Religion in Scotland
Religion and theology lies at the heart of identity-formation, and complex questions of Scottish and British identities are at the core of current national debates. The School has a strong, long-held commitment to research on religion in Scotland, and its work in this area is characterised by important initiatives in knowledge exchange, through (e.g.) our partnership with the St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art, Glasgow; leadership positions in the Episcopal Church and the Church of Scotland; engagement with local faith-groups, and with the Scottish Qualifications Authority concerning the religious curriculum for schools; and our innovative values-based vocational postgraduate training programmes for professional development in faith-based communities, health and social care, and anti-sectarian activism.
Members of the School have engaged with recent debates on Scottish independence, and we have hosted a recent symposium, Counting on Religion (2013) exploring religious belonging in Scotland. The symposium brought together leading researchers in the field together with representatives of religious communities.
The School works closely with the University’s Centre for Scottish and Celtic Studies. It also houses the new Scottish Religious Cultures network, sponsored by the Royal Society of Edinburgh, which is currently bringing together a number of HEIs in the UK and Ireland to look at issues of sectarianism and religious identity.