• Offered for Year: 2026/27

• Module Leader(s): Dr Philip Garrett

• Owning School: History, Classics and Archaeology
• Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus

• Capacity limit: 48 student places

Semesters

Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.

Aims

This Special Subject proceeds from the premise that there was no such thing as 'religion’ in medieval Japan, and at the same time that there was no activity or organisation in medieval Japan which was not ‘religious’. Through reading key texts in the Esoteric, Pure Land, and Zen traditions, we will study the permeation of Buddhist thought and institutions through Japanese society in the late classical and early medieval periods, with a focus on the interwoven functions and authority of the trifunctional elite of civil, military, and monastic authority in the Kamakura period. We will take a multidisciplinary approach to developing our understanding of the period, drawing together study of religion, philosophy, and ritual with human (and sacred) geography, institutional and legal history.

Outline Of Syllabus

This module is structured around three central themes: medieval Buddhist thought and practice, the political structure of late classical and early medieval Japan, and their interrelation in the economic and sacred landscape. Topics covered may include a combination of the following, or similar related topics:

The foundations of Buddhism, its development in Asia, and evolution in Japan
Religious experience and conceptions of Awakening
The nexus of politics at court and in monastic institutions in the late Classical Period
Politics and society, dharma and state
Land and shōen: monastic centres as landholders
Temple complexes and monastic cities
Local society and medieval Japan as seen from the ground
Mountains, Networks, Pure Lands
Conflict within and between religious sites
Religious alternatives in the medieval period
Zen and politics in the medieval period

Teaching Methods

Teaching Activities

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Lecture materials provide the necessary broad overview for each topic area and encourage students to see the big picture. These materials will be delivered asynchronously as a connected set of video, audio, and textual materials, using the Canvas VLE as a supporting framework.
Seminars encourage independent study and promote improvements in oral communication, problem-solving skills and adaptability. This encourages students to worth collaboratively with their peers, developing the interpersonal skills necessary for their future careers.

Assessment Methods

The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners

Other Assessment

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

Essays test students’ abilities to conduct independent research, relate primary source documents to broader problems, the ability to formulate an interpretation of evidence in response to a question, and academic writing skills. The researching and writing of an essay is a tool of learning and understanding rather than merely a means of assessing progress: the process of organising ideas and understanding through writing is integral to developing mastery of the content.

The Creative Project helps students to conceptualise key concepts in the module and consider strategies to clearly communicate complex ideas in a clear and accessible manner, supporting the development of this key transferrable skill for their forthcoming professional careers. This assessment encourages students to expand and deepen their understanding of the central themes of the module through communication, and at the same time assists them in developing their skills in visual presentation of information, whether through poster presentation, click-through slides, website design, video production or any other suitable medium they choose in consultation with the module leader.

Reading Lists

• HIS3351's Reading List

Timetable

• Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
• HIS3351's Timetable