MA Theology and Religious Studies

Program Overview

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This MA Theology and Religious Studies program offers a systematic understanding of key theological and religious issues in Christianity, Islam, Indian religions, and Judaism. Students develop advanced research and analysis skills, a critical understanding of modern secular society and diverse religious perspectives. The program prepares graduates for careers in education, religious ministry, charity sector, or further research at the PhD level.

Program Outline

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Degree Overview:

This MA Theology and Religious Studies program offers a systematic and in-depth understanding of key theological and religious issues within Christianity, Islam, Indian Religions, and Judaism. It is taught by a passionate and experienced subject team. The program is ranked among the top three for student satisfaction in the UK for Theology and Religion (Complete University Guide, 2024).

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Objectives:

• Gain a systematic and in-depth understanding of key theological and religious issues.
• Develop an in-depth understanding of particular religious themes, with a broad view of religious studies, and its diverse forms of interpretation and practice.
• Develop advanced skills in the study and analysis of a range of issues, rather than focus on one specialist subject.
• Develop a critical awareness of the relationship between different religions and modern secular society.
• Gain an informed and scholarly understanding of differences within as well as between religious traditions and cultures.
• Use advanced methods of research and critical analysis to explore the ways in which different religious perspectives contribute to contemporary debates about identity, politics, and culture.

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Outline:

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Program Structure:

• The program can be taken full-time over one year or part-time over two or three years.
• It is comprised of compulsory and optional modules.
• Students are required to complete a dissertation module.

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Course Schedule:

• The program starts in September 2024.

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Modules:

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Compulsory Modules:

• Research Skills: This module focuses on developing study and research skills necessary for postgraduate study in theology and religious studies.
It covers techniques of academic reading and writing, creating bibliographies, and utilizing library resources. It also includes subject-specific advice on studying sacred texts and traditions, engaging with scholarship critically, and empirical research methods.
• Theories and Methods in the Study of Religion: This module provides a grounding in theories and methods in the study of religion, equipping students with a critical vocabulary to analyze religious aspects in various contexts.
It covers methods like textual studies, anthropology of religion, sociology of religion, and material culture. It also integrates critical theories of religion and identity, such as intersections of race and gender.
• Theology and Modernity: Thinkers and Approaches: This module examines methodologies employed in modern theology through key thinkers of the twentieth century.
It explores the question of whether the age of 'classical theism' is over and a new panentheistic structure is needed for theology today. It explores various hermeneutical methods of reading the Bible, including feminist, liberation, literary, social-scientific, and archeological approaches.
• Pentecostal Theology and Practice: This module analyzes and critically evaluates the Pentecostal movement by examining key theological and contextual issues relating to global Pentecostalism.
It explores Pentecostal beliefs and practices, engages with debates within Pentecostal studies, and considers the influence of globalization and the relationship between Pentecostalism and society.
• Islam, Gender and Culture: This module provides an in-depth understanding of theoretical and methodological issues related to the study of gender and Islam, including feminist, modernist/reformist, and revivalist/traditionalist perspectives.
It critically analyzes the Qur'an, Hadith, and Tafsir genre, and engages with various sources, including films, TV documentaries, legal rulings, political platforms, human rights reports, biographies, and literary texts.
• Religions in Dialogue and Conflict: This module explores the principles that should inform a theology of encounter and dialogue in a world of many faiths, cultures, identities, and conflicts.
It includes perspectives drawn from feminism and gender theory, sacramental and moral theology, and different cultural approaches to questions of gender, identity, and sexuality.
• Gender and Social Justice: African Theological Perspectives: This online module explores approaches to issues of gender and social justice in the context of contemporary African theological and pastoral concerns.
It includes questions of inculturation, feminism and women's rights, masculinities in African contexts, LBTQI persons, poverty and economic exclusion, the impact of globalization, religious diversity, and issues of migration and conflict.

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Dissertation Module:

• Dissertation: This module allows students to undertake self-directed and independent research on a topic of religious or theological merit.
• It is likely that the program utilizes a combination of assessments, such as essays, presentations, research papers, and examinations.
• It is likely that the program utilizes a combination of teaching methods, such as lectures, seminars, workshops, and group discussions.
• The program is taught by a passionate and experienced subject team.

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Careers:

• The program is especially beneficial for those hoping to pursue a career in education, faith-based organizations, religious ministry and chaplaincy, or social services.
• Graduates may work internationally, in the charity sector, or for community organizations.
• One of the most marketable skills gained is 'religious literacy,' opening up opportunities in the education sector and beyond.
• It provides an enhanced learning environment and contributes to students' wider cultural awareness and understanding.
• The program focuses on advanced study and research skills, equipping students with a high level of proven academic competence and preparing them for careers that require this expertise.

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• September 2024 entry tuition fees (UK)

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Full-time

£9,188

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Part-time

£4,824

• September 2024 entry tuition fees (international)

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Full-time

£17,325

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Part-time

£9,096