ATS3611 A history of God
Faculty of Arts
ATS3611 A history of God is a level 3, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Arts, offered in 2026 in Semester 1 at Clayton. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2026
- Semester 1
- Clayton
- Assessment
- No exam
- 5 tasks
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before ATS3611
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After ATS3611
No unit lists ATS3611 as a prerequisite in the 2026 handbook.
Enrolment rules
Prohibition: ATS2611
Prerequisite: Twelve credit points of second-year Arts units.
Overview
Yahweh, Jesus, Allah. Where did God get started? How has the idea changed over time? What is the meaning of the famous statement “God is dead”? This unit explores the way God has been imagined in a variety of religious and mystical traditions in different times and places. Focusing on the three Abrahamic faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, and comparing and contrasting them with the Eastern traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, it analyses the historical development of theological, philosophical and mystical conceptions of the divine. Tracing the story of God from Antiquity through the Middle Ages and into Modernity, the unit considers how understandings of God have transformed, and been transformed by, society. Closing with contemporary critical approaches to the relationship between science and faith, we examine recent challenges posed by the Enlightenment, secularism, feminism, and the Holocaust.
Offerings in 2026
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester | Clayton | On campus |
Assessment
- Primary source analysis 1Exercise10%
- Primary source analysis 2Exercise10%
- Oral presentationPresentation10%
- Research EssayWritten35%
- Take home final testQuiz / Test35%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Discuss and analyse the major conceptions of God in the world’s major religious traditions, with an emphasis on the three monotheistic faiths of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam;
- 2
Explain the major developments and phases of the individual traditions and the continuities and ruptures that characterise them;
- 3
Identify and critically analyse the key figures and core primary texts of the monotheistic traditions;
- 4
Reflect upon the challenge of modernity and its impact on secular and religious conceptions of ultimate reality. change to reflect upon or assess depending on how you are planning to assess this item.
Workload and teaching
- Workshops36 hours
- Teaching approachActive learning
Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.
Where it fits
ATS3611 is part of 3 areas of study in the 2026 handbook.
Contacts
- Chief Examiners
- Dr Nathan Wolski
- Unit Coordinators
- Dr Nathan Wolski
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for ATS3611?
ATS3611 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is ATS3611 offered?
In 2026, ATS3611 runs in Semester 1 at Clayton.
How much work is ATS3611?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does ATS3611 have an exam?
No. ATS3611 has 5 assessment tasks and no exam.
Which majors and minors include ATS3611?
ATS3611 is part of History and Jewish studies.