Teaching and Learning > DOCUMENTS
Benchmark Statement TRS
Susan Illingworth
Theology & Religious Studies
Extracts from the benchmark statements (see http://www.qaa.ac.uk/crntwork/benchmark/theology.pdf).
General Statements
'It is important that universities have places where thorough and thoughtful engagement with current religious issues (including political, ethical and educational questions) can go on, thus enabling public debate to be resourced appropriately on all sides'.
'[B]oth Theology and Religious Studies are now likely to aim to provide students with opportunity to engage in the twofold exercise of (i) exploring the religious thought of one or more traditions so as to understand each in its integrity and diversity and grasp its integrative role in relation to practices of worship and ethics; and (ii) analysing the historical, social, cultural and artistic role of religion or belief systems.'
Aims to promote understanding in a variety of ways including:
- Creating opportunities to consider the artistic, ethical, social, political and cultural characteristics of religion(s).
Programmes will touch (and may focus on):
- Ethics, morality, and values. All religions have certain expectations in these areas, and the student will include them in the study along with other aspects of the religion. Even if the religion is studied only historically, the values and problems for living as an adherent of the religion do not go unnoticed by the student.
Course or modules in Religion may include:
- Ethics in/and religion: nature of religious ethics, key values, and issues, such as the environment, war, economics, politics, bioethics.
Standards
- Threshold: Be able to describe in broad terms some of the following: social, textual, intellectual, historical, theological, ritual, ethical, institutional and aesthetic expressions of the religion(s) studied.
- Focal: Be able to state clearly, discuss and demonstrate critical comprehension of some of the following: the social, textual, intellectual, historical, theological, ritual, ethical, institutional or aesthetic expressions of the religion(s) studied.
This page was originally on the website of The Subject Centre for Philosophical and Religious Studies. It was transfered here following the closure of the Subject Centre at the end of 2011.
