Religious Studies

Course summary

Philosophy of religion (H573-01) You will study: • Ancient philosophical influences. • The nature of the soul, mind and body. • Arguments about the existence or non-existence of God. • The nature and impact of religious experience. • The challenge for religious belief of the problem of evil. • Ideas about the nature of God. • Issues in religious language. Religion and Ethics (H573-02) You will study: • Normative ethical theories. • The application of ethical theory to two contemporary issues of importance. • Ethical thought and language. • Debates surrounding the significant idea of conscience. • Sexual ethics and the influence on ethical thought of developments in religious beliefs. Developments in Christian Thought (H573-03) You will study: • Religious beliefs, values and teachings, their interconnections and how they vary historically and in the contemporary world. • Sources of religious wisdom and authority. • Practices that shape and express religious identity, and how these vary within Christianity. • Significant social and historical developments in theology and religious thought. • Key themes related to the relationship between religion and society.