Theology

"It has been often said, very truly, that religion is the thing that makes the ordinary man feel extraordinary; it is an equally important truth that religion is the thing that makes the extraordinary man feel ordinary."   G K Chesterton

The religious questions of man remain as important today as ever and the variety of responses to these should be examined whether one does or does not have a personal religious conviction. Through the exploration of theology and philosophy a deeper understanding of faith, self and society will emerge. The department seeks to explore these ideas through a challenging and rigorous curriculum which encourages independence of thought and study and at the same time recognises that learning can be fun and varied.   

The first three years.

In each of the first two years of school boys will study three key aspects of Theology and Philosophy:

• Christianity: the life and teaching of Jesus and other theological debates.
• The beliefs and practices of a major world faith other than Christianity.
• An introduction to some of the key questions raised by the philosophy of religion and ethics.

In the third year boys can opt for a Theology and Philosophy course in which some of the central questions of the subject are examined: the problem of evil, the role of women in religion and issues surrounding crime and punishment.

Sixth Form.

The Cambridge Pre-U is a course designed to bring together important elements of Philosophy and Theology; GCSE Religious Studies is not a prerequisite. Boys will study two broad areas covering the philosophy of religion and ethics. They sit three papers, one of which is a textual study on books related to the course material.   Topics covered include:

• Philosophy of Religion: epistemology; the existence of God; the nature of belief; religion and science; religious experience and ultimate questions
• Ethics: the origins of morality; absolutism vs. relativism; the free will debate; Christian ethics; secular ethics such as virtue theory, Kantian ethics and utilitarianism; practical ethics including medical ethics, war and peace and environmental ethics.

Numbers taking the subject at A-level and now at pre-U have increased steadily over the past three years. Several boys each year have applied to read Theology and/or Philosophy at top universities.