Studying
We are welcoming and supportive, with a lively and dynamic team of experts specialising in the study of theology, religion and the philosophy of religion. We’re interested in the big questions: Why do people believe in God or gods? How have these beliefs changed through time? How has religion shaped the cultures in which we live? How can an understanding of religion help us to tackle the global challenges facing the world today?
No. 1 in the UK for our world-leading research in Theology and Religious Studies Research Excellence Framework 2021
Top 10 in the UK subject rankings Complete University Guide 2024 and the Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023
Read more from Professor Louise Lawrence
Professor Louise Lawrence
Director of Education
Undergraduate
Our lively and challenging programme will take you on a journey from the past to the present – and even into the future. You will not only explore the origins and developments of key religious, theological, philosophical and ethical ideas that have shaped our world, but you will also discover how theology and religion can help us to better engage the global challenges of today and tomorrow.
- Explore the origins of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, and discover how thinkers, artists and activists across time have drawn on their religious traditions to tackle the challenges they faced.
- Study ethics and the philosophy of religion, including the exploration of philosophical approaches to the incarnation.
- Undertake in-depth, critical study of the Bible, including in its original languages (Hebrew and Greek), and explore the continuing impact of the Bible in the modern world.
- Take modules in holocaust memory, postcolonial and/or queer theologies, religion and disability studies, criminal justice, ethics of AI, art and architecture, spirituality, and science.
Undergraduate programmes:
Postgraduate
Research is at the heart of Theology and Religion at Exeter. If you join us for postgraduate study, you will become part of a diverse and vibrant group of students from across the world. Our MA offers specialist teaching and research supervision in religion, theology, philosophy of religion and ethics, biblical studies, history and reception history, and the sociology and anthropology of religion. Please explore our staff profiles and research centres to find out about our research specialisms in more detail.
Studying ‘with the training wheels off’
The aim of our MA programme is to equip and empower you so that you develop deeper knowledge and specialist skills in the study of theology and religion. You will take 120 credits of taught modules (including modules in ancient, biblical and modern languages); this learning supports the 60 credit dissertation module in which you are encouraged to pursue your own research interests with guidance from academics who are world-leading in their fields. We place strong emphasis on research-inspired teaching and we have an excellent reputation for teaching of the highest quality. On our MA programme you will be supported to become a more independent learner and researcher: one of our past students described it as learning to study ‘with the training wheels off’!
Become part of our academic community
We combine a strong commitment to research and scholarship with a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. You are invited to become part of our academic community in which both discipline-specific and multi-disciplinary skills are nurtured and tested, and in which academic staff work closely with research students to encourage creativity and enable critical thought. Staff, Masters and Doctoral students meet together regularly at research seminars and events organised by research centres in and beyond the department. Our research centres include The Centre for Biblical Studies, The Exeter Centre for Ethics and Practical Theology (EXCEPT), and The Network for Religion in Public Life. Our staff have extensive research networks with other disciplines within the University of Exeter and within our specialist fields nationally and internationally; we encourage our students to get involved in these networks through events like postgraduate conferences.
