Religious Studies

Course structure

• Before you start

  You may be required to complete an activity before you start in order to help introduce you to the subject. Check back in the summer term for more details.

• Year 1

  In the first year, the first component: Philosophy of Religion and Ethics, will include an exploration of different arguments for the existence of God and their value today. The problem of evil and suffering will be studied as well as the nature of religious experience, whether they can be verified and how they have been challenged by science. The ethics part of this component will look into key moral principals, the Christian religious identity as well as the relationship between religion and ethics. In addition, three ethical theories will be covered in detail: Natural Moral Law, Situation Ethics and Virtue Ethics. These theories will be applied to issues of human life and death and also to issues of animal life.

  The second component: The Study of Religion - Christianity, will examine different sources of wisdom and authority, the nature of God and issues of self, death and afterlife. Key moral principles and what is considered as good moral conduct will be studied as well as expressions of religious identity. 

• Year 2

  During the second year, the components of the first course will be revisited and the following new topics will be added: religious language and the role of miracles. In the context of ethics, the ethical theories of Bentham and Kant will be studied, together with an introduction into meta-ethics based around the meaning of right and wrong. The question of free will and moral responsibility will be explored as well as different ideas on the nature of conscience.

  The second component: The Study of Religion and Dialogues, will introduce developments in Christian thought about gender and sexuality, including feminist approaches about the ordination of women. The topic of Christianity and Science is added and also how Christianity responds to the challenges of secularism and how attitudes to other faiths have changed.

  You are also encouraged to supplement your programme with the Extended Project.

  Find out about The Extended Project

   

• Life after Henley

  Whilst many students continue on to study subjects including philosophy, religious studies, theology and sociology or psychology, others have gone on to study law or even medicine. This course provides a strong grounding for those wishing to pursue many other subject areas at degree level.

  Last year students went on to various destination including university places in Winchester, Gloucestershire, Exeter, Southampton, Portsmouth, Swansea, Kingston, Keele, Birmingham and Newcastle.

  Alternatively, students may consider direct entry into employment
  or further training.