Religious Studies

How do religions come into being? How do they affect people and societies? What role does religion play in various cultures and conflicts?Religion is an omnipresent everyday phenomenon in practically all cultures. Of the seven billion people on Earth, six billion call themselves religious. Religion does not occur in isolation; it affects people’s daily behaviour economically, politically, socially, and psychologically. Wherever there are people, there is religion, always and everywhere. Religion is one of the forces driving mankind, which is why knowledge of religion is so important. The central question you will learn to ask yourselve is not to what extent religions are ‘true’, but how religion affects people’s lives and what people do with it. The interaction between religion, culture and society is the main focus of this bachelor’s programme.In this Bachelor’s programme, you will:› deepen your knowledge of various aspects of the major religions in the world (Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity and Judaism);› use different perspectives to analyse religious expressions – texts, rituals and visual art – and place them in their cultural context;› gain knowledge on concepts underpinning and shaping the relationship between religion and politics from ancient times through to the present day.