History and Religion BA (Hons)

This module is an introduction to the academic study of religion. Through it you will prepare for degree level study by familiarising yourself with key terms, methodologies and issues. The module will also provide you with the academic skills you need to succeed on your degree, including:

• Using the library database
• Referencing sources
• Writing bibliographies
• Communicating your ideas
• Structuring your essays.

On this module you will develop the key skills needed to be a successful historian. Focusing on analytical interpretation rather than historical narrative, this module will prepare you for independent study at degree level . You will explore how historians:

• Examine primary sources
• Write and engage with secondary sources
• Construct arguments and apply theories
• Work with established historical concepts
• Question conventions and established time periods in history

This module is your introduction to the history of York, from medieval to the Regency period. Through it you will explore the city, making use of its resources, and thinking critically about how we can assess changes through time. Taking York as a case study, we will discuss social and cultural development within the city. You will also consider the dialogue between York’s evolution and changes in national and global history. We will take a thematic approach, focusing on ongoing developments such as trade, public health and religion.

On this module you will explore ethics in both religious and secular traditions, applying them to various contexts, such as famine and affluence. You will consider:

• What informs the ethical decisions people make
• How people form their attitudes to moral dilemmas
• Whether there are sources for moral reasoning other than religious ones
• What, if anything, rich nations owe poorer nations

You will reflect on your own assumptions surrounding these issues, and explore the relationship between ethical thought and religious belief.

On this module you will explore how human societies and the natural world have interacted and reshaped each other through time. This involves simultaneously taking environmental, social and cultural approaches to history. You will discover how nature has influenced society and people’s understanding of their place in the world, and evaluate the impact that social developments have on environmental issues. Through this you will learn about important concepts in social history, considering contemporary approaches to gender, race, power and the history of emotions.

This module is an opportunity to reflect on how the skills and knowledge you are gaining on your degree can benefit you in the future. You will use the expertise and resources available within the University to find out more about the possible career options available to you. You will also explore some of the philosophical, theological and ethical issues which may arise in the workplace, as well as investigating theological meditations on the nature and meaning of work in the contemporary world.

This module positions History students as emerging professionals, emphasising graduate qualities, transferable skills, and reflective awareness of professional identity. Through a placement, group project, or individual project, alongside career-oriented workshops, students identify, practise, and articulate the skills developed through historical study and their relevance to graduate employment. The module connects academic learning to employability across varied professions while highlighting the wider public and applied value of Humanities graduates. 

This module focuses on modern western philosophy in an important period of intellectual history. We will be introduced you to the most influential philosophers from the beginning of the 17th century through to the end of the 19th century, and explore the ethical and religious issues surrounding their work. You will learn about the interaction between philosophical and religious thought, and construct your own arguments in response to these ideas. This will help you to understand the concepts behind the debates surrounding religious belief in contemporary life.

Applied ethics is an essential part of philosophy, and on this module you will apply your developing understanding of ethical thought to an important area of contemporary life.  Many of the debates surrounding the topic of death employ religious arguments. By considering a range of widely debated issues in this area, you will learn how ethical theory interacts with practical matters and everyday life.

On this module you will explore a range of debates concerning a central themes in the philosophy of religion – the problem of evil. The existence of suffering, pain and atrocities has been used to question the existence of a benevolent God, and we will discuss some of the philosophical and theological responses to this problem. You will approach the topic through the works of various different philosophers, evaluating their different perspectives and forming your own critical responses.

On this module you will expand your understanding of religion through the study of literature. This will involve exploring texts across a variety of genres, styles and time periods, all of which engage with ideas of religion and spirituality. We will also introduce you to important concepts in literary theory, such as intertextuality and reader-response theory. Throughout the module you will build skills in analysis and critical reflection, considering how real experiences and debates can be expressed through fiction.

This module explores the complex relationship between religion and politics. We will consider the role religion plays in international relations, government policy and social identity, as well as discussing how governments can use religion to connect with citizens or to advance political agendas. Using case studies from across the world, we will investigate topics such as:

• Religious freedoms and human rights
• Democratisation
• Religious extremism
• Sectarian conflicts
• Fundamentalism
• Secularisation.

Religion can heavily impact the lives of individuals within society, whether or not they are believers. On this module you will consider religion from a sociological perspective, engaging with some of the debates and theories which address it. You will explore how religious and non religious lives can be understood within wider social structures and processes. We will use concepts of structure, agency and intersectionality to examine the role of religion in society, communities and individual lives.

On this module you will explore one of the most pressing issues facing humanity: its relationship with an increasingly devastated natural environment. You will examine modern spiritual outlooks on the natural world, as well as emerging eco-theologies. We will consider how religious thinkers have responded to climate change and mass extinction, and how religious ideas can contribute to debates about sustainable living. You will consider tradition, doctrine and ancient wisdom and explore these alongside contemporary environmental issues and movements.

This module builds on the Year 1 module Research and Presenting the Past, helping you to develop your research skills even further. You will do this by conducting project work in groups and engaging in independent research which will prepare you for the Dissertation module in your final year.  We we will discuss the importance of primary sources for understanding an event, period or theme, as well as exploring various schools of historical theory and methodology. The module may also include opportunities to work with local archives.

Despite the horrors of the Black Death, devastation of famine, and the ravages of the Hundred Years War, 14th century England was also full of artistic and literary achievement. On this module you will explore the ideals and ideas existing alongside the trauma of conflict. This will also involve assessing developments in political culture, to better understand the challenges and achievements of the period.

The 1960s were a turbulent time for the USA. President Lyndon Johnson was embarking on a series of reforms aiming to create “the Great Society” at the same time as the seemingly endless war in Vietnam. It was also a time of great achievements, with America leading the first moon landings. Topics you will cover on this module include:

• The image and domestic policies of the Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon presidencies
• Radicalism and dissent, including counterculture, urban riots and student protests
• The domestic impact of the Vietnam War.

On this module you will focus on the experience of African Americans both as enslaved people and in the years following the abolition of slavery. You will learn about the origins, development and abolition of slavery in the USA, assessing the impact and nature of the American slave system. We will discuss contemporary responses of both African Americans and white Americans to slavery, relationships between races after slavery ended, and the emergence of cultural expression among African Americans.

This module brings an accessible introduction to gendered and cultural sixteenth-century history into the curriculum. Women of the Tudor era offer a fascinating case study of power, autonomy and image in terms of gender and cultural history, elucidating new perspectives both on the period and on the lived experiences and mentalities of women from across society.

This module examines the history of the Soviet Union from the October Revolution in 1917 to the end of the Stalin era in 1953. It explores the radical transformation of the world’s first communist state and the emergence of an oppressive dictatorship with major international consequences. You will analyse the Soviet experiment through political, economic, social, military, and cultural perspectives, while engaging with key historiographical debates and developing primary source and critical analysis skills.

This module provides an introduction to the social and cultural lives of ordinary French people during a time marked by profound change, including revolutions, colonialism, and the rise of consumer culture. Through the analysis of a range of historical documents in translation, you will investigate personal and collective experiences that have shaped nineteenth-century society and continue to influence Francophone communities today. 

This module examines conflict in Europe between c.1660 and 1815, from the Restoration and the rise of Louis XIV to the end of the Napoleonic Wars. You will explore war through political, diplomatic, social, military, and cultural perspectives, considering the experiences of rulers, soldiers, civilians, and victims of violence. While focused primarily on conflicts between European powers, the module also addresses the global and imperial dimensions of warfare in the early modern world.

This module introduces the Anglo-Saxon period (c.450–1066), exploring the emergence of the ‘English’ and debates over the origins of the English state. Focusing on Alfred the Great (871–899), you will examine key primary sources and interpretations of political culture and historical writing, culminating in a critique of how Anglo-Saxon England is presented to modern audiences.

This module will examine the traumatic modern history of China and will confront and evaluate the historiographical debates surrounding China’s revolutionary transition from the world’s oldest imperial power to a Communist state. It will consider the political, ideological, economic, military, social and cultural forces which shaped these events, paying specific attention to the concept of revolution.

This module explores the social history of Revolutionary England between c.1620 and c.1670 and investigates the extent to which the English Revolution altered early modern society. Using a range of microhistorical case studies of women, men, and places, you will explore different aspects of life during one of the country’s most politically and constitutionally turbulent and traumatic historical periods.

This module examines the history of Britain from 1945 to 1997, exploring the political, economic, social, and cultural transformations of the post-war era. Topics may include:

• The creation of the welfare state
• Consumerism and affluence
• Race relations
• Sexuality and social change
• Industrial conflict and Thatcherism
• The Troubles in Northern Ireland
• Popular culture
• The emergence of ‘Cool Britannia’ in the 1990s

This module explores the cultural, social, religious, and gender history of Reformation Europe from the late fifteenth to seventeenth centuries. Students examine themes of identity, belief, and authority through primary sources and historiographical debates, while considering how the Reformation reshaped everyday life across Europe.

This module examines the Korean War as a pivotal conflict of the Cold War era. Students explore its political, military, social, and international dimensions, considering the roles of the major powers and the war’s long-term impact on global politics. 

This module explores the social and cultural impact of the First World War on Britain and its empire. Students examine themes including trauma, memory, race, gender, disability, and popular culture, engaging with a wide range of primary and secondary sources. The module also considers how the war has been remembered and represented in public culture. 

This module explores beliefs and practices surrounding death and the afterlife in Europe between c.500 and c.1200. Through textual and material sources, students examine themes including sainthood, dynastic succession, Christianity, and historical memory. 

This module explores the lives, relationships, and experiences of individuals through personal correspondence from the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Students use letters as historical sources to investigate social change, politics, emotion, and everyday life.  

This module examines moments of trauma in American history and their impact on national memory and identity. Students explore how events have been remembered, represented, and contested, with particular attention to myth, justice, race, and historical silences.

This module explores Europe during the Napoleonic era (c.1799-1815), examining themes such as empire, revolution, warfare, and political change. Students engage with primary sources and historiographical debates to analyse the experiences of states, societies, and individuals across Europe.

This module examines the international origins of the Second World War from a global perspective. Students explore political, diplomatic, military, economic, and ideological factors shaping the actions of the major powers in the years leading to war.

This module examines the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and its significance in modern American history. Through analysis of primary sources, media, and competing interpretations, students explore themes of Cold War politics, conspiracy, memory, and public trust. Particular attention is given to the relationship between historical evidence, myth, and popular culture. 

This module explores the political instability and conflict of fifteenth-century England during the Wars of the Roses. Students examine the causes and consequences of civil war, debates over kingship and legitimacy, and the impact of political turmoil on English society. 

This module examines the First and Second Indochina Wars from international and comparative perspectives. Moving beyond predominantly American interpretations, students explore the political, military, social, and cultural dimensions of conflict in Vietnam and the wider region. 

This module explores the history of surveillance in early modern England from the Reformation to the Glorious Revolution. Students examine how authorities and communities monitored religion, politics, and social behaviour, and consider the relationship between surveillance, power, and society.