Theology and Religious Studies MA

This module will equip you with the academic study skills required for study in Theology and Religious Studies (TRS) at Level 7, as well as providing an introduction to the first two of four sub-disciplines in the field: theology and philosophy. In part I of this two-part core module, our subject experts will introduce you to some key dimensions of Christian theology and philosophy, preparing you to understand the breadth and depth of TRS as an interdisciplinary field. As this module runs in parallel with our research seminar series, you'll be prepared and equipped to be an active contributor to the academic research culture.

This module follows Studying Theology and Religion (Part I), and will help you to continue developing the academic study skills required for study in Theology and Religious Studies at Level 7. It provides an introduction to two further sub-disciplines in the field: biblical studies and religious studies. In part II, our subject experts will introduce you to the academic study of the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, as well as to anthropological and sociological approaches to the study of religion. As this module will continue to run in parallel with our research seminar series, you'll be prepared and equipped to be an active contributor to the academic research culture.

A topic relating to your course aims/learning outcomes and personal and/or professional interests is chosen. The dissertation is based upon guided, but largely independent, research. Research methodology is included in both the supervision process and the submitted dissertation. 

This module involves the systematic and critical reading of the Book of Revelation. You will also cover key critical issues in the interpretation of the Apocalypse, such as its social, historical and political setting, its key themes and theological content, its place in the development of early Christianity, and its influence and reception.

This module traces the development of various trends in modern and contemporary Islam through movements and individuals, from pre-modernist reform movements such as Wahhabism, the recent Islamic ‘resurgence’, up to contemporary forms of globalised Islam. The evolution of modern and contemporary Muslim political thought and attempts to establish Islamic states, as in Iran, Pakistan or Afghanistan, will be discussed. Emphasis will be placed on social and intellectual challenges faced by Muslims, such as the question of Islam and gender, the situation of Muslims living in the West, and the relationship between Islam and democracy.

This module focuses on the Dead Sea Scrolls (specifically, the Qumran Dead Sea Scrolls) and their significance for our understanding of the social, cultural, political and religious diversity of the Second Temple period. You will examine topics such as the discovery and publication of the scrolls; their historical and archaeological context; the content of the manuscripts; their relation to biblical texts and known apocryphal/pseudepigraphal literature; the community behind the texts; the relationship with early Christianity; and the modern impact and reception of the discovery within both academia and popular culture.

This module explores how philosophy has engaged with God from the end of the Enlightenment onwards. You will learn how the legacy of Kant and Nietzsche’s statements on God opened up new ways of talking about God and the experience of God in philosophy. Topics may include Nietzsche and morality; Heidegger on existence and human being; existentialism and God; critiques of reason and enlightenment in the Frankfurt School; Levinas on ethics and otherness; feminist philosophy of religion; and post-modernism and God.

You will have the opportunity to write a substantial research assignment after attending an academic conference or seminar. Your assignment will be based on one of the conference themes, which has been approved by the module leader. You will receive guidance from a specialist supervisor. 

You will select and develop a project of your choice in any area of Theology and Religious Studies covered by our expertise. You'll work under one-to-one supervision with a specialist supervisor.