Unit for the Study of Religion and Spirituality (USRS)
Rational
The decision to establish the Unit for the Study of Religion and Spirituality in 2005 was initially based on the recognition of common interests in the field within the School of Humanities, Languages, and Social Sciences. It was also part of the natural development which resulted from the merging of several faculties at the University of the West of England. The creation of such a unit was further underpinned by the principal development of research into the on-going interdisciplinary interest of a number of scholars in the sphere of religion and the developing field of spiritualities by members of other faculties at UWE.
The establishment of such a Unit is timely. In recent years the scholarly concern with religion and spirituality has enjoined a new lease of life across various disciplines. Far from constituting a declining aspect of social life religion, in its many manifestations, appears to have experienced something of a revival in recent years. Religious fundamentalism of different traditions has increasingly made itself known through various channels ranging from global terrorist acts to moral campaigns in Western democracies. New forms of religion have also emerged. This includes the New Religious Movements, the New Age, and a popular interest in paganism, magic, occultism and esotericism. Many of the emerging forms of religiosity would seem to depart significantly from the more conventional forms. Hence, there is a growing interest into so-called 'spiritualities', perhaps suggesting that religion prevails in more hidden, less discernible forms. Relatedly, broader definitions of religion have extended the interest of various disciplines in the areas of so-called quasi- and implicit religions.
Such developments do not mean that more traditional expressions are entirely extinguished. Some expressions continue, most obviously historical Christianity. Nonetheless, the faith is now experiencing many profound changes and challenges as exemplified by current debates in the churches around the subject of sexualities. Other world faiths are also drawing increasing interests, especially in relation to so-called faith communities and this includes Hinduism, Islam and Sikhism. The significance of such religions expressed in the global phenomenon of religious fundamentalism is also of note.
The Unit for the Study of Religion and Spirituality claims several functions besides its intra- and inter-faculty collaborations and the contributions from the fields of sociology, economics, education, linguistics and psychology. In the future it will seek to develop theoretical grounding for the understanding of religious change in contemporary society. Secondly, it will endeavour to encourage the highest level of academic research through ethnographic and archival surveys. Besides these broad objectives the short and long-term aims for the unit include the following:
Short Term
- To encourage inter-disciplinary research in the area of religion and spirituality through such scholarly disciplines as history, sociology, social psychology, and educational and cultural studies
- To encourage research by postgraduate students to Ph.d level and to establish a MA programme by research allowing students to study an area of their choice through various academic disciplines
- To establish links with national and international research institutions and other academic and non-academic bodies
- To organise periodic conferences, research seminars and workshops in order to establish such links to disseminate research findings
- To periodically invite speakers to address various aspects of religion and spirituality
Long Term
- To establish an on-line web-site journal in order to disseminate research findings of an inter-disciplinary nature
- To establish a more formal Centre for the Study of Religion and Spirituality
