United Irishmen and Unionists: the religion and politics of Ulster protestants

Overview

This course considers the religion and politics of protestants in Ulster from the eighteenth to the twentieth century. It examines the interplay of religious, social, and political developments by considering a number of themes. These include, the formation of the United Irishmen and the 1798 rebellion, the rise and significance of evangelicalism, the response of churches to urban growth and industrialisation, religious revivalism and missionary activity, the development of unionist politics, and church-state relations in Northern Ireland. Students will be encouraged to place Irish developments in a broader context. They will encounter a range of primary source material including pamphlets, newspapers, sermons, and official reports.

Learning Objectives

An understanding of the relationships between the religion and politics of protestants in the north of Ireland.

An ability to engage with the most important historiographical debates relating to the subject-matter of the module.

An ability to evaluate critically, and place in their particular historical context, primary documentary sources relating to the subject-matter of the module.

An ability to write an informed analysis of the historical problems discussed in the module.

Skills

Enhanced ability to think critically, reason logically, and work independently.

Further develop communication skills, both written and oral.

Critical appraisal of, engagement with, and effective use of a variety of historical sources.

Assessment

None