RELIGIOUS STUDY

Extract from the 2009 Prospectus

RST_Diploma RST Degree

Welcome to the homepage of the Department of
Religious Studies at St Joseph's Theological Institute, Cedara, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

St Joseph's Theological Institute is an institution of higher learning in the Roman Catholic tradition. For the past 60 years St Joseph's Theological Institute has been offering undergraduate programmes in Theology and Philosophy, mainly to students who would proceed to ordination in the Catholic Church. During this period St Joseph's has produced hundreds of graduates who have played an important role in the Church, the academy and in society both in South Africa and elsewhere. Though the overall majority of students at St Joseph's are students for the Catholic priesthood the past decade has seen an increasing number of lay students (as opposed to clerical students) registering for courses offered at St Joseph's.

The Religious Studies Department was established in 2004 to provide another focus to the programmes on offer at St Joseph's Theological Institute.

The programmes offered in this department, a Bachelor of Arts (Religious Studies) and a Diploma in Religious Studies, bring together the academic study of Religion and the major World Religions with a specialization component in Christian Theology from within the Catholic tradition. By bringing together these two fields of study, St Joseph's Theological Institute's Religious Studies programmes are unique in South Africa.

Even though St Joseph's Theological Institute is an institution of higher learning within the Catholic tradition we welcome students from other religious traditions or philosophical commitments to take the programmes offered in our department.

Believing that religion forms an integral part of life in Southern Africa the department and the programmes offered are guided by a vision to:

• Help our students towards a greater understanding of the religious and cultural diversity that characterizes our Southern African context.
• Provide our students with the education and skills to help them to engage in critical but sympathetic interaction with these religions and thus to contribute to a sense of respect, and tolerance towards people of different cultural and religious persuasion.
• Provide education and skills which would enable our students to be critical members of society and contribute positively to its development.
• To offer two undergraduate programmes:
  • A three-year Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies
  • A two-year Diploma in Religious Studies.

Why Religious Studies?

Religion is one of the most basic of human concerns for it provides people with a frame of reference to interpret reality. That it has played such a crucial role in shaping human history is evident from the earliest civilizations (as shown by archaeology), through early literate societies, (as seen in their religious texts), to the present. Far from becoming irrelevant in the modern world, religion continues to shape world events and cultural production in communities throughout the world. The academic study of religion strives toward objectivity in its examination of religious traditions and how they shape the lives of their adherents. Its purpose is not to promote or "disprove" religion in general or any belief system in particular, but rather to understand how religion or a belief system functions and develops over time. If you are interested in learning about a variety of religious traditions, in addition to the Catholic tradition with a view to understanding how these traditions have shaped our society and others, how religious individuals and communities make sense of the world around them, or what different religious thinkers have to offer to the contemporary discussion of ethics and values, becoming a student in the Department of Religious Studies may be the right choice for you.

Who Would Benefit from These Programmes?

These programmes will be especially for those who wish to engage, or are already engaged in contexts of non-ordained professional ministry in church or society e.g., Religious Education, Catechesis, Chaplaincy work, Health workers, Formation ministry, Development work, working in Faith Based Organisations, or those who would like to explore a deeper understanding of religion and the Catholic faith.

Programmes Offered in the Religious Studies Department

The Department offers two programmes:

• A three-year Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies.
• A two-year Diploma in Religious Studies.

• Bachelor of Arts (Religious Studies)

Programme Objectives

• An interdisciplinary and scientific study of religion and Catholic Theology including the aspects of the social sciences that facilitate critical reflection on religion and theology in a multi-cultural and multi-religious context.
• Competency to analyse, present and communicate effectively, using a range of media, the various religious systems of beliefs, the world-views that sustains those belief systems, ethical frameworks, and the various ways religion operates in the lives of individuals and society, in a critical but sensitive and empathetic manner.
• Provide the necessary knowledge and skills for those wishing to teach religious studies or engage in professional contexts where a sound knowledge of religion is required.
• The opportunity to reflect on the wealth of religious wisdom relating to questions of ultimate meaning for persons and societies in order to contribute to personal and social enrichment.

Admission Requirements

1. Students registering for the BA (Religious Studies) must have obtained a Senior Matriculation Exemption Certificate or its equivalent.
2. Students who have already completed the Diploma in Religious Studies and have received an average of 65% in the foundational and core modules, may, with the permission of the Exemptions Board of the Institute, be allowed to register for the BA (Religious Studies) and receive credits for the courses already completed.

Duration of Study and Number of Study Units

1. Students would not be able to complete this degree in less than six semesters (three years).
2. The student must have successfully completed a minimum of 390 credits, which must include the foundational and core courses of the prescribed curriculum for the BA (Religious Studies), to have successfully completed the BA (Religious Studies).

Curriculum

The curriculum consists of foundational, core and elective modules. Students must take the foundational modules in the first year of study. These modules lay the foundation for all others in the BA (Religious Studies) programme.

Students must have completed 390 credits to be considered to have successfully completed the programme. The credits are structured as follows:

Foundational modules - 78 credits
Core modules - 232 credits
Elective modules - 80 credits

• Diploma in Religious Studies

Programme Objectives

• To provide the student with an integrated framework of the primary disciplines of religious studies, which would include the philosophical and social sciences that guide our reflection in the study of religion?
• A study of the major world religious traditions, especially focusing on those religions encountered in Southern Africa and the African continent.
• A study of a particular religious tradition, the Catholic Christian tradition. The aim of these modules is to equip the student to engage in independent theological and interdisciplinary reflection on the Catholic theological tradition and the ability to teach it effectively.
• Provide the necessary knowledge and skills for those wishing to teach religious studies or engage in professional contexts where a sound knowledge of religion is required.
• The opportunity to reflect on the wealth of religious wisdom relating to questions of ultimate meaning for persons and societies in order to contribute to personal enrichment.

Admission Requirements

1. Those registering for the Diploma in Religious Studies must have obtained a Senior Certificate or its equivalent.
2. Those who have not completed a Senior Certificate or its equivalent could apply for exemption from this requirement. The Exemptions Board will consider each application on its merits. The Exemptions Board will also consider, amongst other criteria, suitability for the programme, literacy level and previous working experience. Special consideration will be given to those from previously disadvantaged communities.

Duration of Study and Number of Study Units

1. Students would not be able to complete this diploma in less than four semesters (two years).
2. Students may register for a maximum of seven (7) modules per semester, including those being repeated.
3. The student must have successfully completed 280 credits, which must include the foundational and core courses of the prescribed curriculum for the Diploma in Religious Studies, to be considered to have successfully completed the Diploma in Religious Studies.

Curriculum

The curriculum consists of Foundational, Core and Elective modules. Students must take the foundational modules in their first year of study. These modules form the foundation for all others offered in the programme.

Students must have completed 280 credits to be considered to have successfully completed the programme. The credits are structured as follows:

Foundational modules - 64 credits
Core modules - 188 credits
Elective modules - 28 credits

Modules Offered by the Department

The department does not undertake to offer all the modules in any one year for some will be taught in a two-year cycle. Enough modules will however be offered to cover the requirement needed by a student to successfully complete the programme.

The following link will take you to a comprehensive database of the modules offered by this department.

Contact the Department - hodrs@sjtiza.org