‘Religion, Politics and Society’ – it’s a bit of a mouthful, I know. But here is why I picked this course and why – maybe – you should too.
First and foremost, I think I should disclose the fact that this specific course was not something I was pursuing from the get-go. In fact, I didn’t even know there were courses as ‘niche’ as this. I discovered it when I was in Year 13, beginning my search for what I wanted to study at university. All I knew was that I wanted to do something that might include all my A-level subjects, particularly Religious Studies. I also studied English Literature and Business. With these subjects, I learnt that you could cover so much of the world in such stimulating, engaging, and critical ways, and I knew I wanted to continue this later. So, when I found myself on the King’s College London website, looking at the course named ‘Religion, Politics and Society’, I knew it was the course for me.
Religion, politics, and society are three things that are understandably interlinked. There is always something happening in the world with a religious or political or, of course, a social foundation, and they are usually all connected. Whether this is for better or for worse is up to debate, but it was a debate I was willing to explore. Discussions like these may be uncomfortable, difficult, and perplexing. But it’s discussions like these that provoke people to really think about others. It’s discussions like these that make you realise how connected the world is. And it’s discussions like these that make it easier to strive for necessary change. I always knew I wanted to do something in this direction – I just didn’t know what.
In a system where there are routes and courses that are rather concrete in their destination, this course seemed as though it embraced all sorts of pathways by touching on subjects like history, anthropology, philosophy – even elements of art worked their way in! For instance, one piece of coursework in one of my modules involved analysing a Shakespearean play! Another module involved exploring enriching institutions, such as the National Gallery and St Paul’s Cathedral, places that, although living in London my whole life, I had not visited prior to attending university. Therefore, the course seemed fitting for the location of the university: London, a city bursting with culture, colour, and chance.
So, I return to my initial point – ‘Religion, Politics and Society’, it’s a bit of a mouthful, I know. But for such an extensive and opportunity-filled course, what do you expect?
Written by Najah Fuad, 3rd year Religion, Politics and Society
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