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Why does religion matter to you?

Religion shapes our individual identity and it influences legal systems across the globe.
A group of 3 women and 2 men standing in a row, facing forward in a thoughtful pose with question marks hovering above their heads.
© The Open University

Religion matters

Religion shapes our individual identity and it influences legal systems across the globe. Our communities have been shaped by religious beliefs and practices. Religions are implicated in some of the worst of human violence. Religion inspires some of the highest ethical ideals and behaviour. In an increasingly interconnected, global world, understanding religion – and how to interact with it – is more critical than ever.

A practical approach

This course is designed for those who interact with a diverse range of people. It is also intended for those who want to understand religion and its impact on the contemporary world in more depth. We want to give you the tools and understanding to enable you to interact more confidently with those who believe and practise very different things to you.

Introduce yourself

There will be plenty of opportunities to communicate with other learners on this course, so please join in. You can make comments at any point in the course – just click on the pink plus symbol (+) to open the comments section. Why not introduce yourself now by posting a comment to answer the following question: Why are you interested in becoming more ‘religiously literate’?

© The Open University
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Why Religion Matters: Religious Literacy, Culture and Diversity

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