StudyQA — Master: Christianity and Interreligious Relations

Description Contents Requirements

Multicultural societies need people in a whole range of contexts able to think through the issues that arise in a situation of religious pluralism. For decades this insight was ignored but now faith and faith communities figure so large in public discourse that agencies of all sorts are obliged to engage with religion. London, with its Buddhists, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Sikhs, Bahais, Zoroastrians, not to mention its huge variety of Christians, is one of the most cosmopolitan cities on earth and offers a unique setting for reflection on the issues. The MA in Christianity and Interreligious Relations engages with some of the political, ethical, sociological and policy questions raised by the historical and cultural shifts that have formed our complex world. But its special focus is the religious dimension. How do traditions respond to secular modernity and religious pluralism? How can we understand what religion means in our kind of society? And how are Christians to make theological sense of the presence, power and persistence of the many faith traditions?

For those already living or working in diverse settings and communities (in ministry, secular employment or as a volunteer) the degree enriches and improves existing practice and understanding.

The degree provides quality formation relevant to those working in many professions, e.g. health, education, local government, law, policing, diplomacy, and can significantly enhance career prospects.

The programme begins by asking how we can understand religion and religions in the age of modernity. It is significant, after all, that a preoccupation with the religious only appears very recently indeed in Western history: what does the modern word religion actually denote? Subsequent modules deal with Muslim-Christian relations in modern times, particularly given certain modern trends in the Muslim world, and then the encounter with Hinduism and Buddhism, raising topics such as mysticism, the Dalit movement and liberation theology. A final module takes up the theological issues that will have surfaced and asks about the mission and method of a contemporary theology of religions.

Each module is taught over a single term in a series of weekly two-hour lectures. Teaching will often include discussion and/or seminar presentations. Directed reading is an essential component of learning. Assignments also direct students individual reading and thought. The final component of the MA is the writing of a dissertation on any topic of the students choice appropriately related to the programmes contents subject to the approval of the Programme Convenor). Tutorial support is offered for the preparation of essays and the final dissertation. More in-depth study can be pursued through the activities of Heythrops Centre for Christianity and Interreligious Dialogue.

The College provides opportunities for more in-depth study through the activities of the Centre for Christianity and Interreligious Dialogue.

Full-time students attend two classes a week during term, part-time students just one. Reading and preparation for the classes should take you at least six hours a week per module but in addition there is substantial time required for researching, planning and writing course-work, essays and the dissertation. Most students also like to read round the subjects being taught and many find it indispensable to devote energy to discovering more about the world religions they have been studying and to brushing up on their Christian theology.

Assessment is by a combination of coursework tasks completed during or shortly after the period of module teaching and an end of year essay for each module. You also complete a 12,000 to 15,000 word dissertation on a research topic agreed with your supervisor.

Examples of the available module options are:

CIR403 Understanding Religion in the Age of Modernity

The word religion has only quite recently acquired its current meaning. This course helps students to reflect in depth on the mutually dependent relationship between modernity and religion, asking how modernity has tried to situate and understand religions and how, increasingly, religious people are seeking to re-situate modernity. In the first half of the course, we will explore various different theoretical approaches to religion developed over the last two centuries, including secularisation theory, the phenomenology of religion, hermeneutical approaches, and pragmatism. In the second half, we will explore in some depth the ground-breaking work of philosopher Charles Taylor who provides a compelling understanding of both the origins of the modern secular worldview and of the place of a responsible religious faith within it.

CIR505 Muslim - Christian Relations

The existence of Islam presents Christians with a unique challenge: the claim that God has abrogated Christs message with a subsequent revelatory initiative, the Arabic Qurn revealed to Muammad. This module explores the full implications of this fundamental religious datum, looking at how Christians have responded to it over fourteen centuries during which adherents of the two religions have often found themselves in conflict. It then asks how Christians living in contemporary multicultural Britain might best approach this enduringly problematic situation. The course will focus largely on issues of theology and religious thought and, presuming a basic knowledge of Islam, will examine some of the issues involved in the complex relationship between Islam and modernity.

CIR506 Christian Relations with Buddhism & Hinduism

This module focuses on the dialogue between Christian faith and the great religious traditions which have originated on the Indian sub-continent; topics include Hindu theology, mysticism and spirituality, the Dalit movement, Engaged Buddhism and liberation theology, the silence of the Buddha and the question of God.

CIR402 Christianity in Dialogue

This module begins with the emergence of a theology of religions and considers the questions it raises for the uniqueness of Christ; it builds on the Jewish matrix for Christian theology and discusses key themes, such as Church and Mission, dialogue and inculturation, salvation and the action of the Holy Spirit in a pluralist world.

You can request an application form via e-mail to admissionspg@heythrop.ac.uk or by telephone to 020 7795 4120. You can also download the Postgraduate Application form and associated guidelines below.You must send your completed form as a signed hard copy. You also need to send your references, a transcript of your first degree studies and your Equal Opportunities Form, which you can also download.Applicants must normally hold a first or second class honours degree (or equivalent), either in Theology or in another subject appropriate to the field of postgraduate study. For mature students, ability to undertake the programme may be considered on the basis of other relevant evidence.If English is not your mother tongue the College asks for an IELTS score of at least 7.0 (with not less than 7.0 in Listening, Academic Reading and Academic Writing). We also accept TOEFL with a score of at least 250.In both cases, these qualifications must have been gained not more than two years before the start of your programme English Language Requirements IELTS band: 7 IMPORTANT NOTE: Since April 2014 the ETS tests (including TOEFL and TOEIC) are no longer accepted for Tier 4 visa applications to the United Kingdom. The university might still accept these tests to admit you to the university, but if you require a Tier 4 visa to enter the UK and begin your degree programme, these tests will not be sufficient to obtain your Visa. The IELTS test is most widely accepted by universities and is also accepted for Tier 4 visas to the UK- learn more.