BA Study of Religions

What does the programme cover?

Core modules in the first year (or first two years for part timers) give you an introduction to theory, methods and themes in the study of religion, and to the beliefs and practices of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Second year half modules examine the family of religions which comprise Hinduism, the main teachings and schools of Buddhism, whilst the Anthropology and Sociology of Religion introduces you to the sociological and anthropological approaches to Religion. In the final year Belief and Unbelief looks at the place of belief and unbelief in the modern world and examines the impact of Secularism, Darwinian theory, feminism and postmodernism on religion. Also in your final year; the module on Hermeneutics and Religion introduces you to the development of hermeneutics from being a method to interpret texts to addressing the question of understanding as a central feature of human existence and the emphasis will be on the importance of hermeneutics for the study of religion and reading religious texts. Finally in the third year, you complete a dissertation on a subject chosen by you under the guidance of a supervisor, normally building on one or more of your previous modules.