Overview

The BA (Hons) Religion and Theology at the University of Bristol examines religious beliefs, traditions, texts, practices, and their relationships with wider society. The foundation stage develops the academic and critical skills needed to explore theological ideas and understand how religion has shaped cultures, communities, and intellectual thought.

What You'll Learn

• Major religious traditions, beliefs, practices, and forms of religious expression.

• Theological concepts and approaches to questions about faith, meaning, and existence.

• Religious texts and methods for interpreting them within their historical and cultural settings.

• The history and development of religious and theological ideas.

• Relationships between religion, philosophy, ethics, society, and culture.

• Approaches to comparing different religious perspectives and traditions.

• Religion in relation to contemporary social and cultural issues.

• Methods for researching, analyzing, and evaluating religious and theological questions.

• Academic writing, critical thinking, independent study, discussion, and communication.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, students will be able to explain and critically examine important religious and theological ideas across different traditions and contexts. They will understand how beliefs, texts, practices, and institutions develop within particular historical, social, and cultural environments. Students will be able to interpret religious sources carefully, compare different perspectives, and evaluate arguments concerning theological, ethical, philosophical, and social questions. They will also develop the ability to conduct independent research, assess evidence, construct balanced arguments, and communicate complex ideas clearly. The course will encourage students to approach religion from multiple perspectives, recognizing both internal diversity within traditions and the ways religious ideas interact with wider intellectual and cultural life.