Teaching
Teaching is provided through lectures, classes and small-group supervisions.
You will typically have up to 9 hours of classes and lectures each week, including 6 for non-language papers and 3 for languages. You will also have supervisions each week.
Assessment
You’ll be assessed either by coursework or a 3 hour examination for each paper. You can also write a dissertation in your final year.
You won't usually be able to resit any of your exams.
Year 1 (Part I)
You take 5 papers designed to give you a broad introduction to the concepts, knowledge and skills required in the main areas of study.
The course is designed to accommodate students studying religion for the first time. You choose:
- a paper in biblical studies, either David: Israel’s Greatest Hero? or Jesus and the Origins of the Gospel. You can take the other in place of one of the choices below
- one scriptural language studied from the very beginning, Hebrew, New Testament Greek, Qur’anic Arabic or Sanskrit (no prior knowledge is expected)
You take 3 other papers from a choice of 6, currently:
- Understanding Contemporary Religion, an introduction to the sociological study of religion
- Philosophy of Religion
- Ethics, 2 papers which introduce key questions in philosophy of religion and ethics, ranging from antiquity to contemporary controversies
- Studying World Religions, history, comparison, dialogue
- The Question of God, exploring some of the major themes of Christian theology
- Christianity and the Transformation of Culture, the study of processes of conversion and Christianization in the late Roman world
Year 2 (Part IIA)
You choose 4 papers out of around 17. Scriptural languages are optional at this stage, and you will also be able to take a selection of papers from the Department of Social Anthropology if you wish.
Papers include but are not limited to:
- Theology and Literature
- Themes in World Christianities
- Introduction to Islam
- Ethics and Faith
- Philosophy of Religion: God, Freedom and the Soul
- Christianity in Late Antiquity
- Life and Thought of Religious Hinduism and of Buddhism
- Israel in Exile: Literature, History and Theology
- The Letters of Paul
- Christianity in Late Antiquity (to c.600)
You can also choose to take the first year Meaning paper from the Philosophy course. This is taught alongside Philosophy students.
Year 3 (Part IIB)
You choose 4 papers from a wide range. Topics may vary, but often include:
- Truth, God and Metaphysics
- Theology and Natural Sciences
- World Christianity Decolonising Christendom: The Complex Legacies of Global Christianity
- Self and Salvation in Indian and Western Thought
- New Testament Christology
- Disputed Questions from Medieval and Early Modern Theology
- Charity in Christian Theology
- You can choose to write a dissertation of 10,000 words instead of one paper.
You may also continue with a scriptural language.
For further information about this course and the papers you can take see the Theology, Religion and Philosophy of Religion website.
Changing course
It’s really important to think carefully about which course you want to study before you apply.
In rare cases, it may be possible to change course once you’ve joined the University. You will usually have to get agreement from your College and the relevant departments. It’s not guaranteed that your course change will be approved.
You might also have to:
- take part in an interview
- complete an admissions test
- produce some written work
- achieve a particular grade in your current studies
- do some catch-up work
- start your new course from the beginning
For more information visit the Faculty website.
You can also apply to change to:
You can't apply to this course until you're at Cambridge. You would usually apply when you have completed one year or more of your original Cambridge course.
You should contact your College’s Admissions Office if you’re thinking of changing your course. They will be able to give you advice and explain how changing courses works.
