Philosophy and Theology - BA (Hons)

Durham University

Gain an understanding of what it is to be human by exploring the big questions concerning human life, religion and the universe. Studying Philosophy and Theology allows you to confront and study the big questions concerning human life – questions such as ‘What does a flourishing human life look like?’ and ‘What do people believe about the world and their place in it?’ With numerous areas of overlap, these complementary disciplines are particularly suitable to study alongside each other. The philosophy element of your degree will equip you with the skills needed to think carefully and deeply about what matters in a good life, and how individual happiness is related to friendships, relationships, family, society, the political system and culture. At Durham, you will also follow one of the widest-ranging philosophy degrees in the country equipping you with expertise in Anglo-American analytical philosophy and continental philosophy. Within the theology modules, you will study how human beings have always had, and always will have worldviews and fundamental beliefs about the Universe, and their role in it. This part of the human condition will be studied from a range of methodological and disciplinary perspectives. You can also apply to add a placement year or a year abroad to your degree, increasing the course from three years to four. Philosophy is a new subject for many students, so in your first year you will follow a range of introductory courses, introducing the fundamental philosophical subject areas. You will also take a number of comparable introductory modules in theology. In your second year, you will further increase your knowledge by taking two core modules in philosophy and theology. You will also have a wide selection of optional modules to choose from for both subjects. The third year includes a dissertation that allows a deep, independently driven, exploration of a topic of your choice.Course structureYear 1 modulesCore modules:Ethics and Values provides a structured introduction to moral philosophy, including applied ethics, by exploring key moral concepts and showing how they influence moral practices and theories. This module lays the foundation for more in-depth learning in the areas of moral theory, issues in contemporary ethics and political philosophy. Knowledge and Reality introduces philosophical problems in epistemology (the study of knowledge), and metaphysics (the study of reality and ourselves). Reading Philosophy gives you an understanding of the issues of interpretation and comprehension through a detailed study of four thematically related texts including, for example, Plato's Protagoras, Hume's Of the Standard of Taste, Sartre's Existentialism and Humanism and Murdoch's The Idea of Perfection. Introduction to Christian Theology will equip you with a comprehensive map of the major figures, ideas and debates which function as a minimal context for intelligent work in Christian theology. The module also introduces the method of thinking theologically, by habituating you in the thoughts of leading theologians. Introduction to the Bible: Texts, History, Culture introduces important passages and themes in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and New Testament. This module models some of the ways in which biblical scholars approach texts.Optional modules:In recent years, optional modules have included: New Testament GreekGod and EvilGod and the Good: Philosophy of Religion and EthicsIslam Observed: Ethnographic Accounts of Muslim PracticeWorldview, Faith and IdentityIntroduction to the History of ChristianityYear 2 modulesCore modules:Philosophy of Religion enables you to acquire an understanding of philosophical issues raised in religion including, for example, arguments for the existence of God, the problem of evil, and the relation between reason and faith.