MA Religious Studies

Normally a 2:1 degree in religious studies and/or theology or related disciplines is required. Applicants with lower qualifications or a degree in another discipline should contact the Department for advice. Those with appropriate relevant experience but who do not have a degree will also receive consideration.

https://www1.chester.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/postgraduate-finance/current-postgraduate-fees

Many public and private sector professions value people trained in skills of religious studies. These include:

• awareness of diversity
• critical thinking about interpretative categories
• the ability to empathise with worldviews other than one’s own
• the critical use of texts
• awareness of the relationship between belief and behaviour
• awareness of ways in which beliefs inform interface with public institutions
• the ability to challenge truth claims
• the ability to undertake and use field research ethically and sensitively
• awareness of issues of stereotyping and media bias
• awareness of the relationships between religion and politics
• awareness of the presence of muted groups in society
• the ability to think critically about religion, violence, extremism, peace and community cohesion
• the ability to challenge misunderstanding, prejudice and discrimination

Students taking this course will be able to demonstrate knowledge and skills associated with ‘religious literacy’, an increasingly important focus for employers and for the voluntary sector.

Module Outlines

TH7025 Research Dissertation (80 credits)

A topic is chosen relating to a student’s programme aims and learning outcomes, and to their personal and/or professional interests. The dissertation is based upon guided, but largely independent, research. Research methodology forms part of supervision and of the submitted dissertation. This module is compulsory for all students wishing to complete their MA Programme.

TH7026 Jews, Christians and Pagans (168BCE-132CE)

This module examines the beliefs and practices of Jews, Christians, and ‘Pagans’ between the Maccabean and Bar Kochba revolts.  Beginning with the religion, culture, and politics of the Roman Empire, students will have opportunities to explore how communities of Jews and Christians organised themselves, examining issues where they demonstrate conformity and confrontation with wider cultural, political, social, and religion norms.  The third section of the module looks specifically at the birth and development of Christianity, covering topics such as: the mission of Jesus; the ‘parting of the ways’ from Judaism; Paul’s Gentile mission; sexual ethics; Church and State; ecclesiology; suffering, persecution, and martyrdom.

TH7039 Spirituality and Contemporary Popular Culture

Interest in spirituality and popular culture has increased exponentially in recent times. Indeed, popular culture cannot be ignored in any attempt to comprehend the contemporary religious and spiritual landscape in which we find ourselves. What is the significance of the development of new media such as the Internet for religious traditions? How does popular culture influence religion and spirituality, and how do we evaluate such relationships? This module will equip students with the necessary tools to undertake analysis of the interface between cultures of everyday life and religion/spirituality. After focusing upon methodological approaches to this discipline, examination of some of the following areas will be undertaken: religion and spirituality in film; religious motifs in music; cyber-spirituality; apocalyptic ideas in popular culture; spirituality and celebrity culture.

TH7040 Indigenous Religions

The module examines problems of ‘indigenousness’ through a close analysis of several indigenous cultures, their philosophies and religions and the identity assertion movements behind them. It will deal with definitions, categories and methodological issues in the study of indigenous religions using approaches from anthropology and religious studies. Case studies of indigenous religions and worldviews in specific geo-political contexts in different continents will be an important part of the module. Critical issues in the study of indigenous religions will be discussed, which may include an examination of concepts of religion, God and Spirit, issues of inculturation and contextualization, the politics of representation and controversies regarding non-indigenous participation and appropriation of indigenous religions.

TH7043 Urban Theology

The aim of this module is to examine and critically evaluate a range of theoretical and theological responses to the phenomenon of urbanization and urban living. This will be undertaken with particular reference to the changing context of the major cities of the North-West England region (Liverpool and Manchester). The module will examine the emergence of modern urban theory and some of the most significant theological traditions of engagement with urbanization, before considering and evaluating various strategies of faith-based involvement in urban regeneration. Contemporary ideas such as mongrel and hybrid cities, the post-secular city, planetary urbanism and emerging concepts of post-Christian theology and missiology including ‘third space’ thinking and the ‘deconstructed’ church will be critiqued and explored.

TH7045 Advanced Theories in the Study of Religions

This core module is an exciting opportunity for students to develop their critical skills in the study of religion. The course is divided into four sections: (1) Hermeneutics (an exploration of the contribution of Heidegger, Ricoeur and Gadamer); (2) Postmodernism, post-structuralism and critical theory (an analysis of the post-modern condition with reference to Derrida, Foucault, Bourdieu, Baudrillard, Irigary, Cixous, Lyotard, Vattimo, Žižek); (3) Phenomenology of religion (a discussion on the theories of Husserl, Van der Leuw and Eliade); (4) Alterity and the Other (an exploration of emic and etic perspectives in the study of religion through the works of Said, Levinas, Chakravorty-Spivak, Gramsci and de Martino).

TH7046 Buddhist Concepts of Awakening

This module explores the difficulties inherent in expressing and articulating an experience/state which is described by many Buddhists as ineffable. The iconography of awakening/enlightenment, and the use of metaphor are explored.  One of the module’s major themes is the question of the centrality of the experience of awakening for Buddhists.  The module asks questions about comparability between the variety of conceptions of enlightenment/awakening to be found within this diverse religion. The relationship between Buddhist beliefs about the nature of awakening and everyday practices is explored, as is the relationship between enlightenment and other important Buddhist teachings.

TH7047 Advanced Methods in the Study of Religions

The purpose of this module is to provide students with the tools needed to study religions at an advanced level and to enable them to become initiated into the scholarly standards in their respective fields. An exploration is undertaken of the professional and ethical standards for undertaking research in field settings including discussions about confidentiality and anonymity, informed consent, briefing and debriefing, the right to withdraw, vulnerable groups, sensitive issues etc.   Practical and empirical research methods are explored, including quantitative and qualitative research methods, sampling, interviewing, grounded research method, participant observation, case studies, focus groups, documentary making and mixed method approaches. Issues for research such as emic/etic perspectives, the significance of insider information, gendered discourses, questions of power and indigenous categories are explored. Students are introduced to the professional bodies and peer-reviewed literature associated with their fields. 

TH7050 Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls

This module focuses on the Dead Sea Scrolls (specifically, the Qumran Dead Sea Scrolls) and their significance for our understanding of the social, cultural, political and religious diversity of the Second Temple period. The module will accordingly examine such topics as: the discovery and publication of the scrolls; their historical and archaeological context; the content of the manuscripts; their relation to biblical texts and known apocryphal/pseudepigraphal literature; the community behind the texts; the relationship with early Christianity; and the modern impact and reception of the discovery within both academia and popular culture. 

TH7053 The Theological Interpretation of Scripture

In this module we examine a growing field in contemporary theology: whether we may read ancient biblical texts as sacred texts, vehicles perhaps of God’s voice or presence, which address us in our present circumstances? The aim of the module is to enable students to develop sophisticated theological ways of reading such texts and to be able to reflect critically upon their readings. To that end, we consider how theologians have read and used scriptural texts in the past to see if they can help us understand what is distinctive about theological interpretation of the Bible. We also look at a number of disputed questions around understanding scriptural authority in the modern age, and we examine several case studies of the interpretation of important or problematic texts in Christian tradition.

TH7054 TRS Conference Study

In order to be able to do this module, you must first negotiate with your programme leader which conference you will attend. Success in this module is highly dependent on your ability to work independently to construct a research question and respond to that question in an extended piece of work. It will involve you attending a conference event either in the department or externally and writing up a piece of work related to the theme of that conference. A supervisor will be appointed to work with you through the module.

TH7056 Field Study of Religion

This module is in two parts. The university/moodle based course work will prepare students to spend time in the field. This will involve training in practical issues relating to travel abroad as well as the development of critical thinking skills and models of reflection; considerations of the experiential dimensions of religion and the exploration of methodologies of ethnography. It will also consist in the history, politics and social reality of the host country, cross cultural issues and the requirement for cultural sensitivity.  The second part of the module is a university organised trip to a relevant site for field research, usually abroad.

TH7057 Ritual in the Hebrew Bible

This module explores ritual texts in the Hebrew Bible and the Ancient Near East, focusing specifically on the various ways in which this material has been and can be interpreted. Students will critically engage ritual theory, undertake detailed analysis of often-overlooked texts from the Hebrew canon, and explore both the challenges involved in, and the implications of, interpreting ritualistic texts. Using case-studies drawn from the Hebrew Bible, the module examines concepts such as: holiness, demarcation, contamination, purification, sacrifice, priesthood, vows, votive practice, death, and mourning.

TH7058 Yoga and Tantra in the Indian Tradition

The module examines Yoga and Tantra from a variety of thematic areas, including:  history: the roots of Yoga and Tantra in India; philosophy: the ethos informing yogic and tantric traditions; multiculturalism: Yoga and Tantra in theistic and non-theistic schools (Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Sufism, etc.); myth and ritual: close study of tantric and yogic texts inclusive of narratives, hagiographies and ritual compendia;  authority: the place of the guru in Indian yogic and tantric culture;  body: the gross and subtle body; microcosm and macrocosm; gender; purity; politics: militant asceticism and the Tantric hero; science: alchemy and medicine.

TH7059 Contemporary Islam

This module traces the development of various trends in modern and contemporary Islam through movements and individuals, from pre-modernist reform movements such as Wahhabism, the recent Islamic ‘resurgence’ up to contemporary forms of globalised Islam. The evolution of modern and contemporary Muslim political thought and attempts to establish Islamic states, as in Iran, Pakistan or Afghanistan, will be discussed. Emphasis will be placed on social and intellectual challenges faced by Muslims, such as the question of Islam and gender, the situation of Muslims living in the West and the relationship between Islam and democracy.

TH7062 Mediating the Sacred: Religious Communication in Text and Context

This module begins from the premise that all religious experience is mediated through human practice, language, symbol or material culture. It therefore asks how ‘the sacred’ has been communi­ca­ted throughout history – from oral trans­mission, sacred texts, visual and material cultures to new digital and virtual techno­logies. It will in­corporate perspectives from disciplines such as Biblical studies, communication theory, her­men­eutics, philosophy of technology and practical theology. 

TH7064 Martyrdom and Suicide in the Ancient and Modern World

This module explores the phenomenon of martyrdom in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam from antiquity to the present, especially the contested nature and definitions of martyrdom, and the ways in which martyrologies contribute to identity construction.  The module will provide students with an opportunity to examine the extent to which suicide (from ancient Noble Death to contemporary suicide bombing) has been incorporated into competing ideologies of martyrdom. 

TH7066 Issues in the Study of Faiths and Public Policy

This module considers the ‘new visibility’ of religion in public life by focusing on the relationship between religious faith and practice and contemporary public policy. It will explore and evaluate a range of perspectives on the resurgence of faith-based activity in areas of social welfare, citizens’ organizing, global civil society and urban community development.  It will consider the complex interactions between religion and public life at a number of different levels and contexts (e.g. local, national, global) and analyse a range of intellectual perspectives, policy debates and research trajectories in the study of field.

TH7067 Contemporary Religion: Shifting paradigms and patterns

This module will provide an immersion in social theory exploring the interaction between modernity and religion, with particular reference but not confined to Western Europe and North America. Students will engage with some of the following: Influence of Modernity; Secularization theory; Post-secular theories (inc. SBNR); Rise of fundamentalisms; Public face of religion; Globalisation; Religion and identity politics; Virtual religions.

Students will engage with empirical data, and have the opportunity, but no obligation, to engage first-hand with a small qualitative or quantitative research project. Students will develop a critical awareness of the changing significance of religion in the context of modernity and beyond. They will also identify ways in which religion and spirituality have proven remarkably resilient, and may be mutating into new forms for emerging cultural contexts.

Please note: This list of modules is indicative and may change from year to year.