They come from Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia, America and the Middle East. With the equivalent of Bachelor degrees, a good command of English and sound knowledge of at least one classical language, they are driven to learn more about how Western culture was formed.
They want to know: How did we get to where we are today?
Answering this requires both classical studies and contemporary research into the philosophical and ethical forces that continue to shape society. Only a carefully designed, academically challenging curriculum led by highly qualified scholars, can deliver this type of learning experience at the university level.
Fortunately, just such a network of excellence can be found at universities in the Nordic countries.
In the early years of this millennium, this network saw the growing need for their combined scholarship, and started discussing how they could create such an innovative, intercultural program. In 2007 the first steps were taken to make the program official. In 2009, the first students were admitted to this unique, joint-Nordic course of study.
The two-year Master’s is rigorous and partially held over the internet. Students meet at regular intervals for week-long, compact seminars at one of six Nordic universities, depending on where the lecturer for that subject is employed. They may also meet weekly at their home university with a study guide or course counselor.
The pace is steady and demanding. There is so much to be covered!
As described by Lund University, Religious Roots of Europe “… goes to the roots and explores how the religions grew out of the deserts and cities of the Mediterranean. The three traditions have not lived isolated lives, but moved in the gravitational fields of the others; they have been inspired by one another and tried to distance themselves from each other. In this program they are studied not separately but together. And because history is not only about the past – but also about the past that lives in us – the religions are even studied in a contemporary light.“
Complementing these studies is the chance to get to know others from foreign cultures.
This is perhaps the most personally enriching experience for these students – the chance to discuss cultural questions and learn from each other. Many prejudices and misunderstandings are cleared up, enabling new knowledge to take root.
In addition to studying a second classical language (for example: Greek, Arabic, Latin, Syriac, Coptic or Hebrew), the required courses include: Religion and Society, Method and Theory, and The Emergence of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
The program’s interactive courses cover: The Role of Women in Religious Communities and Texts, Apologetics and Conversion, The Three Religions in Contemporary Perspective, as well as the Holy Scriptures of Islam, Christianity and Judaism.
The entire last semester is devoted to writing a master’s thesis at the Nordic university where the student is registered (their home university). The participating universities include: two in Norway – Bergen and Oslo, two in Denmark – Aarhus and Copenhagen, one in Helsinki, Finland, and Lund University in southern Sweden.
Graduates of this master’s program are well-qualified for jobs that involve international relations – their expertise is needed in governmental institutions as well as companies that do business in the Middle East. Journalists, teachers and above all – researchers are well served by this highly relevant and personally enriching program.
July, 2012
Lund, Sweden
