Undergraduate
World religions and theology (TSM)
B.A.; 24 places
What is World Religions and Theology?
Religion is a key theme of the 21st century, and World Religions and Theology offers a unique opportunity to approach it from different perspectives.
This course explores theories of religion, the monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, the religions of Asia and Africa, movements such as New Atheism, New Religious Movements and the interaction between religion and politics, science, or art.
World Religions and Theology: The course for you?
Choosing World Religions and Theology will suit you if you have an interest in any of the following ways of approaching religion:
The academic study of religion provides you with the skills and the knowledge to understand how religious constructions of meaning affect individuals, cultures and societies. World Religions studies the foundational texts, symbols and rituals of these traditions in interaction with each era.Biblical studies provides you with in-depth knowledge of the origins and transformations of Jewish and Christian monotheisms in their historical and cultural contexts.
Theology investigates the development of Christian self-understanding in its interaction with different cultures and eras. In ethics, principles such as human dignity, autonomy and justice are examined and applied to issues like surveillance technologies, genetic enhancement, and ecological sustainability.
Our teaching methods include excursions to museums and religious sites, encounters with “lived religion”, the analysis of epoch-making texts from three millennia, case studies and self-directed research.
World Religions and Theology @ Trinity
Established in Trinity since its foundation in 1592, the professorships in this subject belong to the oldest in the University. Since 1980, we have been a non-denominational department in the Arts Faculty. Our current programme engages with the complex roles of religion in an era of globalisation by combining biblical studies, theology and ethics, and the cultural study of religion.
The department is close to vibrant locations relevant to the programme: the Chester Beatty Library with its world renowned collection of biblical, Islamic and Asian religious manuscripts; the Huguenot heritage of Marsh’s Library; local religious centres and other cultural destinations central to the history of religious traditions.
In our small and diverse department, students and staff are able to get to know each other and discuss themes in religion in a spirit of open and co-operative enquiry. Independence and rigorous thinking are crucial reflective capacities that we strive to foster, from small group work, projects, presentations and essays to the choice of your fourth year dissertation subject.
The Department invites internationally acclaimed speakers for public lectures, and it benefits from the activities of a lively student society, the “Theo”, which hosts debates on topical themes.
Graduate skills and career opportunities
The programme provides students with capacities that are decisive for all professions where an understanding of cultural processes and of the intellectual resources of religious traditions play a role: insight into 3000 years of religious practice and reflection on human life, knowledge of key texts from Antiquity to Modernity, rigorous and succinct writing, clear and effective communication, analytic and comparative thinking.
Our graduates have excelled in many different professions: as a University Vice-President, as Advisory Counsel at the Office of the Attorney General, as Barrister and Chair of the Irish Criminal Bar Association, in the Department of Foreign Affairs, as an RTE multimedia journalist, as publishers, university lecturers, museum curator, in foreign aid as Education Officer of the Bishops’ Appeal, as teachers of Religious Education, in international business and insurance, for example Willis Foundation, London, in management positions of migration and of disability support services, in human resources and in health care professions, and as Best Chef at the Metro’s Young British Foodies awards.
Your degree and what you’ll study
FIRST (JUNIOR FRESHMAN) YEAR
Three year-long overview courses are taken jointly by single honour and TSM students: Introduction to World Religions, to Biblical Studies and to Theology. Single honour students also take: The Qur’an and its History of Reception, and Religions in the Ancient Mediterranean; Religion in Public: Great Speeches, and Great Images; Introductions to Philosophy, and to Theological Ethics in Pluralist Societies.
SECOND (SENIOR FRESHMAN) AND THIRD (JUNIOR SOPHISTER) YEAR
From second year onwards, students choose their modules (12 in single honour, 6 in TSM). In second year, students can replace one of them by a Broad Curriculum module (see www.tcd.ie/Broad_Curriculum). They can learn a biblical language, or Arabic.
FOURTH (SENIOR SOPHISTER) YEAR
All students write a thesis of 15,000 words with a supervisor chosen from an area they want to specialise in, and choose four modules.
The programme consists of three strands:
Religious Studies explores religion as an enduring feature of culture (Theory of Religion), using methods from psychology, sociology, philosophy, anthropology, aesthetics and the cognitive sciences. Using historical and comparative methods, the diversity of religious traditions is investigated in World Religions.
Biblical Studies investigates the historical and cultural contexts in which the Bible originated and the intellectual currents with which Early Christianity interacted. Key biblical texts and their histories of interpretation are studied. Students can take a biblical language, equipping them with specific skills required for taught masters and postgraduate research in Biblical Studies.
Theology investigates how key thinkers conceive of God in relation to human reason and freedom, of incarnation and redemption in their significance for reflections on the self, history and human diversity or the relation to science and politics. Ethics studies approaches human agency and responsibility, from the flourishing life in community to principled autonomy and cosmopolitanism.
For a full list of modules and more detailed information, please visit www.tcd.ie/Religions_Theology/undergraduate/Handbook
Study abroad
You can spend up to a year on Erasmus exchange at the universities of Leuven/Belgium or Glasgow/Scotland or at other universities open to Trinity students, e.g. Berkeley, Chapel Hill, Toronto, Melbourne, Singapore.
For further information, please see www.tcd.ie/Religions_Theology/undergraduate/abroad.php
GET IN TOUCH!
You are most welcome to attend first and second year lectures. Please contact us by email to arrange a visit.
Email: jwelch@tcd.ie
Tel: +353 1 896 1297
What our graduates say
Kitty Lyddon, The Lilliput Press, Dublin
of Greek. It is a fascinating choice of study and people do respond to that later in life.
What our current students say
Sorcha Maher, First year, TSM with Russian, Dublin
Course Options
Award
B.A.
Number of Places
24
CAO code (Central Applications Office code) is
TR001This is a Two-Subject Moderatorship (TSM) course please read TSM
Options
TR001 – World Religions and Theology (TSM) must be combined with one other TSM subject. For subjects that combine with World Religions and Theology see TSM combinations.
See also:
Admission Requirements
For general admission requirements please click here
Apply
Click on the links below to see the available options
+ EU Applicants
+ Non-EU Applicants
- TSM Ancient History and Archaeology and World Religions and Theology, 4 years full-time Closing Date: 30/06/2017
- TSM Classical Civilisation and World Religions and Theology, 4 years full-time Closing Date: 30/06/2017
- TSM Classical Languages and World Religions and Theology (General Entry), 1 year full-time Closing Date: 30/JUN/2017
- TSM Early Irish and World Religions and Theology, 4 years full-time Closing Date: 30/06/2017
- TSM English Literature and World Religions and Theology, 4 years full-time Closing Date: 30/06/2017
- TSM Film Studies and World Religions and Theology, 4 years full-time Closing Date: 30/06/2017
- TSM French and World Religions and Theology, 4 years full-time Closing Date: 30/06/2017
- TSM Greek and World Religions and Theology, 4 years full-time Closing Date: 30/06/2017
- TSM German and World Religions and Theology, 4 years full-time Closing Date: 30/06/2017
- TSM History of Art and Architecture and World Religions and Theology, 4 years full-time Closing Date: 30/06/2017
- TSM History and World Religions and Theology, 4 years full-time Closing Date: 30/06/2017
- TSM Latin and World Religions and Theology, 4 years full-time Closing Date: 30/06/2017
- TSM Modern Irish and World Religions and Theology, 4 years full-time Closing Date: 30/06/2017
- TSM Philosophy and World Religions and Theology, 4 years full-time Closing Date: 30/06/2017
- TSM Psychology and World Religions and Theology, 4 years full-time Closing Date: 30/06/2017
- TSM Russian and World Religions and Theology, 4 years full-time Closing Date: 30/06/2017
- TSM Sociology and World Religions and Theology, 4 years full-time Closing Date: 30/06/2017
- TSM Spanish and World Religions and Theology, 4 years full-time Closing Date: 30/06/2017
+ Mature Student – Supplementary Application Form
- TSM Ancient History and Archaeology and World Religions and Theology, Closing Date: 01/02/2017
- TSM Classical Civilisation and World Religions and Theology, Closing Date: 01/02/2017
- TSM Classical Languages and World Religions and Theology (General Entry), Closing Date: 30/JUN/2017
- TSM Early Irish and World Religions and Theology, Closing Date: 01/02/2017
- TSM English Literature and World Religions and Theology, Closing Date: 01/02/2017
- TSM French and World Religions and Theology, Closing Date: 01/02/2017
- TSM Greek and World Religions and Theology, Closing Date: 01/02/2017
- TSM German and World Religions and Theology, Closing Date: 01/02/2017
- TSM History of Art and Architecture and World Religions and Theology, Closing Date: 01/02/2017
- TSM History and World Religions and Theology, Closing Date: 01/02/2017
- TSM Latin and World Religions and Theology, Closing Date: 01/02/2017
- TSM Modern Irish and World Religions and Theology, Closing Date: 01/02/2017
- TSM Philosophy and World Religions and Theology, Closing Date: 01/02/2017
- TSM Psychology and World Religions and Theology, Closing Date: 01/02/2017
- TSM Russian and World Religions and Theology, Closing Date: 01/02/2017
- TSM Sociology and World Religions and Theology, Closing Date: 01/02/2017
- TSM Spanish and World Religions and Theology, Closing Date: 01/02/2017
+ Advanced Entry Applications
Read the information about how to apply for Advanced Entry, then select the relevant link below to apply.
- TSM Ancient History and Archaeology and World Religions and Theology, 4 years full-time Closing Date: 30/06/2017
- TSM Classical Civilisation and World Religions and Theology, 4 years full-time Closing Date: 30/06/2017
- TSM Classical Languages and World Religions and Theology (General Entry), 1 year full-time Closing Date: 30/JUN/2017
- TSM Early Irish and World Religions and Theology, 4 years full-time Closing Date: 30/06/2017
- TSM English Literature and World Religions and Theology, 4 years full-time Closing Date: 30/06/2017
- TSM French and World Religions and Theology, 4 years full-time Closing Date: 30/06/2017
- TSM Greek and World Religions and Theology, 4 years full-time Closing Date: 30/06/2017
- TSM German and World Religions and Theology, 4 years full-time Closing Date: 30/06/2017
- TSM History of Art and Architecture and World Religions and Theology, 4 years full-time Closing Date: 30/06/2017
- TSM History and World Religions and Theology, 4 years full-time Closing Date: 30/06/2017
- TSM Latin and World Religions and Theology, 4 years full-time Closing Date: 30/06/2017
- TSM Modern Irish and World Religions and Theology, 4 years full-time Closing Date: 30/06/2017
- TSM Philosophy and World Religions and Theology, 4 years full-time Closing Date: 30/06/2017
- TSM Psychology and World Religions and Theology, 4 years full-time Closing Date: 30/06/2017
- TSM Russian and World Religions and Theology, 4 years full-time Closing Date: 30/06/2017
- TSM Sociology and World Religions and Theology, 4 years full-time Closing Date: 30/06/2017
- TSM Spanish and World Religions and Theology, 4 years full-time Closing Date: 30/06/2017
CAO code (Central Applications Office code) is
TR001This is a Two-Subject Moderatorship (TSM) course please read TSM
Options
TR001 – World Religions and Theology (TSM) must be combined with one other TSM subject. For subjects that combine with World Religions and Theology see TSM combinations.
See also: