Theology and Religion

Theology and religion is one of the oldest and most demanding academic disciplines, concerned with the systematic study of religious belief, practice, and experience alongside the philosophical and ethical questions they raise. Theology engages with the intellectual traditions of specific religious communities, reading their foundational texts, their doctrinal developments, and their responses to the challenges of modernity with scholarly rigour. The study of religion takes a more comparative and social-scientific approach, examining religious phenomena across cultures and traditions and asking what religion is, how it functions in human life, and how it interacts with politics, science, culture, and ethics.

At the University of Durham, this four-year full-time programme includes a sandwich year, a year abroad, and work placement opportunities, giving you a combination of academic depth and substantial professional and international experience that is unusual for a theology degree. Durham has one of the UK's most distinguished theology departments, with research of international significance across biblical studies, systematic theology, philosophy of religion, ethics, and the study of world religions. You will develop the ability to read religious texts in their original languages, to engage with the history of theological thought, and to construct rigorous arguments about fundamental questions of belief, meaning, and value.

A typical entry tariff of 168 points reflects the competitive and demanding nature of the programme.

Graduates of theology and religion programmes work in education, ministry, the civil service, international development, journalism, ethics consultancy, interfaith dialogue, healthcare chaplaincy, and the voluntary sector. The analytical and interpretive skills the discipline develops are valued across many fields where the ability to understand and engage with deeply held values and beliefs is important. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in theology, ethics, religious studies, or a professional qualification such as law or social work.