Religious Studies

Course summary

Students will study 3 components during the two-year course: Component 01: Philosophy of Religion Students study philosophical language and thought, and issues and questions raised by belief including • 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. Component 02: Religious Ethics Students explore key concepts and the works of influential thinkers, and ethical theories and their application includes • Normative ethical theories, Natural Law, Kant, Situation Ethics and Utilitarianism. • The application of ethical theory to two contemporary issues of importance, Euthanasia and Business Ethics. • Ethical language and thought. • Debates surrounding the significant idea of conscience. • Sexual ethics and the influence on ethical thought of developments in religious beliefs. Component 03: Development in Christian Thought Students study Christianity systematically and explore • 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 a tradition. • Significant social and historical developments in theology and religious thought. • Key themes related to the relationship between religion and society.