Religious Studies

Introduction to the Study of Religion 

This unit covers the main theories of religion, key ideas and themes (sacred texts, myth, ritual, sacred objects), questions such as the insider/outsider debate, religion and identity, as well as key theorists in the study of religion (for example, Emile Durkheim, Rudolf Otto, Mircea Eliade, Max Weber, William James and Clifford Geertz).

African Traditional Religion  

This unit introduces you to some of the key aspects of the study of religion through the lens of the traditional religions of Africa. You will explore how ritual behaviour, myths, song, dance and the creation of religious artefacts come together to  express people's understanding of the world and of  themselves as communities. We use one of the great classics of African Literature, Chinua Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart to enter into a world that is very different to the religions that are generally studied at A-Level.

Introduction to Islam 

The course aims to introduce students to the contemporary study of Islam. It begins by covering matters to do with the origins of Islam, the Quran and the tradition-literature. It goes on to consider Sunni and Shi’i traditions, and the institution of Sufism, theology and jurisprudence. Throughout, consideration is given to contemporary relevance of the early articulations of Islam.

Introduction to Judaism 

Is Judaism a religion, an ethnicity, or a culture? This unit introduces students to Judaism in its rich and varied traditions and history, as well as contemporary practice. The themes covered in this course include the authoritative writings of Judaism (the Hebrew Bible, the Mishnah and the Talmud); the essentials of Jewish belief; the Jewish calendar, rituals and feasts; Messianism; gender; Zionism and the State of Israel. 

Introduction to Hinduism 

Hinduism is one of humanity's ancient and complex religious traditions. This unit helps students to navigate the rich ideas, texts and images of Hinduism by discussing a number of key dimensions, particularly through the study of text and imagery. The course discusses the concept of Brahman as One and Many and the broad traditions of ?aivism, Vai??avism and ??ktism along with their religious literature. We also consider Dharma and society - looking particularly at notions of Caste as Var?a and J?ti. We will explore Hindu philosophy - looking especially at M?m??s? and Ved?nta. Finally, the unit discusses the revitalisation of Hinduism in India today. 

Religion and Violence in Liverpool 

This unit focuses on Liverpool and its often violent religious past. The themes covered include the slave trade, the religious arguments used for and against slavery in Liverpool, the impact of emigration from Ireland on the religious landscape of the city, and the roots of the 1909 Liverpool sectarian riots. A guided walk through the historic centre of Liverpool with a focus on the traces of the slave trade is an integral part of this course. 

Religious Ethics and Spirituality 

Can religious commands ever be unethical? With this question in mind, this course examines important ethical issues and theories in Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Buddhist, and secular traditions. In doing so, we explore the often neglected relationship between ethics and spirituality, as well as asking whether there is anything distinctively ‘religious’ about ‘religious ethics’. Throughout the course, we examine specific case studies and controversial issues such as sacrifice, sexuality and gender, the holocaust, jihad and radicalization, environmental ethics, forgiveness, and the problem of evil.

Christianity 

In this course Christianity, a thoroughly global faith, is studied from a global point of view, examining diverse ritual practices, behaviours, beliefs and customs. Students will engage with film representations of Jesus, modern popular literature and music which draws its metaphors and imagery from Christian thought. The course delves into the agreements about belief but also the ethical divergences across traditions and cultures, particularly related to sex and gender, abortion, feminism, and stances to war. 

Buddhism 

This course offers an introduction to Buddhism, but is taught in a way that allows students to look at any specific area in depth and detail. We begin by looking at who Siddhartha Gautama (the historical Buddha) was and what he did, before exploring various key areas of Buddhism. These include: The Four Noble Truths; the meaning of no-self (Anatta); the nature and significance of liberation (focusing on Nirvana), the schisms that occurred after the Buddha’s death; the various schools that have resulted, namely, Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana; the notion of emptiness (Sunyata) and suchness (Tathata), before ending with a study of Zen Buddhism. 

Islamic law and society 

One of the great Western scholars of Islamic law, Joseph Schacht, argued that a clearly Islamic system of law began to form only after the Umayyads came to power; subsequently, under the Abbasids, Islamic law became a rigid theoretical structure. It was gradually recognized, Schacht argued, that by about the 10th century all important juristic questions had been posed and resolved, marking the closing of the doors of independent reasoning; this theoretical rigidity poses immense problems for modern jurists trying to reform Islamic law. Every aspect of Schacht’s account is now questioned in light of Islamic law’s adaptability to different societal contexts in particular. The course examines how Islamic law engages questions of politics, gender and its application within Western civil legal system. It also explores the differences between Shi’ism and Sunnism and how that is reflected in Iran today. 

Your second year Tutorials will focus on critical analysis of various chapters from the Cambridge Companion to Religious Studies. 

Islamic political thought

This course allows students to read and interpret primary sources in translation that reflect the main three genres of writings on political theory in medieval Islam: Legal, literary and philosophical. It also explores how the classical texts inform, or do not inform, the rise of contemporary political Islam. 

Judaism in the Shadow of the Shoah (Holocaust) 

Where was God in the holocaust (Shoah)? Who was God in the Shoah? Such questions remain profoundly challenging for Jewish belief, thought, practice, and identity. In this course, we examine ways in which Jewish thinkers, artists, and writers have responded to the horrors of the Shoah by both appealing to tradition and striving towards the future. In particular, we explore the rise of Holocaust Theology and the revival of interest in Jewish mysticism (kabbalah). We reflect on ways in which these two important modern trends interact, as Jewish thinkers draw on mystical ideas in their search for meaning in the shadow of the Shoah. 

Islamic Sufism (mysticism) 

In the late nineteenth century and early twentieth centuries, it was common to think of Sufism as a non-essential part of Islam – mysticism was thought to be foreign to Semitic religious sensibility. Scholarly consensus since the seminal work of Massignon is united in rejecting this assumption but exploring why the assumption is wrong and how it came to be rejected is instructive.  The course explores these questions as it looks at Ghazali’s pivotal role in synthesizing Sufi ideas with other sources of knowledge in Islam as he provides a broad definition of Islamic Orthodoxy. 

Religion, Conflict, and Reconciliation 

You will also engage with the broader theme of Religion, Conflict, and Reconciliation, critically evaluating key points of conflict around the world and the role that religions play in cultivating tensions and resolutions. A moment’s reflection attests that religion and violence are often woven together in history’s tapestries. Any number of religions have justified violence under certain circumstances, and others have become caught up in its processes. The course looks at various contexts in the world to assess the relevance of engaging religion for the coherence of societies and pursuit of peace even when conflict is associated with religious sensitivities. 

This level also provides students with an opportunity to pursue a theme related to the programme through a substantial independent research project led by the student working with a supervisor.