MA in Theology and World Religions

DCU is currently finalising plans for a phased and incremental return to campus, with a view to welcoming all students to the DCU campuses in September. Students should plan to attend face-to face classes in Semester 1 2021-2022. Please see https://www.dcu.ie/attendingdcu-students-studying-at-dcu for more information.

Introduction

Theology is part of the critical, academic study of religion. As a university discipline, theology is situated within a multi-religious, secular, and interdisciplinary context. In this setting, theology thrives when it is comparative and dialogical, engaging with questions of how religions are actually lived in communities and traditions, past and present. It is for this reason that the MA in Theology and World Religions introduces students to comparative and constructive dialogue on the world’s major religious traditions.

This programme offers a foundational basis in the Christian traditions, exploring key historical, thematic, and textual aspects of both the Catholic and Protestant traditions. But the course go beyond this, bringing these into conversation with other traditions and fields of study. In this programme students engage with the traditions of Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and more. Modules on this course also cover interdisciplinary topics such as comparative theology, literature and religion, Christian-Buddhist dialogue, and the study of sacred texts across religious traditions, including the Bible, Qur’an, and the Sutras.

Taught by staff with internationally distinguished records in research and teaching, the MA in Theology and World Religions welcomes students from varied religious and secular backgrounds. Many students arrive from years of involvement in religious and faith communities, from undergraduate programmes in the humanities, and from the education sector, to name just a few.

The programme will equip you with key cultural, political, historical and ethical insights, as well as tools for reasoning, critical thinking, and interdisciplinary research in an increasingly globalized world.