Religious studies and theology

Programmes in the field of Religious Studies, also referred to as ‘Theology’ explore the beliefs, practices, values and doctrines of people around the world. Religion has several functions that are expressed through the human behaviour: cognitive function, action function, anxiety reduction function, social function, compensatory and identity function. The discipline of Religious Studies is concerned with the study of the religious beliefs and their particular characteristics. It aims at describing, explaining and comparing religions from different perspectives. A scholar of religious studies does not have to be a follower or believer of any religion, as the study of religion does not require faith, but understanding. The University of Kent in the UK has a strong reputation for academic excellence and teaching satisfaction - with all aspects of its research environment graded 'world-leading' or 'internationally-excellent' in recent surveys. The University of Amsterdam housed within the largest Faculty of Humanities in the Netherlands, offers students the study of religion in a broad context, as well as opportunities for interdisciplinary studies.