Religious Studies

Course summary

Religious studies explores a range of philosophical and ethical issues surrounding religion, appealing to those who are curious about the ‘deeper things’ in life and the role and impact of religion on modern society. You do not need to be religious to study this, and we take an academic and critical approach to religious claims. The course is divided into three areas: philosophy of religion, ethics and Christianity. You will study the issues surrounding whether God’s existence can be proved and the complexities surrounding religious language and miracles. In ethics, you will study both religious and non-religious ethical theories, investigating their strengths and weaknesses. In Christianity, students study the history, developments, teachings and practices of one of the world’s most important religions and consider how far Christianity has evolved to meet the challenges of being a religious believer in the modern world. This paper involves elements of history, sociology, psychology and literary criticism and students will find that it complements these other subjects well.