Theology, Religion, and Philosophy of Religion

Study mode:On campus Study type:Full-time Languages: English
Foreign:$ 24.2 k / Year(s) Deadline: Oct 15, 2024
6 place StudyQA ranking:6397 Duration:3 years

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The study of Theology, Religion, and Philosophy of Religion is increasingly important in a world where religious belief is a driving force behind social and political events. The course engages with the history, practice and thought of the major world religions of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism, and you develop a nuanced understanding of the significance of religion and its cultural contexts.

Our students have considerable freedom to create a varied programme of study by exploring a diverse range of topics. However, those who prefer to specialise in one area are equally able to follow a particular pathway.

The Cambridge course is a broad and demanding degree that addresses fundamental questions through a range of religious traditions and philosophical standpoints.

Our course equips students with significant transferable skills that are applicable to and valuable in a wide range of professions. Around 40 per cent of our students continue to further study in Theology or related disciplines, teacher training or law conversion courses.

Other recent graduates have gone on to graduate schemes for Barclays Bank, Apple and the Foreign Office, and positions such as head of media for a campaign group and policy lead at the Department for Education.

Year 1 (Part I)

You take five papers designed to give you a broad introduction to the concepts, knowledge and skills required in the main areas of study.

There are two compulsory subjects:

  • one scriptural language (studied from scratch, no prior knowledge is expected) – Hebrew, New Testament Greek, Qur’anic Arabic or Sanskrit
  • a paper in biblical studies, either David: Israel’s Greatest Hero? or Jesus and the Origins of the Gospel (you can take the other in place of one of the choices below)

Plus three other papers from a choice of five, currently:

  • Christianity and the Transformation of Culture – a detailed investigation of Christianity in England before, during and after the Reformation
  • Who is Jesus Christ? – exploring some of the major themes of Christian theology
  • Understanding Contemporary Religion – an introduction to the sociological study of religion
  • World Religions in Comparative Perspective – looking at the history, beliefs and practices of the main world religions and the problems of comparing them
  • Philosophy of Religion and Ethics – introducing key questions in philosophy of religion and religion and ethics, ranging from antiquity to contemporary controversies

Year 2 (Part IIA)

This builds on the knowledge and skills acquired in Part I. You may wish to continue to study any of the four scriptural languages at a higher level, or you can drop the study of languages at this stage.

A wide choice of options is available, enabling you to develop a course suited to your own interests. You choose four papers out of 17, currently including:

  • Themes in World Christianities
  • Philosophy of Religion: God, Freedom and the Soul
  • Ethics and Faith
  • Theology and the Natural Sciences
  • Life and Thought of Religious Hinduism and of Buddhism
  • Introduction to Islam
  • Religious Themes in Literature

You can also choose to take the Part IA Logic paper from the Philosophy course.

Year 3 (Part IIB)

In your final year, you choose four from a wide range of Special Subjects and interdisciplinary papers (topics may vary), such as:

  • Religious Experience: Mesmerism, Spiritualism and Psychical Research
  • Christianity and Society in Africa and its Diaspora
  • The Doctrine of God: Love and Desire
  • Self and Salvation in Indian and Western Thought
  • Metaphysics
  • Imagination

You can choose to write a dissertation of 10,000 words in your third year instead of one paper.

  • The Attestat o (polnom) Srednem Obshchem Obrazovanii (Certificate of Secondary Education) is not considered to be suitable preparation for a competitive application to the University of Cambridge. We strongly recommend that you undertake further study if you wish to apply for an undergraduate degree. Examples of the qualifications that would be considered suitable for admission to Cambridge are A Levels, the International Baccalaureate (IB), five or more Advanced Placement (AP) courses, or possibly the first year of an undergraduate degree at a university outside the UK. We recommend that you contact the College that you wish to apply to directly for further advice and guidance.
  • IELTS – normally a minimum overall grade of 7.5, usually with 7.0 or above in each element.
  • EU students – a high grade in English taken as part of a leaving examination (eg the European/French Baccalaureate, Abitur etc) may be acceptable.

Scholarships

  • Cambridge Commonwealth, European and International Trust awards
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