Law and Religious Studies (with Foundation Year)

LAW

Law shapes our society and influences every aspect of our lives. It defines our obligations and legal requirements, serves to regulate and define relationships and provides a means of redress when problems arise. To study Law is not only to study a challenging subject, but also to study the rules, principles and policies that underpin society. This degree gives you a theoretical and philosophical grounding in Law, as well as the ability to engage in its practical study and application.

Study Law with us and you will gain an understanding of the fundamental principles, theories and key ideas that underpin the law in England and Wales. You also learn about the way Public Law provides the legal framework within which government and administration functions, the structure of Law and Government under which we live, and the values of democracy, rule of law and constitutionalism that underpin that structure.

We aim to produce graduates who do not merely know or know how to, but understand why things are as they are and how they could be different. It is about gaining a deep approach to the subject, in which you try to relate ideas in one subject to those in others, to understand what you read, questioning material, making links and pursuing lines of inquiry out of interest.

The LLB degree and Joint degrees can be taken over 3 or 4 years. If taken over 4 years, the third year would be spent in an appropriate legal work experience setting in light of the requirements set down to undertake the Solicitors Qualify Exams.

RELIGIOUS STUDIES

Religious Studies at Liverpool Hope explores the practice and significance of religion in contemporary society through the study of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, African religious traditions, and Indic traditions such as Buddhism and Hinduism. A balance between the study of religious texts and lived religion in the contemporary world is maintained throughout the degree. Religious Studies pays close attention to what supporters of these religions think, do, and  believe, and explores the very real differences that exist between various groups within each faith.

Throughout your studies, you will analyse and contextualise the thinking behind key religions to appreciate their history, spirituality, and their relevance to the social and political landscape. All of our teaching is research-informed and you will be taught by highly-qualified academics, all of whom have a PhD in the area, who are both active and published researchers and committed teachers. We work hard to provide top-quality educational opportunities for all our students, and the Department has recently invested heavily in learning resources; combined library holdings in Theology and Religion are now in excess of 100,000 volumes.

Above all, the Religious Studies degree treats religions as lived faiths by looking at the way that they are followed in Britain and across the globe today. You acquire skills in the different methods of studying religion. The degree examines profound questions of faith and life in ways that are intellectually challenging, illuminating, and engaging. By drawing out the complex issues that surround religious belief and expression, the degree equips you to engage with the pressing questions of our time and to play your part in promoting religious and social harmony.