Religion and Society

The MSc, Diploma and Certificate in Religion and Society are designed for those who wish to earn a qualification that will build upon their experience in parish, congregational and community development, for teachers of religious education as part of their continuing professional development, as well as those with an interest in the general area.

The programme will provide students with an advanced social scientific understanding of religion as it is impacted by culture.

Religion and Social Theory

The course aims to give students an understanding of the main debates and controversies in social theory about religion. It explores the way in which religion was theorized in classical social theory and examines the impact that modernization has had on religion, particularly on religious belief and practice, which has led to the secularization debate in the sociology of religion. The course also explores the way in which religion has adapted to feminism and the growth of the women's movement.

Religious Belief and Practice in the Modern World

The course explores patterns of belief and un-belief in modern religion, focusing in particular on the secularization debate and its malcontents as evidence of both decline and growth in religious belief and practice. It explores the dynamics of belief across the different world religions and examines the particular threat to the future of the Christian churches as a result of declining participation and practice in mainstream Christian churches. The course also addresses the alternative forms of spirituality that are evidenced in the West, such as new forms of religious movements, New Age spirituality and the mutation of religion into memory and cultural tradition.

Research methods modules

Research methods training is designed to assist students to complete their dissertation. The methods course chosen will be from amongst the portfolio of modules available on the School of Social Sciences Masters of Social Research or in the discipline-specific methods modules taught by the Department of Sociology as best fits the background, experience and needs of individual students.

Elective module

The elective module will be chosen from amongst the portfolio of modules available on other MSc degrees in the Department of Sociology, the School of Social Sciences or the College of Arts and Social Sciences, depending upon the modules available at the time, the interest of students and their background.

The choice of elective module will be made with the advice of the Programme Convenor.

Please note that not all these modules may be available to students on the MSc in Religion and Society.

Assessment

Examination is exclusively by means of course work and continuous assessment. Students will be permitted one resubmission of failed work, but no resubmission of the dissertation.

For the award of the MSc in both full and part time modes, there is a requirement also to complete a 15,000 word dissertation under supervision from the course team.

It is designed for part-time study over two years, or full-time over one year.

MSc 12 months full-time, 24 months part-time.