Religion, Theology & Spirituality and Special Educational Needs

RELIGION, THEOLOGY AND SPIRITUALITY

‘If you want a cathedral, we’ve got one to spare!’ runs a traditional Liverpool song.  This city has been shaped by its religious past – it has seen over two centuries of religious riots, you'll find the oldest mosque in England here, and the landscape is dominated by two amazing cathedrals. Liverpool now is home to vibrant new religious communities from across the world. All that makes Liverpool Hope the perfect place to study the spirituality, wisdom, and mysticism of the major religious traditions like Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism. But our city with its art and music scenes also tells us that the human quest for meaning and purpose goes beyond the traditional ‘religions.’ People today are often seeking a ‘spiritual’ identity – but not necessarily a ‘religious’ one.

Liverpool Hope is the perfect place to study all this. Our university is rooted in the attempts by Catholics and protestants to mend their differences in the city, and our teaching team is made up of people from many different cultures and christian traditions.  offers you the opportunity to look at the big questions that people ask today – bringing together both traditional religions and contemporary perspectives. You will gain insights into ancient wisdom, rituals, and sacred texts that influence millions today. Plus, you’ll actively participate in critical debates about human existence in a world facing numerous crises. You will tackle ethical and theological questions concerning the beginning and end of life, sexuality, gender, evil, suffering, and contemporary issues like radicalisation, ecology, violence, inter-religious dialogue, secularisation, post-secularism, health, wellbeing, and near-death experiences. You will examine how our beliefs about our place in the universe impact how we treat our planet and all life forms.

The city will be a constant backdrop to our studies. It is home today to new and changing religious traditions. We will visit and take a close look at places of worship – both the traditional and the strikingly new. And we will also explore the other ways that people find meaning, hope and community here – looking at the ways they actively create and use different types of ritual performance and expression to shape their spiritual identity. In this city, that of course includes art, music and football! 

People who study this programme will benefit from the experience of meeting people who make sense of their lives in very different ways. The course challenges its students to broaden the way they think of other people and their beliefs. So, it provides excellent professional grounding for the kinds of careers that involve understanding and working with people, especially in contexts where complex ethical decisions are needed – for example, in community planning and support, education, politics, and the civil service.

SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

The Special Educational Needs course will help you advocate for disability rights and equality in your career. Over 16 million disabled people live in the UK. Graduates skilled in special educational needs and disability are in demand. They are needed in education, health, social work, and business. This degree values the contributions of disabled people and encourages you to focus on knowledge instead of just needs.

A supportive team of both disabled and non-disabled academics will help you gain skills, knowledge, and confidence to lead in this field. You will learn about the historical, social, and cultural factors that shape our views on special educational needs and disability. Activities will enhance your grasp of academic theories. They will also demonstrate how to use this knowledge in real-world situations. The course benefits from the tutors’ strong professional backgrounds. It also includes insights from guest speakers and partner organisations. These include disabled-led groups, education and care providers, charities, and disability arts organisations.

Liverpool Hope’s Special Educational Needs course is unique. It is led by the Centre for Culture and Disability Studies. This centre is an internationally recognised leader in disability studies research and the only UK research centre focused on disability and culture.

You can also study Special Educational Needs via a single honours degree with the course.