Unit rationale, description and aim

“Who am I? What should I do with my life? What really matters? Where have I come from and where am I going? These are questions that “have their common source in the quest for meaning which has always compelled the human heart” (John Paul II, Fides et Ratio, #1). In this unit, exploring such matters means thinking about questions of identity, belonging, purpose, love, suffering, belief, transcendence, and much more. Such themes are at the heart of human cultures, philosophy, spirituality and religion, including Christianity. But they have also long been explored through the arts: from painting and sculpture, to literature, music and cinema. Such forms of artistic expression bring us to confront and engage imaginatively with life’s big questions and experiences. It is through the lens provided by great pieces of historic and contemporary art that this unit enables students to explore such questions, opening up ancient philosophical and theological insights in compelling and accessible ways. The aim of the unit is to enable students to reflect critically and imaginatively on themes of importance for living well with others in social and professional contexts. This unit is available within ACU's Core Curriculum.

2026 10

Campus offering

No unit offerings are currently available for this unit.

Prerequisites

Nil

Incompatible

PHCC102 Being Human , PHIL102 Theories of Human Nature , PHCC104 Ethics and the Good Life , UNCC100 Self and Community: Exploring the Anatomy of Modern Society , PHCC106 Making Sense: Practical Reasoning for Life and Career , THCC100 Revolutionary Values: Christianity in History , THCC101 People Matter: Catholic Social Thought

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

Explain key philosophical and theological ideas re...

Learning Outcome 01

Explain key philosophical and theological ideas relating to life meaning and purpose.
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC7, GC9

Analyse how particular philosophical or theologica...

Learning Outcome 02

Analyse how particular philosophical or theological theme/s are imaginatively addressed through specific artistic creations.
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC7, GC9, GC11

Communicate ways in which questions of meaning, pu...

Learning Outcome 03

Communicate ways in which questions of meaning, purpose and fulfilment can affect personal, social and professional life.
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC7, GC9, GC12

Content

Topics may include:

  • Foundational understanding and skills in critical analysis and argumentation.
  • Meaning and the crisis/absence of meaning
  • Imagination and the emotions
  • Identity and belonging
  • Truth, goodness and beauty
  • Suffering and redemption
  • Love and forgiveness
  • Courage and virtue
  • Belief 
  • Death
  • Hope 

  

Assessment strategy and rationale

To pass this unit, students are required to achieve an overall minimum grade of pass (50%).

The assessment strategy is designed to enable students to display achievement of all learning outcomes.

To enhance assessment authenticity, assessment is integrated with class activities. This involves written and oral activities that assess understanding of key concepts and debates about meaning and art, as well as discussion with peers and the production of individual pieces of work. Application of these debates to contemporary issues is emphasised. 

Task 1 asks students to explain key ideas or approaches discussed in the unit, as well as their contemporary relevance. It is a written or oral assessment task undertaken in class that allows students to display achievement of Learning Outcome 1. It is a low-risk task which helps students to foster core skills which will be further developed in Tasks 2 and 3.

Task 2 invites students to develop a project which analyses key themes in the unit. The focus of this task is on enabling students to display achievement of Learning Outcomes 2 and 3.

In Task 3, students reflect on their range of learning across the unit, and apply key insights to contemporary contexts. Task 3 enables students to display achievement of all three learning outcomes.

Overview of assessments

Task 1: Foundational Task  Requires students...

Task 1: Foundational Task 

Requires students to explain key concepts of the unit.

Weighting

20%

Learning Outcomes LO1
Graduate Capabilities GC1, GC7, GC9

Task 2: Critical Analysis Project: Requires stud...

Task 2: Critical Analysis Project:

Requires students to analyse key themes are presented through the arts, engaging with a range of different theological and philosophical perspectives.

Weighting

40%

Learning Outcomes LO2, LO3
Graduate Capabilities GC1, GC7, GC9, GC11, GC12

Task 3: Reflection and application task: Require...

Task 3: Reflection and application task:

Requires students to reflect on the key themes of the unit and apply insights to specific contemporary contexts.

Weighting

40%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2, LO3
Graduate Capabilities GC1, GC7, GC9, GC11, GC12

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

This unit will be offered as a flipped classroom, drawing on the standard 150 hours of focused learning. Students are required to complete online modules as well as attend on-campus seminars, where some assessment will be conducted.

Students are asked to define key terms and approaches, analyse and integrate new information with existing knowledge, draw meaningful new connections, and then apply what they have learned to contemporary contexts. Collaborative and peer learning is also emphasised. Active participation in this unit is an essential element of student learning, reflected in the assessment strategy. Learning is aimed to be engaging and supportive, helping students to develop critical thinking and reflection skills by engaging with a wide range of approaches and perspectives. In this unit, students will investigate key themes in Christianity through imagination and the arts. 

Because of the humanities-based nature of the unit, the learning strategy aims to help students develop skills in analysis, critical thinking, reflection, and the interpretation of complex and nuanced themes, and then to relate these themes back to their own contexts. In this way, the student is placed at the centre of learning, which is an active and relevant process.

Representative texts and references

Representative texts and references

Eagleton, Terry. The Meaning Of Life: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008.

Fujimura, Makoto. Art and Faith: A Theology of Making. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2021.

Gilmore, Richard. Doing Philosophy at the Movies. Albany: SUNY, 2021.

Graham, Gordon. Philosophy, Art, and Religion: Understanding Faith and Creativity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2017.

Hornik, Heidi J. The Art of Christian Reflection. Waco: Baylor University Press, 2018.

Lorenz, James. The Theological Power of Film. London: Routledge, 2024.

Nagel, Thomas. Mortal Questions. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012.

Navone, John. Toward a Theology of Beauty. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1996.

Schnell, Tatjana. The Psychology of Meaning in Life. London: Routledge, 2020.

Siedell, Daniel. Who's Afraid of Modern Art?: Essays on Modern Art and Theology in Conversation. Eugene, Oregon: Cascade Books, 2015.

Williamson, Beth. Christian Art: A Very Short Introduction. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004.

Locations
Credit points
Year

Have a question?

We're available 9am–5pm AEDT,
Monday to Friday

If you’ve got a question, our AskACU team has you covered. You can search FAQs, text us, email, live chat, call – whatever works for you.

Live chat with us now

Chat to our team for real-time
answers to your questions.

Launch live chat

Visit our FAQs page

Find answers to some commonly
asked questions.

See our FAQs