Religion Theology & Spirituality and Social Care

Religion, theology and spirituality combined with social care is a pairing that addresses both the meaning-making dimensions of human life and the practical work of supporting people through difficulty, vulnerability and social disadvantage. Religion, theology and spirituality examines how human beings have understood the sacred, developed moral frameworks and built communities of meaning across different traditions and cultures, including Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism and contemporary spiritual identities beyond traditional faiths. Social care brings the applied and professional dimension, focusing on the practical support of individuals and communities facing illness, disability, poverty, family breakdown and other forms of social need.

At Liverpool Hope University you will study for three years full-time, exploring the wisdom, practices and history of major world religious traditions alongside the theory and practice of social care and support. Liverpool's own history of vibrant religious communities and cultural diversity makes it a particularly rich context for this combination of studies. The programme includes a sandwich year in professional practice and a year abroad, giving you extended professional experience in a social care or faith-related setting and an international perspective on how different societies approach spiritual and social wellbeing.

Graduates are well suited to careers in social care, youth work, community development, chaplaincy, counselling, healthcare, working with older people, disability support and the voluntary and faith sectors. The combination of theological and spiritual understanding with practical social care knowledge is particularly valuable in organisations that support people from diverse faith backgrounds or where questions of meaning, ethics and spiritual wellbeing are central to the care provided. Many graduates pursue further professional training in social work, counselling, chaplaincy, teaching or nursing, or go on to postgraduate study in theology, pastoral care, social policy or applied ethics.