Religious Studies

Course summary

For many people, the only thing they know about religion is the garbled message they get from the media; mention religion and people assume some kind of extremist activity. This course aims to equip students with a rigorous, academic understanding of religious beliefs and how social and historical factors have affected their development. If you want to get to grips with some of the ‘big questions,’ then this is the course for you! The course has three components: A Study of Islam, Philosophy of Religion and Religion and Ethics. The Study of Islam involves exploring religious figures and sacred texts, religious concepts and religious life, social and historical developments and practices that shape religious identity. Philosophy of Religion covers arguments for the existence of God, challenges to belief through the problem of evil and suffering, religious experience, and religious language. Religion and Ethics considers ethical thought, deontological ethics, teleological ethics, and determinism and free will. These three components are studied over the two-year course.