Overview

What people believe about the world, and how those beliefs shape society and culture, are questions that can be critically examined using tools drawn from philosophy, social science, history, literature and language. The BA (Hons) Theology and Religion at Durham University teaches students to test and interrogate belief both from within, as practitioners engaging with their own convictions, and from without, as critical observers. The department holds a historic strength in Christian thought, history, theology, practice and texts, while offering equally strong provision in non-Christian faith traditions, politics, ethics, humanism, atheism and the social-scientific study of religion. Students can attend an extensive programme of research seminars and public lectures from high-profile visiting scholars, adding real intellectual breadth beyond the taught curriculum. The course builds from foundational skills and independent research training in the first year, through a guided research project in the second, toward a substantial dissertation exploring a self-chosen topic in depth. It suits students drawn to big questions about belief, identity and meaning, who want to combine rigorous critical thinking with genuine self-reflection over the course of their degree.

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What You'll Learn

• Independent research skills, developed through intensive small-group work on specialist topics of your choosing

• Religion as a lived phenomenon, examined through a range of worldviews and religious traditions

• The history of Christianity and its relationship with social and cultural context across different periods and regions

• The history of Christian theology, its major figures, ideas and ongoing debates

• Key biblical texts and passages, and the methods scholars use to interpret them

• A guided second-year research project, building the skills needed for your final dissertation

• Specialist option modules spanning theology, biblical studies, and the study of religion in the modern world

• An extended dissertation on a topic of your own choosing, approved by an academic advisor

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Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, students will be able to critically examine religious belief and practice using tools drawn from philosophy, history, literature and the social sciences, testing ideas both from within a tradition and as an outside observer. They will be equipped to interpret texts and evidence relating to Christian and non-Christian faith traditions, drawing on strong foundations built from the first year onward. Through a guided research project and an extended dissertation, students will develop the ability to design, execute and communicate a substantial piece of independent research. Graduates will leave with strong analytical, research and communication skills, well suited to further study or a wide range of careers valuing rigorous, reflective thinking about belief, culture and society.