Religion and belief in university teaching and learning

Abstract

This chapter addresses the role of religion and belief in university teaching and learning. In some subjects, of course, religion is simply a topic of relevance, as in history and in religious studies itself. In others, it is a cultural legacy to be decoded and understood. In others again, it embodies the opposite of the rational, scientific method that predominates in higher education, and in relation to which practically all other disciplines have cut their teeth. As such, it is an utter irrelevance. In some cases, this produces hostility against all religious ideas. This is likely to feel painful for some students, who can feel uncomfortable when hearing lecturers be rude or offensive about their beliefs or about belief in general. In the social sciences, unlike race, gender, or sexual orientation, religion has rarely been a variable. The question of the place of religion and belief in university disciplines was explored in the project Reimagining Religion and Belief for Policy and Practice. The study analysed nine arts, humanities, and social science disciplines, including anthropology, cultural studies, geography, philosophy, religious studies, social policy, social work, sociology, and theology.