Theology at Universities?

[ippy]

Whilst I think most of us know the history of the origins of our universities, I don't think their history bears any relevence to the following; it should be timely to start calling time on theology as a suitable subject for universities now, only if we're going to continue with theology, there might just as well be courses on Astrology, Tarot reading or Witch Hunting; none of them really subjects worthy of serious study, any more.

I wouldn't expect subjects like theology etc, to dissapear overnight but their gradual decline should be releasing valuable space and funding, all be it gradually, for more science and other productive subjects and the remaining followers of these old ideas have still got their oganisations that should be able to follow up with assisting any of those wishing to continue with them and at the same time seperate them from any of the present state funding.

Ippy

[ad_orientem]

Why not jusrt get rid of all subjects you deem frivolous? Next philosophy because, let's be honest, most philosophers just talk bollocks. Neither do you need a degree to paint a picture.

[ippy]

Why not jusrt get rid of all subjects you deem frivolous? Next philosophy because, let's be honest, most philosophers just talk bollocks. Neither do you need a degree to paint a picture.

More nonsense that doesn't stand up to examination than frivolous, mainly in its magical, mystical and superstition departments.

At least philisopohy is usefull and there are a multitude of skills and diffent processes to learn about turning out good paintings and you only need to be gullible to take up religious belief.

ippy

[Hope]

Whilst I think most of us know the history of the origins of our universities, I don't think their history bears any relevence to the following; it should be timely to start calling time on theology as a suitable subject for universities now, only if we're going to continue with theology, there might just as well be courses on Astrology, Tarot reading or Witch Hunting; none of them really subjects worthy of serious study, any more.

I wouldn't expect subjects like theology etc, to dissapear overnight but their gradual decline should be releasing valuable space and funding, all be it gradually, for more science and other productive subjects and the remaining followers of these old ideas have still got their oganisations that should be able to follow up with assisting any of those wishing to continue with them and at the same time seperate them from any of the present state funding.

Ippy

You might as well get rid of the Sciences and the Humanities, ippy.  After all, they're no more relevant to real life than Theology.  In fact, you might just as well get rid of education as a whole.

[Hope]

More nonsense that doesn't stand up to examination than frivolous, mainly in its magical, mystical and superstition departments.

At least philisopohy is usefull and there are a multitude of skills and diffent processes to learn about turning out good paintings and you only need to be gullible to take up religious belief.

ippy

Sorry, ippy, can you provide any evidence that science is relevant to real life that doesn't rely on science itself?

[ad_orientem]

More nonsense that doesn't stand up to examination than frivolous, mainly in its magical, mystical and superstition departments.

At least philisopohy is usefull and there are a multitude of skills and diffent processes to learn about turning out good paintings and you only need to be gullible to take up religious belief.

ippy

You're talking bollocks. Using your logic you could argue that we shouldn't waste money on space missions because the money could be used to feed the starving. Yet somehow I doubt you would argue such a thing. Exactly the same logic though.

[Nearly Sane]

Theology is a junior branch of philosophy. To be fair most subjects at university have little to do with much real life, and most of those that do could be better served by some reimagining as complex apprenticeships 

[Walt Zingmatilder]

Whilst I think most of us know the history of the origins of our universities, I don't think their history bears any relevence to the following; it should be timely to start calling time on theology as a suitable subject for universities now, only if we're going to continue with theology, there might just as well be courses on Astrology, Tarot reading or Witch Hunting; none of them really subjects worthy of serious study, any more.

I wouldn't expect subjects like theology etc, to dissapear overnight but their gradual decline should be releasing valuable space and funding, all be it gradually, for more science and other productive subjects and the remaining followers of these old ideas have still got their oganisations that should be able to follow up with assisting any of those wishing to continue with them and at the same time seperate them from any of the present state funding.

Ippy

Theology departments are and have been repositories of philosophical study in dark times. Since New Atheist philosophy is in such a parlous state now is the time to actually support since a chiefly secular Britain has made a complete pigs ear of national education.

If there are savings to be made they should cut things like having chairs of the public awareness of science who IMHO squander that to promote antitheism.

[Nearly Sane]

Theology departments are and have been repositories of philosophical study in dark times. Since New Atheist philosophy is in such a parlous state now is the time to actually support since a chiefly secular Britain has made a complete pigs ear of national education.

If there are savings to be made they should cut things like having chairs of the public awareness of science who IMHO squander that to promote antitheism.

If you're fantasizing about Dick again, that wasn't public money.

[Brownie]

I read something in yesterday's Sunday Times about Theology at University in the UK and how it is watered down now, leaving out any gory details like the crucifixion in deference to students of a sensitive nature.  The journalist, whom I think was Rod Liddle, called the universities a particular name (such as Zombie or Moron), but I will have to fish the paper out of the bin to be sure.  You can't get it online without subscribing.  Maybe someone else has it.

Oh ad_o, as you mentioned it, I think money spent on space missions could be better spent, quite frankly.  It's not a question of logic but of priority.  Putting tin cans in the sky is not going to help people who struggle to top up the electricity and have to go to food banks.   When I think of those on the breadline, I can understand why they latch on to politicians who promise change;  they do not have the time or energy to go into politics in more detail. 

However, I digress.

[Nearly Sane]

I read something in yesterday's Sunday Times about Theology at University in the UK and how it is watered down now, leaving out any gory details like the crucifixion in deference to students of a sensitive nature.  The journalist, whom I think was Rod Liddle, called the universities a particular name (such as Zombie or Moron), but I will have to fish the paper out of the bin to be sure.  You can't get it online without subscribing.  Maybe someone else has it.

Oh ad_o, as you mentioned it, I think money spent on space missions could be better spent, quite frankly.  It's not a question of logic but of priority.  Putting tin cans in the sky is not going to help people who struggle to top up the electricity and have to go to food banks.   When I think of those on the breadline, I can understand why they latch on to politicians who promise change;  they do not have the time or energy to go into politics in more detail. 

However, I digress.

Liddle is an idiot. The crucifixion is not left out but when they are going to watch certain dramatisations of it, there is a warning that some may find the gore disturbing.

As for the second  paragraph if it wasn't for 'pointless scientific' investigation, there wouldn't be electricity to top up. We spend way more on pet food.  than space exploration

[Brownie]

I don't care for Liddle but I was interested in that article, not saying I believe it was all true though it wouldn't surprise me.

Found it, it wasn't in the bin.  The title is:  Pass me a bludgeon:  zombie universities are cosseting students

The course is called: "Creation to Apocalypse:  Introduction to the Bible."

[Anchorman]

The crucifixion was certainly part of the mainstream course I attended at the Glasgow University faculty of Divinity too long ago to easily remember......

[Brownie]

I amended my above post having found the article.  Looking at it, it doesn't seem to be a mainstream course, Anchor.  Frankly, I'd have thought anyone doing Honours in Theology  would have already been introduced to the Bible, and more.

[Anchorman]

Didn't stop us trying to fall asleep during certain lectures, though! Mind you, there were great lecturers and visiting lecturers as well, not to mention some famous semi retired faces such as Willie Barclay, who still taught and debated when I was there.

[Brownie]

Explains a lot!  A Universalist.

[Udayana]

I don't care for Liddle but I was interested in that article, not saying I believe it was all true though it wouldn't surprise me.

Found it, it wasn't in the bin.  The title is:  Pass me a bludgeon:  zombie universities are cosseting students

The course is called: "Creation to Apocalypse:  Introduction to the Bible."

Liddle certainly belongs in the bin! ... hope you've disposed of it now

[Brownie]

My cat has designs on it.........

[Walter]

Whilst I think most of us know the history of the origins of our universities, I don't think their history bears any relevence to the following; it should be timely to start calling time on theology as a suitable subject for universities now, only if we're going to continue with theology, there might just as well be courses on Astrology, Tarot reading or Witch Hunting; none of them really subjects worthy of serious study, any more.

I wouldn't expect subjects like theology etc, to dissapear overnight but their gradual decline should be releasing valuable space and funding, all be it gradually, for more science and other productive subjects and the remaining followers of these old ideas have still got their oganisations that should be able to follow up with assisting any of those wishing to continue with them and at the same time seperate them from any of the present state funding.

Ippy

'physics is the only subject ,everything else is just stamp collecting'.
Ernest Rutherford (not)

[ippy]

'physics is the only subject ,everything else is just stamp collecting'.
Ernest Rutherford (not)

Well at least science is going somewhere, better to finance science, than the kind of subject that amounts to little more than the exploits of your friendly local  Ju Ju man.

ippy

[SusanDoris]

Why not jusrt get rid of all subjects you deem frivolous? Next philosophy because, let's be honest, most philosophers just talk bollocks. Neither do you need a degree to paint a picture.

The difference between all those other sugjects and theology is that the latter has absolutely nothing at the core of it to study. Last year I started atopic on this on Ship of Fools and after pages and pages, not one single fact had emerged about the God that is supposedly at the heart of all the writings about it, or any other god.

I'm right with Ippy on this one.

[ad_orientem]

The difference between all those other sugjects and theology is that the latter has absolutely nothing at the core of it to study. Last year I started atopic on this on Ship of Fools and after pages and pages, not one single fact had emerged about the God that is supposedly at the heart of all the writings about it, or any other god.

I'm right with Ippy on this one.

But Ippy's a fucking heathen, that's why. I expected better of you.

[Nearly Sane]

The difference between all those other sugjects and theology is that the latter has absolutely nothing at the core of it to study. Last year I started atopic on this on Ship of Fools and after pages and pages, not one single fact had emerged about the God that is supposedly at the heart of all the writings about it, or any other god.

I'm right with Ippy on this one.

theology as with most philosophy iand much of the humanities is about the study of what we think, what we have thought and how we do that thinking. You can study theology just as you do Marxism without a belief and it is taught just as Marxism is. Should we get rid of political study at university as well?

[Nearly Sane]

I don't care for Liddle but I was interested in that article, not saying I believe it was all true though it wouldn't surprise me.

Found it, it wasn't in the bin.  The title is:  Pass me a bludgeon:  zombie universities are cosseting students

The course is called: "Creation to Apocalypse:  Introduction to the Bible."

Why wouldn't it surprise you?

[SusanDoris]

theology as with most philosophy iand much of the humanities is about the study of what we think, what we have thought and how we do that thinking. You can study theology just as you do Marxism without a belief and it is taught just as Marxism is. Should we get rid of political study at university as well?
The subject of politics is a study of human behaviour; no-one thinks there is some mystical, invisible, supernatural being who started it.

Since religious beliefs result from a belief in a God/god/s, then theology has a vacuum at its core.
Definition of theology:

the study of the nature of God and religious belief.