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What's life all about and does it have a purpose? Is there a God? What can we say about 'God'? What do people who say there is a God believe? Why is the history of religious belief often charged with conflict? Why do believers often disagree about what is the right thing to do? How does, or ought, religious belief influence local, national and international communities?

Studying theology addresses many of these questions central to human beings and the world in which they live. It also allows an exploration of the belief systems that have played a role in the shaping of our world throughout the centuries, and an engagement with theology allows students to examine critically some of the most fundamental questions in life and exploring whether some meaning can be perceived in the suffering and evil we see around us.

A study of theology involves engaging with a range of different subjects, and a grounding in the subject involves looking at the way theology is done by the biblical scholar, the philosopher, the historian and the systematic theologian. A look at history enables some understanding of the impact that religion has had in the past, and the legacy we live with today. Subjects such as Philosophy of Religion and Christian Ethics allow an exploration of the content of belief (miracles, petitionery prayer, arguments for the existence of God, the freewill defence and the problem of evil) and how such belief influences how we act, by considering issues such as conscience and its formation, human rights, natural law and moral norms, and specific issues relating to the beginning and ending of life, punishment, war, and the environment. Optional modules allow investigation of texts in original languages (Greek, Hebrew or Latin) as well as learning the languages themselves. The wider impact of religion can be considered through modules such as Judaism and Islam, or specific areas of ethical enquiry, or the influence of religion on the individual or society, by a consideration of topics such as the psychology or sociology of religion, or political theology.

A study of theology covers a diverse range of topics and ideas and it is difficult to think of another subject that offers such diversity and a range of opportunities. Studying theology and engaging with the central questions of human existence will not necessarily provide the answers, but will certainly provide better questions.