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Religious Studies/Philosophy: The Interpretation & Application Of Sacred Texts In The Modern World With Dr Philip Wilson From University of East Anglia
18th September 2025 @ 11:10 - 11:55
Dr Philip Wilson teaches the Philosophy of Religion at University of East Anglia and, in this Religious Studies/Philosophy session, will run an interactive talk for students on The Interpretation and Application of Sacred Texts in the Modern World.
Most world religions look to the sacred text, which holds a special place in the lives of believers. Jews, Christians and Muslims respectively hold the Hebrew scriptures, the New Testament and the Qur’an to be holy, for example. This seminar takes a philosophical and literary approach. We look at the rise of the foundational text in the Axial Age, such as the ancient Babylonian Epic of Gilgamesh, which presents a great person – Gilgamesh the King – and asks what makes a good life. The same characteristics can be seen in the sacred text, which also arose at that time. The Hindu Bhagavad Gita, for example, tells of Arjuna, a warrior in crisis, who turns to his charioteer for advice. As the poem progresses, Arjuna realises that his charioteer is the god Krishna, who shows him the way to enlightenment.
The world of 2025 has seen great advances in the study of history, which offers many new ways of approaching a sacred text. Literacy has grown, and holy books are available at the click of a mouse. We can translate sacred writings – although some hold that they ultimately are beyond translation – and we can interpret them in context. We can also read them as literature, given that many of them are of high stylistic merit. What do these approaches mean, and how do they affect people who want to apply a sacred text to their own life? What is the relevance of these ancient writings to the age of the internet, to the lives of believers, and to society as a whole?
Lecturer Profile: Dr Philip Wilson
Our events are designed so that a group of students can take part from a classroom or students and teachers can take part as individuals, either from school or from home. There is no charge to take part.
As a live, participative event, this session will not be recorded but slides and other resources will be shared after the event, where available.
Suitable for: Aged 16+ pre-university students studying, or with a possible interest in studying, Religious Studies, Philosophy and related disciplines. Student groups as well as students and teachers joining individually are very welcome.
Preparation/Pre-Reading: Students may wish to consider the topic in advance and questions they have. Students can also think about questions about studying at university level.
The IT Setup: The event will be run on Zoom and participants will be able to join using laptops, tablets, and mobile devices. If you are joining as a school group, we recommend connecting with one device and projecting on to a whiteboard. You will be able to interact with the speaker via typed comments and questions and/or via a microphone. Full details will be sent to those who have registered (see below) prior to the event.
Booking a Place: This is free for schools and colleges. If you would like to take part in this event, please register your interest using the link to the registration form below: