Religion, Society and Culture, BA (Hons)

This degree equips students with essential skills to explore religion's profound influence on the human condition, examining its roles in politics, literature, bioethics, and conflict. Through theoretical frameworks, students engage with diverse topics such as fundamentalism in the USA, sacred landscapes in northern India, Islam in modern Britain, Pentecostalism in sub-Saharan Africa, and global death rites. The curriculum addresses pressing ethical issues like environmental crises, end-of-life care, poverty, and warfare, fostering informed, reflective perspectives to better understand global forces shaping attitudes, hopes, and fears, while empowering graduates to contribute positively to society. Options include adding a placement year or study abroad, extending the program to four years.The program is structured progressively: the first year builds foundational knowledge in theology and religion through core modules like Islam Observed and Worldview, Faith and Identity. The second year offers greater flexibility with electives such as Death, Ritual and Belief or Religion in Contemporary Britain. The final year culminates in a dissertation on a student-chosen topic, alongside advanced modules like Religion and Film. Assessment primarily involves essays, examinations, and coursework, with 40% weighted toward independent work, emphasizing self-directed learning.

Year 1 Core modules: Islam Observed: Ethnographic Accounts of Muslim Practice introduces the study of Islam from an anthropological perspective. The module aims to develop an understanding of the diverse forms of Muslim religious life in the contemporary world and to foster an appreciation of the complex relationship between the local and the global in Islam. Worldview, Faith and Identity outlines established approaches to the study of religion. The module introduces ideas of identity, faith and worldview as foundations for religious thought and practice. Introduction to the History of Christianity looks at the history of Christianity and to its relationships with its social and cultural contexts including the representation of different periods, different regions, different social groups such as historically marginalised groups, and different methodologies. In recent years, optional modules have included: People and Cultures Societies in Transition Classical Sociology Theory New Testament Greek Introduction to Christian Theology God and Evil God and the Good: Philosophy of Religion and Ethics Introduction to Bible: Texts, History, Culture Year 2 In recent years, optional modules have included: Death, Ritual and Belief Science and Theology: Exploring the Interface Religion in Contemporary Britain Atheism, Belief, and the Edge of Reason Myth and Meaning: The Structural Analysis of Mythology Research Project and Colloquium in Theology and Religion God and the Universe of Faiths Sacred India: Land, Politics and Identity Sects, Prophets and Gurus. Year 3 (Year 4 if undertaking a placement year or year abroad) In your final year, you will submit a dissertation on a related topic of your choice, approved by an academic advisor. The dissertation allows you to explore in depth a topic of special interest to you. In recent years, optional modules have included: Religion and Film Emotion and Identity in Religion Christian Fundamentalism and the Modern World The Historical Jesus Christian Tradition and the Practice of Politics Jesus Christ in the Twentieth Century Religious Diversity in African Contexts Religion, Media and Popular Culture