Valuing Theological Studies

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Valuing Theological Studies

Based on Foundation Degrees Review

The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, UK

Educational aims of theological studies:

Offer a flexible program to meet the needs of a diverse range of students
Offers a program providing synergy between theology and ministry objectives
Provide opportunities for students to develop
- Foundational understanding of religious studies
- Opportunities to explore nexus of belief, practice and ministry
- Opportunities to study through dialogues, placement and observation
Enable development of skills and competencies required for employment
Produce a learning experience which is rational, disciplined and open within an environment of respect for people and their diverse religious beliefs and practices
Provide opportunities for students to develop as independent learners
Provide opportunities for students to explore potential personal, career and vocational pathways within a caring and supportive environment

Key features of theological and religious studies include

Rich and varied curricula that are flexible coherent, relevant and reflect issues of contemporary culture. Programs allow for a relevant choice between breadth and specialisation, and the curricula are appropriately matched to the student profiles across the providers.
Learning outcomes are clear and key transferable skills are well developed. Curricular design encourages students to develop independent learning and appropriate research skills, and often work experience.
Programs are informed by staff scholarship, research and professional practice and these help to maintain currency and relevance. The curricula reflect the aims of increasing access and lifelong learning, providing a basis for further study, research or employment.
Student workloads are appropriately demanding with assessment being a combination of assignments and examinations.
Student recruitment is buoyant, with increases in part-time and distance or on-line learning. Student retention and progression rates are very good.
There are effective widening access strategies in place welcoming mature students and students with non-traditional entry qualifications.
There is good rapport between staff and students with effectives academic, tutorial and pastoral support that is enhanced by efficient liaison with central support services

2007 review

Providers promote understanding by:

Stimulating curiosity about the variety of religious cultures across the globe, past and present
Enabling in-depth study of sacred texts, history, practices and developed theology in one or more religious traditions
Creating opportunities to consider the artistic, ethical, gendered, social, political and cultural characteristics of religion
Exploring in an interdisciplinary way the interface between religion and theology on the one hand, and literature, culture and the arts on the other
Opening up an awareness of the plurality within societies and within religious traditions, including the capacity of religious allegiances for conflict
Fostering emphatic engagement with both familiar and unfamiliar viewpoints
Promoting critical self-awareness of presuppositions and encouraging constructive and critical exposition of an argument for a particular position
Inviting participation in debate about the nature of the subject and dialogue between different traditions
Encouraging intelligent use of a variety of theories and methods of study and engaging in critical analysis of relevant data and arguments
Providing opportunities for critical involvement in changing the way things are (eg, liberationist or feminist approaches).

Characteristics:

Valuing and studying cultures, texts, arts and practices of societies around the world
Considerable interaction with the social sciences and with contemporary cultural, literary and gender studies
Engagement with the plurality of world religions
Cross-cultural comparisons of topics such as beliefs and practices
Extensive debates about aims, methods and assumptions
The interdisciplinary nature means students usually have breadth of vision and intellectual flexibility

Diversity driven by backgrounds and intentions of staff and students; some want to:

Explore theological and religious studies out of sheer fascination with the subject
Study religion or sacred/scriptural texts because of their political, philosophical, social or cultural importance
Pursue religious commitments
Pursue a clearly-defined career path (such as teaching, ministry, social work, race relations, or international relations) for which the program is part or all of the preparation

Why Theological and Religious Studies are an important component of Higher Education:

Many public issues have a religious dimension; and since the attacks in the US on 11 September 2001, it has become increasingly apparent that democratic society has an interest in ensuring that in matters of religion, debate is well-informed and of high quality.
It is important that universities have places where thorough and thoughtful engagement with current religious issues – including political, ethical and educational questions – enabling public debate to be resourced.
The fact that graduates often go into a variety of careers means there is a pool of citizens with a sophisticated understanding of religious dimensions to current issues, who are able to contribute to debate in many areas of society.
The interface between academic study and established religious communities is complex and significant. Critical analysis may stimulate real engagement with contemporary concerns.
The acquisition of knowledge and understanding is usually transformative at some level, changing a person’s perspectives and often their attitudes. The nature of Theological and Religious Studies means that studying the subject may have a profound impact on the student’s life and outlook. It may foster a lifelong quest for wisdom, respect for one’s own integrity and that of others, self-examination in terms of the beliefs and values adopted for one’s own life, a better understanding of its role in geopolitical conflict, and the challenging of prejudices.

Interdisciplinary engagement: the disciplines from which Theological and Religious Studies draws from and to which it relates include:

·       Anthropology

·       Archaeology

·       Area studies

·       Classics

·       Cultural studies

·       Economics

·       Education

·       Ethics

·       Gender studies

·       Health studies

·       History

·       Languages

·       Law

·       Literature

·       Media studies

·       Natural sciences

·       Philosophy

·       Political science

·       Psychology

·       Sociology

·       Social policy/work

·       Visual & performing arts

Engagement with the formative influence on current intellectual frameworks and present social realities of the following movements:

· The Enlightenment critique of religion

· The development of historical consciousness

· Anthropology from the ‘myth and ritual’ approach to contemporary ethnography and subsequent developments

· The impact of science from Galileo through Darwin to current developments

· The scientific and historico-critical challenges to the authority of scriptures

· Growing awareness of the world’s religions

· The ‘New Age’ and new religious movements

· Secularisation and the rise of the social sciences

· Post-colonialism and the critique of western culture

· Widening cultural horizons, the rise of postmodernity, pluralism and globalism

· Religions in diaspora

· Gender studies or gender critical studies

Intellectual qualities that a competent student should acquire by studying Theological and Religious Studies:

· The ability to understand how beliefs, doctrines and practices have developed within particular social and cultural contexts, and how religious traditions have changed over time

· The ability to read and use texts both critically and empathetically, while addressing such issues as genre, content, context, perspective, purpose, original and potential meaning, and the effect of translation if the text is not read in the original language

· The appreciation of the complexity of different mentalities, social behaviours and aesthetic responses, and of the ways they have been shaped by beliefs and values, and conversely how beliefs, sacred texts and art forms have been shaped by society and politics

· Sensitivity to the problems of religious language and experience, and to the issues of multiple and conflicting interpretations of language and symbols, texts and traditions

· Appreciation of both the interconnectedness of and internal tensions within a system of beliefs and practices

· Basic critical and analytical skills: a recognition that statements should be tested, that evidence and arguments are subject to assessment, that the interpreter’s role demands critical evaluation

· The ability to employ a variety of methods of study in analysing material, to think independently, set tasks and solve problems

· The capacity to give a clear and accurate account of a subject, marshal arguments in a mature way, and engage in debate and dialogue with respect for the opposite case or different viewpoint

Range of skills that a competent student should acquire by studying Theological and Religious Studies:

· Empathy and imaginative insight, with a tolerance of diverse positions

· Self-discipline

· Self-direction

· Independence of mind and initiative

· Capacity for reflexive learning

· Commitment to lifelong learning

· Ability to attend to others and have respect for others’ views

· Capacity to modify, suspend or otherwise change position when warranted

· Ability to gather, evaluate and synthesise different types of information

· Analytical ability and the capacity to formulate questions and solve problems

· Presentations skills, both oral and written

· IT skills, including word processing, communicating by email and using the web, accessing information from electronic sources

· Teamwork skills

· Writing skills, including accurate referencing and clarity of expression

· Ability to attend closely to the meaning of written documents

· Ability to read texts in a different language, or utilise methodology for dealing with translations

Transferable skills:

· Communicate information, ideas, arguments, principles and theories by a variety of means including written, oral and visual

· Identify, gather and discuss primary data and source material, whether through textual studies or fieldwork

· Attend to, reproduce accurately and reflect on the ideas and arguments of others

· Engage with empathy and integrity the convictions and behaviours of others

· Work collaboratively as a team or group

· Undertake independent study (including time management)

· Use library resources in order to identify source material, compile bibliographies, inform research and enhance presentations

· Use IT and computer skills for data capture, to identify source material and support research and presentations

· Show critical self-awareness about one’s own beliefs, commitments and prejudices

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