Latin/ Theology & Religious Studies

Latin and theology and religious studies is a combination that gives you access to the primary sources of two millennia of religious thought and practice in their original language while also developing the broader analytical frameworks needed to study religion as a cultural, social and intellectual phenomenon. Latin is the language through which the Christian theological tradition was transmitted across Europe for well over a thousand years, and many of the most important texts in biblical studies, medieval history and the history of philosophy are accessible in their fullest depth only to those who can read Latin. Theology and religious studies, alongside this, examines religion, the Bible and theological traditions as they relate to politics, history, literature, philosophy, art and culture, as well as to personal belief and practice.

At the University of Glasgow, this four-year programme develops your Latin to a reading level that opens the primary sources of Western religious and intellectual history, while simultaneously giving you a broad grounding in theology and religious studies. You will engage with the Bible, the major traditions of Christian theology and comparative dimensions of religious study, developing both scholarly rigour and an understanding of religion's place in human culture. A year abroad is part of the programme, giving you the chance to study at an international partner institution.

Graduates from Latin and theology programmes enter careers in education, the church and religious organisations, academia, archiving and manuscript studies, heritage management, chaplaincy, broadcasting, publishing and the civil service. The combination of classical language competence and theological knowledge is particularly valuable for research roles in medieval history, patristics, biblical studies and the history of ideas. Postgraduate study in theology, religious studies, classical languages, medieval studies or church history is a natural route for those with academic or ministerial ambitions.