Religious Studies

Why study this subject?

Theology / Religious Studies is a unique subject which explores the world through the eyes of religion. In particular, we explore how different worldviews have influenced our understanding of reality, ethics and society.

Theology / Religious Studies is the meeting point between the timeless and the timebound, the infinite and the finite, the divine and the human; through it we investigate important ultimate questions including:

• What is real? • Can God be known? • What makes life valuable? • What does it mean to be human? • Can more than one faith be true? • Does religion have a part to play in the modern world?

Theology / Religious Studies is inter-disciplinary by nature and therefore it combines well with many subjects, including History, Philosophy, English, Psychology, Politics, as well as any of the Sciences.

What skills will you develop?

Theology / Religious Studies will help you develop a diverse range of skills including:

• a disciplined approach to problem solving • communication and teamwork • an enquiring, critical and reflective approach to the study of religion, ethics and contemporary issues • persuasion and negotiation • an evaluation of your own values and opinions

These skills will be helpful in a wide variety of careers including journalism, law, teaching, charity work and many more.

What are the key elements to the course?

Philosophy of Religion

• Plato and Aristotle • Soul, mind and body • The existence of God • Religious language • God’s eternity and human Free Will Ethics • Secular ethics: utilitarianism and Kantian deontology • Religious ethics: natural law and situation ethics • Applied ethics: euthanasia, business ethics, sexual ethics • Meta-ethics

Developments in Religious Thought

• Religious beliefs, values and teachings, their interconnections and how they vary historically and in the contemporary world • Sources of religious wisdom and authority • Practices which shape and express religious identity, and how these vary within a tradition • Significant social and historical developments in theology and religious thought • Key themes related to the relationship between religion and society.

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