serve as preparation for exegesis of the New Testament.

The BA thesis shall be 8.000-10.000 words. The BA thesis in theology is intended to develop the student´s ability to examine a chosen theological subject or work and to write about it in accepted scholarly fashion appropriate for undergraduate studies. The thesis is written under the supervision of a member of the regular teaching staff in theology and religious studies. The student writes the thesis under the guidance of one faculty member in theology

What is known about the long lost medieval Icelandic church buildings? On what source material does the knowledge rest? What was the purpose of these buildings in their contemporanean society? Although there are no remaining medieval church buildings in Iceland, there is, substantial source material to base some knowledge about these churches. Several sites have been excavated and there is also some information in different types of written sources. Much of interior utensils and decoration has been preserved. The course aims at presenting what is known about medieval Icelandic churches and the society that built them and used them. The churches will be studied according to their rank in the church hierarchy: Cathedrals, monastic/larger churches and other types. The outer form will be presented as well as the importance of reuse of building material.

The main purpose of this course is conflict and conflict zones in the world with regard to opportunities and challenges which such topics provide in teaching. Participants will be introduced to ideas and issues of conflicts and relate these to geogarphical situations, history, culture and religion. Two or three areas will be selected for analysis. These could be Ireland and the Irish democacy, Israel and Palestine, Mexico, Myanmar, Nigeria and Turkey, together with areas that geogarphically can be difficult to define. The selection of topics will be made in consultance with participants which will, depending on circumstances, be related to Icelandic history and situation.

The course assignments will cover systematic search for information, suitable exposition of historical and geographical results and explanation of complex and delicate issues.

Final exam counts as 40%, but assignments and partial exams count as 60%. Participants have to attend 80% of classes. 
Further information is on CANVAS.

The course is about religion and religious education in a multicultural society. The students will get basic knowledge about the major religions of the world and how to prepare teaching and learning in religious education in the elementary school. They are also trained in discussing issues and questions about religion and view of life.

The content of the course is religion, religious experience, the search for meaning and the main concepts of religious studies. The value of religions for individuals and societies will be discussed and their impact on the shaping of identities, values and understanding of life. The major religions of the world will be explored, i.e. Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and some other religions and secular worldviews. Also the role of religion nowadays, new religious movements, multiculturalism and pluralism, prejudice and tolerance.

Teaching methods: Lectures, discussion groups, field study and papers on religion and teaching and learning in religious studies. The course is planned for both regular and distance students.

In the course, people's religious needs, experiences and religious identities will be discussed together with selected parts oft the main religious traditions in the world. Religious practice - particularly in relation to school settings - religious ethics and common values of different religions will be discussed, as well as the position of religions today, cultural and religious conflicts and prejudice and misunderstanding concerning religions. Projects are linked to the field.

The aims of this course are that the student has increased his or her knowledge in the main religious traditions in the world, and in the basic theories and key concepts in religious studies. That the student understands the relations between culture and religion and the influences of those on the identity, life values and daily lives of children and families. That the student knows ways of dealing with matters of opinion related to religions in his or her work settings. That the student can collect, assess and analyse scientific data in the field of religious studies in a multicultural society and use suitable technical measures and software. That the student can initiate new studies and development projects and communicate his or her findings in a suitable manner. That the student has developed independent methods of working and is capable of further studies and research in the field of religious studies in multicultural settings.

This course explores medieval and early modern world views through the lens of material culture. A central theme is the body and lived experience of people and students will be introduced to some different ways to their study through objects ranging from ecclesiastical artefacts to dress and adornment, manuscripts, and everyday objects. The course invites students to engage with current archaeological theories such as embodiment and materiality, particularly (but not exclusively), in the context of religious practices. The main focus of the course will be on Icelandic material culture from ca. 1100–1700 but examples from a wider European context will also be considered.  The topics of the course include:

• Approaches to the body in archaeology
• The history of the senses
• Experiencing the sacred – Devotional objects and materiality
• Protecting the body – Magic and healing
• The archaeology of emotion
• A trade in body parts – Relics and reliquaries
• The Reformation and iconoclasm
• Manuscripts and the body

Course topics: The aim of the course is for participants to become aware of diverse factors that influence people‘s views of life and make them better prepared to teach social sciences. Three views will be dealt with. First is the personal and individual, then the common, social and structural. Then the relations of the personal and the common one with international agreements like United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Throughout the course questions of how these appear in the structure and content of school work will be asked, e.g. with regard to the national curriculum. In the course themes related to people‘s views of life will be discussed using questions of moralty, religion, societal views and government, families and people‘s local/domestic environment, and how rights and obligations form people‘s vision.

Working methods: The course is organised in two week rounds, each focusing on one theme. Lectures will be available online and reading material provided as links or pdf-documents. Final exam counts as 40% and assignments (e.g. written ones and online quizzes) count as 60%. The course in taught in weekly sessions on-line

A Survey of the History of Israelin Old Testament times . The Faith of thr OT depicted in tems of historical development,but also in relation to the social,politacal and religius situation in the comtemporary peoples and cultures of the Anicent Near East. The origin and the main characteristiscs of the individual books of the OT discussed. The afterlife of some OT texts also discussed.

The topic of this course is the history of the Christian religion from the beginning to our times. The course is an introductory and overview course and will, on the basis of recent research, discuss the most significant characteristics of the main periods in the history of the Christian religion. In its survey, it will proceed chronologically, i.e. moving from the early Christian period through history to the modern era. The course will also explore particular themes appearing in different historical and cultural contexts. The themes are 1) orthodoxy and heresy, 2) the Christian religion and violence, 3) the formation of historical secularities, 4) monastic movements. Although the course will center on the dispersion and development of the Christianity in Europe, its spread will be discussed from a global perspective as well. Theoretically and methodologically, the course belongs to the discipline of the history of religon.

The aim of this course is to provide a historical overview of Christian thought. A special emphasis will be on the formation of creedal texts as well as the history and characteristics of various denominations.

This course deals with both theological and philosophical ethics. The focus is on the most important, Western theories of ethics as well as ethical concepts. Special weight is on Biblical ethics and Christian ethics, both historically and current.

The course contains a discussion of the beginnings of Early Christianity as well as of its historical and ideological background. Special emphasis will be given to the roots of Christianity in early Judaism. Attention will also be paid to the ideological roots of Christianity in Hellenistic thought. Early Christian literature will be discussed with emphasis on a historical approach to the sources. Included is a general discussion of the nature and form of writings of this sort. In this way, a basis will be laid for a qualified interpretation of and research into Early Christian literature.

Bible Hebrew for beginners.

What impact does the New Testament have today? Is it good or bad? How should we approach religious texts like the writings of the New Testament that belong to an entirely different paradigm in terms of knowledge? What value and benefits can and should such texts have today? These are the general core questions that students in this course will address, on the basis of a number of New Testament texts that relate to select contemporary issues. Special attention is paid to social issues and questions of human rights that biblical texts have or have had an impact on, for better or for worse. Various aspects of fundamentalism in biblical interpretation will be addressed in search for appropriate academic responses to such approaches. Students will also address the question of the value and benefits of the New Testament in our society, whether for individuals or in a professional context, for instance, related to social welfare or pastoral care.

The Qur´an, the scripture of Islam, is one of history´s most influential texts. Muslims believe that the Qur´an literally contains God´s word. Therefore, this book forms the foundation of Islam´s major religious ideas. At the same time, there has been an ongoing debate about to what extent the Qur´an can provide solutions to contemporary problems. In this course, the history and the main religious, legal and political issues of the Qur´an will be evaluated. After discussing the Qur´an organization and early history,  the following issues will be scrutinized: the Qur´an self image, the creation of the world and apocalypse, justice, views of other religions (especially Christianity and Judaism), the status of women, political authority and when, how or whether to wage war.

What is the field of Church Denominations and how does one distinguish between church, denomination and congregation? What is ecumenism? What is the academic contribution of World Christianity and Missiology to Church Denominations? What is the history of church denominations, and how do they branch out and unite? What is common to the denominations? The course addresses dogmas, organization, issues and practices of majority churches and movements in the world. The course discusses the work of church denominations in Iceland and the development of legislation regulating religious communities. Finally, the course discusses the relations between World Christianity, ecumenical bodies and mission in and between church denominations.

The Lutheran worship service  is a ritual that builds on ancient tradition of liturgy and church music, yet also innovative and contextual. Each service is rooted in components of liturgy, church music, diakonia and homiletics. In the service, experts and volunteers come together in diverse leadership roles and complex collaboration.  The course is vocational and practical and has two different foci. It focuses on the one hand on singing together and learning about liturgical music, and, on the other, on  the preparation and performance of a worship service. In the singing part of the course, the focus is on singing-along with others, vocal training and training in liturgy and hymnody. The cultural heritage of the hymnody will be introduced.  In the project management part of the course, students learn long time planning of events, and to work together in groups to plan the service, articulation, enunciation and to plan a worship service on the public radio. The course is a restricted elective course for students in vocational training to become pastors or deacons, but a free elective course for other students who want to get a deeper understanding of worship and Church music, such as students in Church music or singing.

Attn: This elective course cannot be taken instead of the compulsory course GFR076F Liturgy and Hymnology

Lectures on the church, its nature,part,religious life and sacraments.

The primary purpose of this course is to provide students with a basis on which to read and interpret the texts of the New Testament independently. The main elements of the grammatical structure of ancient Greek will be studied and text examples from the New Testament and other early Christian texts will be read for that purpose. Special emphasis will be put on the knowledge and use of ancient Greek within the fields of theology and religious studies.

Bible Hebrew for beginners.

The course is mostly designed for ordained ministry in the Lutheran Church of Iceland, but is also suitable as part of other professional studies of care, which use the methods and knowledge of spiritual care, such as social workers and nurses. 

In this course, the roles, methods and tools of pastoral and spiritual care are defined and discussed  how these tools apply to liturgy, discussions, mediation and group work. The importance of interdisciplinary collaboration to pastoral and spiritual care is sketched in relation to theories and practices of other academic fields, such as psychology of religion. Theories of grief and bereavement, challenges of old age, loneliness, trauma and growth are applied to concrete examples. The context and practices of pastoral and spiritual care is analyzed. The group goes to field trips and the course focuses on active engagement through role play and case study.

In this course selected Old Testament prophetic literature will be read and analyzed on historical, literary, linguistic and theological grounds. Efforts will be made to answer questions about the texts’ history of origin, their structure and message of individual pericopes in their time of making, as well as regarding the message of the final form of the respective prophetic books in the historical context of early Judaism. Selected texts will be read in the original Hebrew and thus students will be able to utilize the basic knowledge they have acquired in the course Hebrew GFR326G.  

The topic of this course is the relationship between Christianity and politics through history. The relations between religion and politics has influenced the development of Christianity more than most other components in its history. Although the course will geographically center on Christianity in Europe, it will also include, for contrast and comparison, examples from other regions and religions. Source work will concentrate on primary sources from Northern Europe but also include sources from other regions. The course will proceed chronologically, discussing the relationship between religion and politics in 1) early Christianity, 2) late antiquity, 3) the Middle Ages 4) the period of the Reformation, 5) the modern era. Christian religious ideas which have been prominently used in the field of politics will receive particular attention. Theories on the relationship between religion and politics in the field of the history of religion, theology, philosophy, sociology, and political science will be introduced.

The focus of this course will be on the theology of Martin Luther, and the historical reasons for his reformation. Different types of Luther’s writings will be read, covering key theological themes. Emphasis will also be put on the main events in Luther’s life, and the historical settings of his writings.

The course builds on the students´s previous knowledge in ancient Greek, and their skills to read the New Testament in Greek is strengthened. For that purpose selected passages from the Gospel of Mark as well as the Gospel of John are read, with support from grammatical, lexical and other appropriate tools. The course will also serve as preparation for exegesis of the New Testament.

What impact does the New Testament have today? Is it good or bad? How should we approach religious texts like the writings of the New Testament that belong to an entirely different paradigm in terms of knowledge? What value and benefits can and should such texts have today? These are the general core questions that students in this course will address, on the basis of a number of New Testament texts that relate to select contemporary issues. Special attention is paid to social issues and questions of human rights that biblical texts have or have had an impact on, for better or for worse. Various aspects of fundamentalism in biblical interpretation will be addressed in search for appropriate academic responses to such approaches. Students will also address the question of the value and benefits of the New Testament in our society, whether for individuals or in a professional context, for instance, related to social welfare or pastoral care.

The Qur´an, the scripture of Islam, is one of history´s most influential texts. Muslims believe that the Qur´an literally contains God´s word. Therefore, this book forms the foundation of Islam´s major religious ideas. At the same time, there has been an ongoing debate about to what extent the Qur´an can provide solutions to contemporary problems. In this course, the history and the main religious, legal and political issues of the Qur´an will be evaluated. After discussing the Qur´an organization and early history,  the following issues will be scrutinized: the Qur´an self image, the creation of the world and apocalypse, justice, views of other religions (especially Christianity and Judaism), the status of women, political authority and when, how or whether to wage war.

What is the field of Church Denominations and how does one distinguish between church, denomination and congregation? What is ecumenism? What is the academic contribution of World Christianity and Missiology to Church Denominations? What is the history of church denominations, and how do they branch out and unite? What is common to the denominations? The course addresses dogmas, organization, issues and practices of majority churches and movements in the world. The course discusses the work of church denominations in Iceland and the development of legislation regulating religious communities. Finally, the course discusses the relations between World Christianity, ecumenical bodies and mission in and between church denominations.

The Lutheran worship service  is a ritual that builds on ancient tradition of liturgy and church music, yet also innovative and contextual. Each service is rooted in components of liturgy, church music, diakonia and homiletics. In the service, experts and volunteers come together in diverse leadership roles and complex collaboration.  The course is vocational and practical and has two different foci. It focuses on the one hand on singing together and learning about liturgical music, and, on the other, on  the preparation and performance of a worship service. In the singing part of the course, the focus is on singing-along with others, vocal training and training in liturgy and hymnody. The cultural heritage of the hymnody will be introduced.  In the project management part of the course, students learn long time planning of events, and to work together in groups to plan the service, articulation, enunciation and to plan a worship service on the public radio. The course is a restricted elective course for students in vocational training to become pastors or deacons, but a free elective course for other students who want to get a deeper understanding of worship and Church music, such as students in Church music or singing.

Attn: This elective course cannot be taken instead of the compulsory course GFR076F Liturgy and Hymnology

Lectures on the church, its nature,part,religious life and sacraments.

The course is mostly designed for ordained ministry in the Lutheran Church of Iceland, but is also suitable as part of other professional studies of care, which use the methods and knowledge of spiritual care, such as social workers and nurses. 

In this course, the roles, methods and tools of pastoral and spiritual care are defined and discussed  how these tools apply to liturgy, discussions, mediation and group work. The importance of interdisciplinary collaboration to pastoral and spiritual care is sketched in relation to theories and practices of other academic fields, such as psychology of religion. Theories of grief and bereavement, challenges of old age, loneliness, trauma and growth are applied to concrete examples. The context and practices of pastoral and spiritual care is analyzed. The group goes to field trips and the course focuses on active engagement through role play and case study.

In this course selected Old Testament prophetic literature will be read and analyzed on historical, literary, linguistic and theological grounds. Efforts will be made to answer questions about the texts’ history of origin, their structure and message of individual pericopes in their time of making, as well as regarding the message of the final form of the respective prophetic books in the historical context of early Judaism. Selected texts will be read in the original Hebrew and thus students will be able to utilize the basic knowledge they have acquired in the course Hebrew GFR326G.  

The topic of this course is the relationship between Christianity and politics through history. The relations between religion and politics has influenced the development of Christianity more than most other components in its history. Although the course will geographically center on Christianity in Europe, it will also include, for contrast and comparison, examples from other regions and religions. Source work will concentrate on primary sources from Northern Europe but also include sources from other regions. The course will proceed chronologically, discussing the relationship between religion and politics in 1) early Christianity, 2) late antiquity, 3) the Middle Ages 4) the period of the Reformation, 5) the modern era. Christian religious ideas which have been prominently used in the field of politics will receive particular attention. Theories on the relationship between religion and politics in the field of the history of religion, theology, philosophy, sociology, and political science will be introduced.

The focus of this course will be on the theology of Martin Luther, and the historical reasons for his reformation. Different types of Luther’s writings will be read, covering key theological themes. Emphasis will also be put on the main events in Luther’s life, and the historical settings of his writings.

The course builds on the students´s previous knowledge in ancient Greek, and their skills to read the New Testament in Greek is strengthened. For that purpose selected passages from the Gospel of Mark as well as the Gospel of John are read, with support from grammatical, lexical and other appropriate tools. The course will also serve as preparation for exegesis of the New Testament.

The BA thesis shall be 8.000-10.000 words. The BA thesis in theology is intended to develop the student´s ability to examine a chosen theological subject or work and to write about it in accepted scholarly fashion appropriate for undergraduate studies. The thesis is written under the supervision of a member of the regular teaching staff in theology and religious studies. The student writes the thesis under the guidance of one faculty member in theology

What is known about the long lost medieval Icelandic church buildings? On what source material does the knowledge rest? What was the purpose of these buildings in their contemporanean society? Although there are no remaining medieval church buildings in Iceland, there is, substantial source material to base some knowledge about these churches. Several sites have been excavated and there is also some information in different types of written sources. Much of interior utensils and decoration has been preserved. The course aims at presenting what is known about medieval Icelandic churches and the society that built them and used them. The churches will be studied according to their rank in the church hierarchy: Cathedrals, monastic/larger churches and other types. The outer form will be presented as well as the importance of reuse of building material.

The main purpose of this course is conflict and conflict zones in the world with regard to opportunities and challenges which such topics provide in teaching. Participants will be introduced to ideas and issues of conflicts and relate these to geogarphical situations, history, culture and religion. Two or three areas will be selected for analysis. These could be Ireland and the Irish democacy, Israel and Palestine, Mexico, Myanmar, Nigeria and Turkey, together with areas that geogarphically can be difficult to define. The selection of topics will be made in consultance with participants which will, depending on circumstances, be related to Icelandic history and situation.

The course assignments will cover systematic search for information, suitable exposition of historical and geographical results and explanation of complex and delicate issues.

Final exam counts as 40%, but assignments and partial exams count as 60%. Participants have to attend 80% of classes. 
Further information is on CANVAS.

The course is about religion and religious education in a multicultural society. The students will get basic knowledge about the major religions of the world and how to prepare teaching and learning in religious education in the elementary school. They are also trained in discussing issues and questions about religion and view of life.

The content of the course is religion, religious experience, the search for meaning and the main concepts of religious studies. The value of religions for individuals and societies will be discussed and their impact on the shaping of identities, values and understanding of life. The major religions of the world will be explored, i.e. Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and some other religions and secular worldviews. Also the role of religion nowadays, new religious movements, multiculturalism and pluralism, prejudice and tolerance.

Teaching methods: Lectures, discussion groups, field study and papers on religion and teaching and learning in religious studies. The course is planned for both regular and distance students.

In the course, people's religious needs, experiences and religious identities will be discussed together with selected parts oft the main religious traditions in the world. Religious practice - particularly in relation to school settings - religious ethics and common values of different religions will be discussed, as well as the position of religions today, cultural and religious conflicts and prejudice and misunderstanding concerning religions. Projects are linked to the field.

The aims of this course are that the student has increased his or her knowledge in the main religious traditions in the world, and in the basic theories and key concepts in religious studies. That the student understands the relations between culture and religion and the influences of those on the identity, life values and daily lives of children and families. That the student knows ways of dealing with matters of opinion related to religions in his or her work settings. That the student can collect, assess and analyse scientific data in the field of religious studies in a multicultural society and use suitable technical measures and software. That the student can initiate new studies and development projects and communicate his or her findings in a suitable manner. That the student has developed independent methods of working and is capable of further studies and research in the field of religious studies in multicultural settings.

This course explores medieval and early modern world views through the lens of material culture. A central theme is the body and lived experience of people and students will be introduced to some different ways to their study through objects ranging from ecclesiastical artefacts to dress and adornment, manuscripts, and everyday objects. The course invites students to engage with current archaeological theories such as embodiment and materiality, particularly (but not exclusively), in the context of religious practices. The main focus of the course will be on Icelandic material culture from ca. 1100–1700 but examples from a wider European context will also be considered.  The topics of the course include:

• Approaches to the body in archaeology
• The history of the senses
• Experiencing the sacred – Devotional objects and materiality
• Protecting the body – Magic and healing
• The archaeology of emotion
• A trade in body parts – Relics and reliquaries
• The Reformation and iconoclasm
• Manuscripts and the body

Course topics: The aim of the course is for participants to become aware of diverse factors that influence people‘s views of life and make them better prepared to teach social sciences. Three views will be dealt with. First is the personal and individual, then the common, social and structural. Then the relations of the personal and the common one with international agreements like United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Throughout the course questions of how these appear in the structure and content of school work will be asked, e.g. with regard to the national curriculum. In the course themes related to people‘s views of life will be discussed using questions of moralty, religion, societal views and government, families and people‘s local/domestic environment, and how rights and obligations form people‘s vision.

Working methods: The course is organised in two week rounds, each focusing on one theme. Lectures will be available online and reading material provided as links or pdf-documents. Final exam counts as 40% and assignments (e.g. written ones and online quizzes) count as 60%. The course in taught in weekly sessions on-line

A Survey of the History of Israelin Old Testament times . The Faith of thr OT depicted in tems of historical development,but also in relation to the social,politacal and religius situation in the comtemporary peoples and cultures of the Anicent Near East. The origin and the main characteristiscs of the individual books of the OT discussed. The afterlife of some OT texts also discussed.

The topic of this course is the history of the Christian religion from the beginning to our times. The course is an introductory and overview course and will, on the basis of recent research, discuss the most significant characteristics of the main periods in the history of the Christian religion. In its survey, it will proceed chronologically, i.e. moving from the early Christian period through history to the modern era. The course will also explore particular themes appearing in different historical and cultural contexts. The themes are 1) orthodoxy and heresy, 2) the Christian religion and violence, 3) the formation of historical secularities, 4) monastic movements. Although the course will center on the dispersion and development of the Christianity in Europe, its spread will be discussed from a global perspective as well. Theoretically and methodologically, the course belongs to the discipline of the history of religon.

The aim of this course is to provide a historical overview of Christian thought. A special emphasis will be on the formation of creedal texts as well as the history and characteristics of various denominations.

This course deals with both theological and philosophical ethics. The focus is on the most important, Western theories of ethics as well as ethical concepts. Special weight is on Biblical ethics and Christian ethics, both historically and current.

The course contains a discussion of the beginnings of Early Christianity as well as of its historical and ideological background. Special emphasis will be given to the roots of Christianity in early Judaism. Attention will also be paid to the ideological roots of Christianity in Hellenistic thought. Early Christian literature will be discussed with emphasis on a historical approach to the sources. Included is a general discussion of the nature and form of writings of this sort. In this way, a basis will be laid for a qualified interpretation of and research into Early Christian literature.

Bible Hebrew for beginners.

What impact does the New Testament have today? Is it good or bad? How should we approach religious texts like the writings of the New Testament that belong to an entirely different paradigm in terms of knowledge? What value and benefits can and should such texts have today? These are the general core questions that students in this course will address, on the basis of a number of New Testament texts that relate to select contemporary issues. Special attention is paid to social issues and questions of human rights that biblical texts have or have had an impact on, for better or for worse. Various aspects of fundamentalism in biblical interpretation will be addressed in search for appropriate academic responses to such approaches. Students will also address the question of the value and benefits of the New Testament in our society, whether for individuals or in a professional context, for instance, related to social welfare or pastoral care.

The Qur´an, the scripture of Islam, is one of history´s most influential texts. Muslims believe that the Qur´an literally contains God´s word. Therefore, this book forms the foundation of Islam´s major religious ideas. At the same time, there has been an ongoing debate about to what extent the Qur´an can provide solutions to contemporary problems. In this course, the history and the main religious, legal and political issues of the Qur´an will be evaluated. After discussing the Qur´an organization and early history,  the following issues will be scrutinized: the Qur´an self image, the creation of the world and apocalypse, justice, views of other religions (especially Christianity and Judaism), the status of women, political authority and when, how or whether to wage war.

What is the field of Church Denominations and how does one distinguish between church, denomination and congregation? What is ecumenism? What is the academic contribution of World Christianity and Missiology to Church Denominations? What is the history of church denominations, and how do they branch out and unite? What is common to the denominations? The course addresses dogmas, organization, issues and practices of majority churches and movements in the world. The course discusses the work of church denominations in Iceland and the development of legislation regulating religious communities. Finally, the course discusses the relations between World Christianity, ecumenical bodies and mission in and between church denominations.

The Lutheran worship service  is a ritual that builds on ancient tradition of liturgy and church music, yet also innovative and contextual. Each service is rooted in components of liturgy, church music, diakonia and homiletics. In the service, experts and volunteers come together in diverse leadership roles and complex collaboration.  The course is vocational and practical and has two different foci. It focuses on the one hand on singing together and learning about liturgical music, and, on the other, on  the preparation and performance of a worship service. In the singing part of the course, the focus is on singing-along with others, vocal training and training in liturgy and hymnody. The cultural heritage of the hymnody will be introduced.  In the project management part of the course, students learn long time planning of events, and to work together in groups to plan the service, articulation, enunciation and to plan a worship service on the public radio. The course is a restricted elective course for students in vocational training to become pastors or deacons, but a free elective course for other students who want to get a deeper understanding of worship and Church music, such as students in Church music or singing.

Attn: This elective course cannot be taken instead of the compulsory course GFR076F Liturgy and Hymnology

Lectures on the church, its nature,part,religious life and sacraments.

The primary purpose of this course is to provide students with a basis on which to read and interpret the texts of the New Testament independently. The main elements of the grammatical structure of ancient Greek will be studied and text examples from the New Testament and other early Christian texts will be read for that purpose. Special emphasis will be put on the knowledge and use of ancient Greek within the fields of theology and religious studies.

Bible Hebrew for beginners.

The course is mostly designed for ordained ministry in the Lutheran Church of Iceland, but is also suitable as part of other professional studies of care, which use the methods and knowledge of spiritual care, such as social workers and nurses. 

In this course, the roles, methods and tools of pastoral and spiritual care are defined and discussed  how these tools apply to liturgy, discussions, mediation and group work. The importance of interdisciplinary collaboration to pastoral and spiritual care is sketched in relation to theories and practices of other academic fields, such as psychology of religion. Theories of grief and bereavement, challenges of old age, loneliness, trauma and growth are applied to concrete examples. The context and practices of pastoral and spiritual care is analyzed. The group goes to field trips and the course focuses on active engagement through role play and case study.

In this course selected Old Testament prophetic literature will be read and analyzed on historical, literary, linguistic and theological grounds. Efforts will be made to answer questions about the texts’ history of origin, their structure and message of individual pericopes in their time of making, as well as regarding the message of the final form of the respective prophetic books in the historical context of early Judaism. Selected texts will be read in the original Hebrew and thus students will be able to utilize the basic knowledge they have acquired in the course Hebrew GFR326G.  

The topic of this course is the relationship between Christianity and politics through history. The relations between religion and politics has influenced the development of Christianity more than most other components in its history. Although the course will geographically center on Christianity in Europe, it will also include, for contrast and comparison, examples from other regions and religions. Source work will concentrate on primary sources from Northern Europe but also include sources from other regions. The course will proceed chronologically, discussing the relationship between religion and politics in 1) early Christianity, 2) late antiquity, 3) the Middle Ages 4) the period of the Reformation, 5) the modern era. Christian religious ideas which have been prominently used in the field of politics will receive particular attention. Theories on the relationship between religion and politics in the field of the history of religion, theology, philosophy, sociology, and political science will be introduced.

The focus of this course will be on the theology of Martin Luther, and the historical reasons for his reformation. Different types of Luther’s writings will be read, covering key theological themes. Emphasis will also be put on the main events in Luther’s life, and the historical settings of his writings.

The course builds on the students´s previous knowledge in ancient Greek, and their skills to read the New Testament in Greek is strengthened. For that purpose selected passages from the Gospel of Mark as well as the Gospel of John are read, with support from grammatical, lexical and other appropriate tools. The course will also serve as preparation for exegesis of the New Testament.

What impact does the New Testament have today? Is it good or bad? How should we approach religious texts like the writings of the New Testament that belong to an entirely different paradigm in terms of knowledge? What value and benefits can and should such texts have today? These are the general core questions that students in this course will address, on the basis of a number of New Testament texts that relate to select contemporary issues. Special attention is paid to social issues and questions of human rights that biblical texts have or have had an impact on, for better or for worse. Various aspects of fundamentalism in biblical interpretation will be addressed in search for appropriate academic responses to such approaches. Students will also address the question of the value and benefits of the New Testament in our society, whether for individuals or in a professional context, for instance, related to social welfare or pastoral care.

The Qur´an, the scripture of Islam, is one of history´s most influential texts. Muslims believe that the Qur´an literally contains God´s word. Therefore, this book forms the foundation of Islam´s major religious ideas. At the same time, there has been an ongoing debate about to what extent the Qur´an can provide solutions to contemporary problems. In this course, the history and the main religious, legal and political issues of the Qur´an will be evaluated. After discussing the Qur´an organization and early history,  the following issues will be scrutinized: the Qur´an self image, the creation of the world and apocalypse, justice, views of other religions (especially Christianity and Judaism), the status of women, political authority and when, how or whether to wage war.

What is the field of Church Denominations and how does one distinguish between church, denomination and congregation? What is ecumenism? What is the academic contribution of World Christianity and Missiology to Church Denominations? What is the history of church denominations, and how do they branch out and unite? What is common to the denominations? The course addresses dogmas, organization, issues and practices of majority churches and movements in the world. The course discusses the work of church denominations in Iceland and the development of legislation regulating religious communities. Finally, the course discusses the relations between World Christianity, ecumenical bodies and mission in and between church denominations.

The Lutheran worship service  is a ritual that builds on ancient tradition of liturgy and church music, yet also innovative and contextual. Each service is rooted in components of liturgy, church music, diakonia and homiletics. In the service, experts and volunteers come together in diverse leadership roles and complex collaboration.  The course is vocational and practical and has two different foci. It focuses on the one hand on singing together and learning about liturgical music, and, on the other, on  the preparation and performance of a worship service. In the singing part of the course, the focus is on singing-along with others, vocal training and training in liturgy and hymnody. The cultural heritage of the hymnody will be introduced.  In the project management part of the course, students learn long time planning of events, and to work together in groups to plan the service, articulation, enunciation and to plan a worship service on the public radio. The course is a restricted elective course for students in vocational training to become pastors or deacons, but a free elective course for other students who want to get a deeper understanding of worship and Church music, such as students in Church music or singing.

Attn: This elective course cannot be taken instead of the compulsory course GFR076F Liturgy and Hymnology

Lectures on the church, its nature,part,religious life and sacraments.

The course is mostly designed for ordained ministry in the Lutheran Church of Iceland, but is also suitable as part of other professional studies of care, which use the methods and knowledge of spiritual care, such as social workers and nurses. 

In this course, the roles, methods and tools of pastoral and spiritual care are defined and discussed  how these tools apply to liturgy, discussions, mediation and group work. The importance of interdisciplinary collaboration to pastoral and spiritual care is sketched in relation to theories and practices of other academic fields, such as psychology of religion. Theories of grief and bereavement, challenges of old age, loneliness, trauma and growth are applied to concrete examples. The context and practices of pastoral and spiritual care is analyzed. The group goes to field trips and the course focuses on active engagement through role play and case study.

In this course selected Old Testament prophetic literature will be read and analyzed on historical, literary, linguistic and theological grounds. Efforts will be made to answer questions about the texts’ history of origin, their structure and message of individual pericopes in their time of making, as well as regarding the message of the final form of the respective prophetic books in the historical context of early Judaism. Selected texts will be read in the original Hebrew and thus students will be able to utilize the basic knowledge they have acquired in the course Hebrew GFR326G.  

The topic of this course is the relationship between Christianity and politics through history. The relations between religion and politics has influenced the development of Christianity more than most other components in its history. Although the course will geographically center on Christianity in Europe, it will also include, for contrast and comparison, examples from other regions and religions. Source work will concentrate on primary sources from Northern Europe but also include sources from other regions. The course will proceed chronologically, discussing the relationship between religion and politics in 1) early Christianity, 2) late antiquity, 3) the Middle Ages 4) the period of the Reformation, 5) the modern era. Christian religious ideas which have been prominently used in the field of politics will receive particular attention. Theories on the relationship between religion and politics in the field of the history of religion, theology, philosophy, sociology, and political science will be introduced.

The focus of this course will be on the theology of Martin Luther, and the historical reasons for his reformation. Different types of Luther’s writings will be read, covering key theological themes. Emphasis will also be put on the main events in Luther’s life, and the historical settings of his writings.

The course builds on the students´s previous knowledge in ancient Greek, and their skills to read the New Testament in Greek is strengthened. For that purpose selected passages from the Gospel of Mark as well as the Gospel of John are read, with support from grammatical, lexical and other appropriate tools. The course will also serve as preparation for exegesis of the New Testament.

The BA thesis shall be 8.000-10.000 words. The BA thesis in theology is intended to develop the student´s ability to examine a chosen theological subject or work and to write about it in accepted scholarly fashion appropriate for undergraduate studies. The thesis is written under the supervision of a member of the regular teaching staff in theology and religious studies. The student writes the thesis under the guidance of one faculty member in theology

What is known about the long lost medieval Icelandic church buildings? On what source material does the knowledge rest? What was the purpose of these buildings in their contemporanean society? Although there are no remaining medieval church buildings in Iceland, there is, substantial source material to base some knowledge about these churches. Several sites have been excavated and there is also some information in different types of written sources. Much of interior utensils and decoration has been preserved. The course aims at presenting what is known about medieval Icelandic churches and the society that built them and used them. The churches will be studied according to their rank in the church hierarchy: Cathedrals, monastic/larger churches and other types. The outer form will be presented as well as the importance of reuse of building material.

The main purpose of this course is conflict and conflict zones in the world with regard to opportunities and challenges which such topics provide in teaching. Participants will be introduced to ideas and issues of conflicts and relate these to geogarphical situations, history, culture and religion. Two or three areas will be selected for analysis. These could be Ireland and the Irish democacy, Israel and Palestine, Mexico, Myanmar, Nigeria and Turkey, together with areas that geogarphically can be difficult to define. The selection of topics will be made in consultance with participants which will, depending on circumstances, be related to Icelandic history and situation.

The course assignments will cover systematic search for information, suitable exposition of historical and geographical results and explanation of complex and delicate issues.

Final exam counts as 40%, but assignments and partial exams count as 60%. Participants have to attend 80% of classes. 
Further information is on CANVAS.

The course is about religion and religious education in a multicultural society. The students will get basic knowledge about the major religions of the world and how to prepare teaching and learning in religious education in the elementary school. They are also trained in discussing issues and questions about religion and view of life.

The content of the course is religion, religious experience, the search for meaning and the main concepts of religious studies. The value of religions for individuals and societies will be discussed and their impact on the shaping of identities, values and understanding of life. The major religions of the world will be explored, i.e. Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and some other religions and secular worldviews. Also the role of religion nowadays, new religious movements, multiculturalism and pluralism, prejudice and tolerance.

Teaching methods: Lectures, discussion groups, field study and papers on religion and teaching and learning in religious studies. The course is planned for both regular and distance students.

In the course, people's religious needs, experiences and religious identities will be discussed together with selected parts oft the main religious traditions in the world. Religious practice - particularly in relation to school settings - religious ethics and common values of different religions will be discussed, as well as the position of religions today, cultural and religious conflicts and prejudice and misunderstanding concerning religions. Projects are linked to the field.

The aims of this course are that the student has increased his or her knowledge in the main religious traditions in the world, and in the basic theories and key concepts in religious studies. That the student understands the relations between culture and religion and the influences of those on the identity, life values and daily lives of children and families. That the student knows ways of dealing with matters of opinion related to religions in his or her work settings. That the student can collect, assess and analyse scientific data in the field of religious studies in a multicultural society and use suitable technical measures and software. That the student can initiate new studies and development projects and communicate his or her findings in a suitable manner. That the student has developed independent methods of working and is capable of further studies and research in the field of religious studies in multicultural settings.

This course explores medieval and early modern world views through the lens of material culture. A central theme is the body and lived experience of people and students will be introduced to some different ways to their study through objects ranging from ecclesiastical artefacts to dress and adornment, manuscripts, and everyday objects. The course invites students to engage with current archaeological theories such as embodiment and materiality, particularly (but not exclusively), in the context of religious practices. The main focus of the course will be on Icelandic material culture from ca. 1100–1700 but examples from a wider European context will also be considered.  The topics of the course include:

• Approaches to the body in archaeology
• The history of the senses
• Experiencing the sacred – Devotional objects and materiality
• Protecting the body – Magic and healing
• The archaeology of emotion
• A trade in body parts – Relics and reliquaries
• The Reformation and iconoclasm
• Manuscripts and the body

Course topics: The aim of the course is for participants to become aware of diverse factors that influence people‘s views of life and make them better prepared to teach social sciences. Three views will be dealt with. First is the personal and individual, then the common, social and structural. Then the relations of the personal and the common one with international agreements like United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Throughout the course questions of how these appear in the structure and content of school work will be asked, e.g. with regard to the national curriculum. In the course themes related to people‘s views of life will be discussed using questions of moralty, religion, societal views and government, families and people‘s local/domestic environment, and how rights and obligations form people‘s vision.

Working methods: The course is organised in two week rounds, each focusing on one theme. Lectures will be available online and reading material provided as links or pdf-documents. Final exam counts as 40% and assignments (e.g. written ones and online quizzes) count as 60%. The course in taught in weekly sessions on-line

A Survey of the History of Israelin Old Testament times . The Faith of thr OT depicted in tems of historical development,but also in relation to the social,politacal and religius situation in the comtemporary peoples and cultures of the Anicent Near East. The origin and the main characteristiscs of the individual books of the OT discussed. The afterlife of some OT texts also discussed.

The topic of this course is the history of the Christian religion from the beginning to our times. The course is an introductory and overview course and will, on the basis of recent research, discuss the most significant characteristics of the main periods in the history of the Christian religion. In its survey, it will proceed chronologically, i.e. moving from the early Christian period through history to the modern era. The course will also explore particular themes appearing in different historical and cultural contexts. The themes are 1) orthodoxy and heresy, 2) the Christian religion and violence, 3) the formation of historical secularities, 4) monastic movements. Although the course will center on the dispersion and development of the Christianity in Europe, its spread will be discussed from a global perspective as well. Theoretically and methodologically, the course belongs to the discipline of the history of religon.

The aim of this course is to provide a historical overview of Christian thought. A special emphasis will be on the formation of creedal texts as well as the history and characteristics of various denominations.

This course deals with both theological and philosophical ethics. The focus is on the most important, Western theories of ethics as well as ethical concepts. Special weight is on Biblical ethics and Christian ethics, both historically and current.

The course contains a discussion of the beginnings of Early Christianity as well as of its historical and ideological background. Special emphasis will be given to the roots of Christianity in early Judaism. Attention will also be paid to the ideological roots of Christianity in Hellenistic thought. Early Christian literature will be discussed with emphasis on a historical approach to the sources. Included is a general discussion of the nature and form of writings of this sort. In this way, a basis will be laid for a qualified interpretation of and research into Early Christian literature.

Bible Hebrew for beginners.

What impact does the New Testament have today? Is it good or bad? How should we approach religious texts like the writings of the New Testament that belong to an entirely different paradigm in terms of knowledge? What value and benefits can and should such texts have today? These are the general core questions that students in this course will address, on the basis of a number of New Testament texts that relate to select contemporary issues. Special attention is paid to social issues and questions of human rights that biblical texts have or have had an impact on, for better or for worse. Various aspects of fundamentalism in biblical interpretation will be addressed in search for appropriate academic responses to such approaches. Students will also address the question of the value and benefits of the New Testament in our society, whether for individuals or in a professional context, for instance, related to social welfare or pastoral care.

The Qur´an, the scripture of Islam, is one of history´s most influential texts. Muslims believe that the Qur´an literally contains God´s word. Therefore, this book forms the foundation of Islam´s major religious ideas. At the same time, there has been an ongoing debate about to what extent the Qur´an can provide solutions to contemporary problems. In this course, the history and the main religious, legal and political issues of the Qur´an will be evaluated. After discussing the Qur´an organization and early history,  the following issues will be scrutinized: the Qur´an self image, the creation of the world and apocalypse, justice, views of other religions (especially Christianity and Judaism), the status of women, political authority and when, how or whether to wage war.

What is the field of Church Denominations and how does one distinguish between church, denomination and congregation? What is ecumenism? What is the academic contribution of World Christianity and Missiology to Church Denominations? What is the history of church denominations, and how do they branch out and unite? What is common to the denominations? The course addresses dogmas, organization, issues and practices of majority churches and movements in the world. The course discusses the work of church denominations in Iceland and the development of legislation regulating religious communities. Finally, the course discusses the relations between World Christianity, ecumenical bodies and mission in and between church denominations.

The Lutheran worship service  is a ritual that builds on ancient tradition of liturgy and church music, yet also innovative and contextual. Each service is rooted in components of liturgy, church music, diakonia and homiletics. In the service, experts and volunteers come together in diverse leadership roles and complex collaboration.  The course is vocational and practical and has two different foci. It focuses on the one hand on singing together and learning about liturgical music, and, on the other, on  the preparation and performance of a worship service. In the singing part of the course, the focus is on singing-along with others, vocal training and training in liturgy and hymnody. The cultural heritage of the hymnody will be introduced.  In the project management part of the course, students learn long time planning of events, and to work together in groups to plan the service, articulation, enunciation and to plan a worship service on the public radio. The course is a restricted elective course for students in vocational training to become pastors or deacons, but a free elective course for other students who want to get a deeper understanding of worship and Church music, such as students in Church music or singing.

Attn: This elective course cannot be taken instead of the compulsory course GFR076F Liturgy and Hymnology

Lectures on the church, its nature,part,religious life and sacraments.

The primary purpose of this course is to provide students with a basis on which to read and interpret the texts of the New Testament independently. The main elements of the grammatical structure of ancient Greek will be studied and text examples from the New Testament and other early Christian texts will be read for that purpose. Special emphasis will be put on the knowledge and use of ancient Greek within the fields of theology and religious studies.

Bible Hebrew for beginners.

The course is mostly designed for ordained ministry in the Lutheran Church of Iceland, but is also suitable as part of other professional studies of care, which use the methods and knowledge of spiritual care, such as social workers and nurses. 

In this course, the roles, methods and tools of pastoral and spiritual care are defined and discussed  how these tools apply to liturgy, discussions, mediation and group work. The importance of interdisciplinary collaboration to pastoral and spiritual care is sketched in relation to theories and practices of other academic fields, such as psychology of religion. Theories of grief and bereavement, challenges of old age, loneliness, trauma and growth are applied to concrete examples. The context and practices of pastoral and spiritual care is analyzed. The group goes to field trips and the course focuses on active engagement through role play and case study.

In this course selected Old Testament prophetic literature will be read and analyzed on historical, literary, linguistic and theological grounds. Efforts will be made to answer questions about the texts’ history of origin, their structure and message of individual pericopes in their time of making, as well as regarding the message of the final form of the respective prophetic books in the historical context of early Judaism. Selected texts will be read in the original Hebrew and thus students will be able to utilize the basic knowledge they have acquired in the course Hebrew GFR326G.  

The topic of this course is the relationship between Christianity and politics through history. The relations between religion and politics has influenced the development of Christianity more than most other components in its history. Although the course will geographically center on Christianity in Europe, it will also include, for contrast and comparison, examples from other regions and religions. Source work will concentrate on primary sources from Northern Europe but also include sources from other regions. The course will proceed chronologically, discussing the relationship between religion and politics in 1) early Christianity, 2) late antiquity, 3) the Middle Ages 4) the period of the Reformation, 5) the modern era. Christian religious ideas which have been prominently used in the field of politics will receive particular attention. Theories on the relationship between religion and politics in the field of the history of religion, theology, philosophy, sociology, and political science will be introduced.

The focus of this course will be on the theology of Martin Luther, and the historical reasons for his reformation. Different types of Luther’s writings will be read, covering key theological themes. Emphasis will also be put on the main events in Luther’s life, and the historical settings of his writings.

The course builds on the students´s previous knowledge in ancient Greek, and their skills to read the New Testament in Greek is strengthened. For that purpose selected passages from the Gospel of Mark as well as the Gospel of John are read, with support from grammatical, lexical and other appropriate tools. The course will also serve as preparation for exegesis of the New Testament.

What impact does the New Testament have today? Is it good or bad? How should we approach religious texts like the writings of the New Testament that belong to an entirely different paradigm in terms of knowledge? What value and benefits can and should such texts have today? These are the general core questions that students in this course will address, on the basis of a number of New Testament texts that relate to select contemporary issues. Special attention is paid to social issues and questions of human rights that biblical texts have or have had an impact on, for better or for worse. Various aspects of fundamentalism in biblical interpretation will be addressed in search for appropriate academic responses to such approaches. Students will also address the question of the value and benefits of the New Testament in our society, whether for individuals or in a professional context, for instance, related to social welfare or pastoral care.

The Qur´an, the scripture of Islam, is one of history´s most influential texts. Muslims believe that the Qur´an literally contains God´s word. Therefore, this book forms the foundation of Islam´s major religious ideas. At the same time, there has been an ongoing debate about to what extent the Qur´an can provide solutions to contemporary problems. In this course, the history and the main religious, legal and political issues of the Qur´an will be evaluated. After discussing the Qur´an organization and early history,  the following issues will be scrutinized: the Qur´an self image, the creation of the world and apocalypse, justice, views of other religions (especially Christianity and Judaism), the status of women, political authority and when, how or whether to wage war.

What is the field of Church Denominations and how does one distinguish between church, denomination and congregation? What is ecumenism? What is the academic contribution of World Christianity and Missiology to Church Denominations? What is the history of church denominations, and how do they branch out and unite? What is common to the denominations? The course addresses dogmas, organization, issues and practices of majority churches and movements in the world. The course discusses the work of church denominations in Iceland and the development of legislation regulating religious communities. Finally, the course discusses the relations between World Christianity, ecumenical bodies and mission in and between church denominations.

The Lutheran worship service  is a ritual that builds on ancient tradition of liturgy and church music, yet also innovative and contextual. Each service is rooted in components of liturgy, church music, diakonia and homiletics. In the service, experts and volunteers come together in diverse leadership roles and complex collaboration.  The course is vocational and practical and has two different foci. It focuses on the one hand on singing together and learning about liturgical music, and, on the other, on  the preparation and performance of a worship service. In the singing part of the course, the focus is on singing-along with others, vocal training and training in liturgy and hymnody. The cultural heritage of the hymnody will be introduced.  In the project management part of the course, students learn long time planning of events, and to work together in groups to plan the service, articulation, enunciation and to plan a worship service on the public radio. The course is a restricted elective course for students in vocational training to become pastors or deacons, but a free elective course for other students who want to get a deeper understanding of worship and Church music, such as students in Church music or singing.

Attn: This elective course cannot be taken instead of the compulsory course GFR076F Liturgy and Hymnology

Lectures on the church, its nature,part,religious life and sacraments.

The course is mostly designed for ordained ministry in the Lutheran Church of Iceland, but is also suitable as part of other professional studies of care, which use the methods and knowledge of spiritual care, such as social workers and nurses. 

In this course, the roles, methods and tools of pastoral and spiritual care are defined and discussed  how these tools apply to liturgy, discussions, mediation and group work. The importance of interdisciplinary collaboration to pastoral and spiritual care is sketched in relation to theories and practices of other academic fields, such as psychology of religion. Theories of grief and bereavement, challenges of old age, loneliness, trauma and growth are applied to concrete examples. The context and practices of pastoral and spiritual care is analyzed. The group goes to field trips and the course focuses on active engagement through role play and case study.

In this course selected Old Testament prophetic literature will be read and analyzed on historical, literary, linguistic and theological grounds. Efforts will be made to answer questions about the texts’ history of origin, their structure and message of individual pericopes in their time of making, as well as regarding the message of the final form of the respective prophetic books in the historical context of early Judaism. Selected texts will be read in the original Hebrew and thus students will be able to utilize the basic knowledge they have acquired in the course Hebrew GFR326G.  

The topic of this course is the relationship between Christianity and politics through history. The relations between religion and politics has influenced the development of Christianity more than most other components in its history. Although the course will geographically center on Christianity in Europe, it will also include, for contrast and comparison, examples from other regions and religions. Source work will concentrate on primary sources from Northern Europe but also include sources from other regions. The course will proceed chronologically, discussing the relationship between religion and politics in 1) early Christianity, 2) late antiquity, 3) the Middle Ages 4) the period of the Reformation, 5) the modern era. Christian religious ideas which have been prominently used in the field of politics will receive particular attention. Theories on the relationship between religion and politics in the field of the history of religion, theology, philosophy, sociology, and political science will be introduced.

The focus of this course will be on the theology of Martin Luther, and the historical reasons for his reformation. Different types of Luther’s writings will be read, covering key theological themes. Emphasis will also be put on the main events in Luther’s life, and the historical settings of his writings.

The course builds on the students´s previous knowledge in ancient Greek, and their skills to read the New Testament in Greek is strengthened. For that purpose selected passages from the Gospel of Mark as well as the Gospel of John are read, with support from grammatical, lexical and other appropriate tools. The course will also serve as preparation for exegesis of the New Testament.

The BA thesis shall be 8.000-10.000 words. The BA thesis in theology is intended to develop the student´s ability to examine a chosen theological subject or work and to write about it in accepted scholarly fashion appropriate for undergraduate studies. The thesis is written under the supervision of a member of the regular teaching staff in theology and religious studies. The student writes the thesis under the guidance of one faculty member in theology

What is known about the long lost medieval Icelandic church buildings? On what source material does the knowledge rest? What was the purpose of these buildings in their contemporanean society? Although there are no remaining medieval church buildings in Iceland, there is, substantial source material to base some knowledge about these churches. Several sites have been excavated and there is also some information in different types of written sources. Much of interior utensils and decoration has been preserved. The course aims at presenting what is known about medieval Icelandic churches and the society that built them and used them. The churches will be studied according to their rank in the church hierarchy: Cathedrals, monastic/larger churches and other types. The outer form will be presented as well as the importance of reuse of building material.

The main purpose of this course is conflict and conflict zones in the world with regard to opportunities and challenges which such topics provide in teaching. Participants will be introduced to ideas and issues of conflicts and relate these to geogarphical situations, history, culture and religion. Two or three areas will be selected for analysis. These could be Ireland and the Irish democacy, Israel and Palestine, Mexico, Myanmar, Nigeria and Turkey, together with areas that geogarphically can be difficult to define. The selection of topics will be made in consultance with participants which will, depending on circumstances, be related to Icelandic history and situation.

The course assignments will cover systematic search for information, suitable exposition of historical and geographical results and explanation of complex and delicate issues.

Final exam counts as 40%, but assignments and partial exams count as 60%. Participants have to attend 80% of classes. 
Further information is on CANVAS.

The course is about religion and religious education in a multicultural society. The students will get basic knowledge about the major religions of the world and how to prepare teaching and learning in religious education in the elementary school. They are also trained in discussing issues and questions about religion and view of life.

The content of the course is religion, religious experience, the search for meaning and the main concepts of religious studies. The value of religions for individuals and societies will be discussed and their impact on the shaping of identities, values and understanding of life. The major religions of the world will be explored, i.e. Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and some other religions and secular worldviews. Also the role of religion nowadays, new religious movements, multiculturalism and pluralism, prejudice and tolerance.

Teaching methods: Lectures, discussion groups, field study and papers on religion and teaching and learning in religious studies. The course is planned for both regular and distance students.

In the course, people's religious needs, experiences and religious identities will be discussed together with selected parts oft the main religious traditions in the world. Religious practice - particularly in relation to school settings - religious ethics and common values of different religions will be discussed, as well as the position of religions today, cultural and religious conflicts and prejudice and misunderstanding concerning religions. Projects are linked to the field.

The aims of this course are that the student has increased his or her knowledge in the main religious traditions in the world, and in the basic theories and key concepts in religious studies. That the student understands the relations between culture and religion and the influences of those on the identity, life values and daily lives of children and families. That the student knows ways of dealing with matters of opinion related to religions in his or her work settings. That the student can collect, assess and analyse scientific data in the field of religious studies in a multicultural society and use suitable technical measures and software. That the student can initiate new studies and development projects and communicate his or her findings in a suitable manner. That the student has developed independent methods of working and is capable of further studies and research in the field of religious studies in multicultural settings.

This course explores medieval and early modern world views through the lens of material culture. A central theme is the body and lived experience of people and students will be introduced to some different ways to their study through objects ranging from ecclesiastical artefacts to dress and adornment, manuscripts, and everyday objects. The course invites students to engage with current archaeological theories such as embodiment and materiality, particularly (but not exclusively), in the context of religious practices. The main focus of the course will be on Icelandic material culture from ca. 1100–1700 but examples from a wider European context will also be considered.  The topics of the course include:

• Approaches to the body in archaeology
• The history of the senses
• Experiencing the sacred – Devotional objects and materiality
• Protecting the body – Magic and healing
• The archaeology of emotion
• A trade in body parts – Relics and reliquaries
• The Reformation and iconoclasm
• Manuscripts and the body

Course topics: The aim of the course is for participants to become aware of diverse factors that influence people‘s views of life and make them better prepared to teach social sciences. Three views will be dealt with. First is the personal and individual, then the common, social and structural. Then the relations of the personal and the common one with international agreements like United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Throughout the course questions of how these appear in the structure and content of school work will be asked, e.g. with regard to the national curriculum. In the course themes related to people‘s views of life will be discussed using questions of moralty, religion, societal views and government, families and people‘s local/domestic environment, and how rights and obligations form people‘s vision.

Working methods: The course is organised in two week rounds, each focusing on one theme. Lectures will be available online and reading material provided as links or pdf-documents. Final exam counts as 40% and assignments (e.g. written ones and online quizzes) count as 60%. The course in taught in weekly sessions on-line