Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws in Studies in Religion

The University of Sydney

Analyse the concepts that people and communities prioritise in their lives to explain their existence, including religions, philosophies, life-justifications, and popular mythologies. You will be introduced to a range of methodologies including sociology, anthropology, cultural studies, philosophy, textual studies and history. You will study the essence of what it means to be human and will examine how dramatic narratives and powerful inner experiences propel both the individual and social constructions of reality.The Studies in Religion major allows you to investigate the ways in which humans have ascribed value to their lives, societies, and other important ideals from family to nation, individuality, and the afterlife. You will get to examine how these values and aspirations have been formalised into communal structures and powerful institutions throughout all of human history.Equipped with the necessary skills in critical thinking, you will be able to understand and interrogate the central role of religion-overtly and covertly-in broader socio-cultural practices. You will also develop a critical awareness of the skills used in the academy to assess the narrative, ethical, legal, and institutional aspects of religion we use to keep our societies functioning and which we call sacred.

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