BA/BS in Religious Studies

Groningen's Religious Studies bachelor's starts from the observation that the large majority of the world's population identifies as religious, and asks what role religion plays in conflict, radicalisation, migration, and climate change, and whether freedom of speech and freedom of religion can coexist. Rather than debating whether particular religions are true, the programme studies what people and societies actually do with religion and the effects this has at local, regional, and global levels, treating religion as a force that shapes pressing contemporary issues from sustainability and heritage to sexual health, migration, and conflict. The curriculum is broad and interdisciplinary, examining religion and world religions through philosophy, political science, psychology, sociology, anthropology, and history, building a picture of the many ways religion drives and shapes societies. The aim is to develop the kind of expertise needed to analyse and explain religion's impact on the world, treating this understanding as central to making sense of contemporary global affairs.