Oxford theology students in their second and third years will no longer be required to study Christianity.
Christian Today reports that the college has decided to restructure their theology curriculum based on the changing events of the world and the more diversified student body.
While the study of Christianity is still mandatory in the first year of theology study, second and third year students will now be able to choose to study other subjects such as “feminist approaches to religion and theology” or “Buddhism in space and time.”
Professor Johannes Zachhuber, the theology faculty’s board chairman, has been instrumental in making the changes to the program. He stated that the decision to change the curriculum is due to “the dramatic change in the way religion is seen and practised in the UK.”
"We recognise that the people who come to study at Oxford come from a variety of different backgrounds and have legitimately different interests. They come from the respected communities of Britain," said Zachhuber.
"If you have a very rigid curriculum, there will be an increasing mismatch between what lecturers are doing in their research time and what they're having to teach," he added.
Benjamin Thompson, associate professor of medieval history at Oxford, added that the students are in favor of these changes:
"These changes are what students want, because a bigger world is affecting them.”
Publication date: April 1, 2016
