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| King's Department of Theology and Religious Studies | |
|---|---|
| Name | King's Department of Theology and Religious Studies |
| Parent institution | King's College London |
| Established | 19th century |
| Location | Strand, London, England |
| Dean | Departmental Chair |
King's Department of Theology and Religious Studies is an academic department within King's College London that teaches and researches the histories, texts, philosophies, and practices of religious traditions. It operates amid London's institutional network including University of London, British Library, Tate Britain, Wellcome Collection and engages with theological, philosophical and historical scholarship linked to figures such as Thomas Aquinas, Augustine of Hippo, Martin Luther, John Calvin and Karl Barth. The department's profile intersects with studies of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and comparative religion, connecting to collections and archives like the National Archives (United Kingdom), Vatican Library, Bodleian Library, Cambridge University Library and research councils including the Arts and Humanities Research Council.
The department traces institutional roots to theological instruction at King's College London alongside predecessors like Westminster School and influences from Victorian-era intellectuals such as William Gladstone, John Henry Newman, Friedrich Schleiermacher and Walter Pater. Its historical development navigated twentieth-century events including the impacts of World War I, World War II, postwar reconstruction and the expansion of higher education under policies associated with the Robbins Report and the Further and Higher Education Act 1992. Over decades it has responded to social movements linked to figures and moments such as Emmeline Pankhurst, the 1968 protests, the Second Vatican Council and debates in the House of Commons, while partnerships and visiting scholars have included names like Eamon Duffy, Rowan Williams, N.T. Wright, Elaine Pagels and Karen Armstrong.
Program offerings include undergraduate degrees influenced by curricula at institutions like University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University of Edinburgh, SOAS University of London and postgraduate research degrees paralleling structures at London School of Economics, University College London, Durham University and University of St Andrews. Typical modules reference primary texts and contexts such as the King James Bible, the Qur'an, the Torah, the Upanishads, the Dhammapada and works by Immanuel Kant, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Friedrich Nietzsche, Sigmund Freud and Michel Foucault. Professional and vocational routes relate to vocations exemplified by institutions like the Church of England, the Roman Catholic Church, United Reformed Church, Board of Deputies of British Jews and chaplaincies at hospitals including Guy's Hospital and St Thomas' Hospital.
Research clusters align with thematic strands present in centers such as the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, the McDonald Centre for Theology, Ethics & Public Life, the Centre for Jewish Studies, University of Manchester and interdisciplinary hubs linked to the Institute of Historical Research, Warburg Institute, School of Oriental and African Studies and the Institute of Advanced Studies. Specializations include biblical studies engaging with scholars like Bart D. Ehrman and texts such as the Dead Sea Scrolls; patristics connected to Origen and Athanasius of Alexandria; Reformation studies involving Martin Luther and John Calvin; modern theology associated with Paul Tillich and Reinhold Niebuhr; and interreligious ethics influenced by Hans Küng, Martha Nussbaum and Alasdair MacIntyre. Research funding sources and collaborations have included grants from the European Research Council, the Leverhulme Trust, the Templeton Foundation and the Wellcome Trust.
Faculty profiles reflect scholars working in fields represented by figures such as G.E. Lessing, Søren Kierkegaard, Simone Weil, Judith Butler, Gadamer, Jacques Derrida and Emmanuel Levinas, and draw on professional affiliations with bodies like the British Academy, the Royal Historical Society, the Society for Biblical Studies and the International Association for the History of Religions. Leadership has included chairs and directors with links to institutions such as Trinity College Cambridge, Oriel College, Oxford, King's College, Cambridge and visiting appointments from academies like the Pontifical Gregorian University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Senior scholars publish in journals tied to Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, Routledge, Brill and present at conferences hosted by organizations including the European Association for the Study of Religions and the American Academy of Religion.
Student activities intersect with campus and city groups like the King's College London Students' Union, the Christian Union (UK), the Jewish Society (UK), the Islamic Society and interfaith initiatives similar to those run by Faiths United and Interfaith Network UK. Field trips and study abroad opportunities link students with programs at Université Paris-Sorbonne, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Al-Azhar University, Bodh Gaya pilgrimage sites, Vatican City and archaeological projects related to Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Mount Sinai. Alumni and guest speakers have included public intellectuals and clerics such as Desmond Tutu, Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Francis, Angela Merkel (in her public faith engagements), Tony Blair and Gordon Brown in contexts of faith and public life.
The department maintains partnerships with religious institutions and museums like the Canterbury Cathedral, the Westminster Abbey, the British Museum, the Museum of London Docklands and policy bodies such as the Ministry of Defence (chaplaincy relations), Greater London Authority and charities like Christian Aid, Islamic Relief, Amnesty International and Oxfam. Outreach activities include public lectures, festivals and symposia with collaborators from the British Council, the Royal Society of Arts, Tate Modern and broadcasters such as the BBC, Channel 4 and Sky News.
Teaching and research are supported by collections and facilities connected to the King's Library, the Maughan Library, the Senate House Library, the John Rylands Library, the Wren Library and digital resources such as JSTOR, Project MUSE, ATLA Religion Database and archives from the Church Mission Society, the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge and the Royal Asiatic Society. The department also uses seminar rooms and lecture theatres on the Strand Campus, research clusters in Bloomsbury near the British Museum, and field equipment for study in places like Cambridge and Oxford.