Theology & Religious Studies/English Literature

Theology and religious studies with English literature brings together two disciplines that are deeply and historically intertwined. Religious texts and theological ideas have shaped, inspired and challenged Western literature for millennia, and literary texts have in turn been indispensable to the development of religious thought and practice. Studying them together gives you a richer understanding of both: sacred texts become more interpretively accessible when approached with literary tools, and the canon of English literature becomes more comprehensible when read alongside the theological traditions it engages with.

At the University of Glasgow you will study this four-year programme, engaging with religion, sacred texts, theology and the Bible not as worlds apart but as they relate to politics, history, literature, philosophy, art and culture, as well as to personal belief and practice. Alongside this, you will study English literature across a broad historical range, developing your skills in close reading, literary history and critical argument. The programme includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to study both disciplines in an international context and to encounter different religious and literary traditions outside the British setting.

Graduates of theology, religious studies and English literature have a distinctive and broadly applicable set of skills. Careers include education at secondary and higher levels, chaplaincy and pastoral work, journalism and broadcasting with a focus on religion and culture, publishing, heritage and archives, social care and community development, the civil service, and the wide range of roles in the voluntary and charitable sector where understanding of religious communities and traditions is valued. Postgraduate study in theology, religious studies, English literature, divinity, cultural studies, or education is a natural extension, and doctoral research is a well-established path for those drawn to academic careers.

The analytical and communication skills the degree develops are valued in any field that depends on careful reading and clear argument.