Religion

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Honours in Religion program at Trinity College Dublin is a four-year undergraduate degree that explores the nature and impact of religion in diverse contexts. It combines the study of religion with theological studies, offering a unique perspective in Ireland. Graduates pursue careers in various fields, including law, education, pastoral ministry, and research. The program emphasizes the strengths of Trinity's School of Religion in biblical studies, ethics, peace studies, and religious studies.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

Overview:

The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Honours in Religion program at Trinity College Dublin is a four-year full-time undergraduate degree that delves into the study of religion and theology. It offers a comprehensive exploration of religious traditions, their historical, cultural, and ethical dimensions, and their interactions with the contexts of their origins and development.

Objectives:

The program aims to provide students with a deep understanding of:

• The nature and impact of religion in diverse cultural, social, and political contexts
• The critical analysis of religious worldviews, values, and symbols
• The development of Christian self-understanding and engagement with contemporary theological projects
• The exploration of the ways in which truth claims are advanced, debated, and embodied in arguments, doctrines, and institutions

Program Description:

The program combines the study of religion with theological studies, offering a unique perspective in Ireland. It emphasizes the strengths of Trinity's School of Religion in biblical studies, philosophical and theological ethics, peace studies, theological studies, and religious studies. Students gain a broad-based understanding of religion and theology, examining religious traditions in their historical, intellectual, cultural, aesthetic, political, and ethical dimensions.

Outline:

First Year:

• Introduction to the Hebrew Bible
• Introduction to the New Testament
• Judaism
• Islam
• Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean World
• Religious Diversity in Asian Contexts
• Introduction to Ethics
• Introduction to Philosophy
• Introduction to the Study of Religion
• Introduction to Theology

Second and Third Years:

• Biblical Studies: Genres of Literature and Historical Reconstruction
• Theology: Emergence and Reception of Classical Doctrines, Religion and Science, Theology and Social Justice
• Ethics: Gender and Human Rights, Bioethics, Technology, Environment, War and Peace
• Islamic Studies: The Qur'an in Islamic and Late Antiquity Contexts, The Message and Heritage of the Prophet Muhammad
• Optional: Hebrew or Greek language study

Fourth Year:

• Capstone Project: Individual research project
• Current Issues in Research: Religion, War and Peace; Multiple Modernities; Theologies of Church and Eucharist; The Study of Ritual; Queer Theological Ethics; Religion and the Arts; Islamic Perceptions of Gender

Assessment:

The program employs a range of assessment strategies to enhance student education:

• End-of-semester exams combined with summative essays
• Exclusive reliance on essays
• Creation of a portfolio of short assignments
• In-class tests

Teaching:

The program is taught by a team of experienced faculty members who are experts in their respective fields. Teaching methods include:

• Lectures
• Seminars
• Tutorials
• Independent study
• Research projects

Careers:

Graduates of the Religion program have pursued careers in various fields, including:

• Law
• Education (primary and secondary)
• Pastoral ministry
• Civil service
• Creative arts
• Publishing
• Accountancy
• Research

Other:

• The program offers opportunities for study abroad.
• Students can take up a language (Hebrew or Greek) in their second year.
• The program is available as a Single Honours, Major with Minor, or Joint Honours degree.
• There is an opportunity to take Religion as a New Minor Subject from the second year.