Personal Statement:Religious Studies 1

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Religious Studies Personal Statement

Religion fascinates me. Its history is the history of applied philosophy and of humanity's adaptation to its environments. Furthermore, it is, or it represents, something so intrinsic to one's identity that many people are willing to die for it. For these reasons I believe that it is worthy of study.

My extra-curricular reading is partly responsible for inspiring me to return to study. William Barrett's 'Irrational Man' prompted me to think about how art and philosophy can be seen as a comment on the world and human life, rather than merely a sophisticated demonstration of technique. John Esposito's 'Islam: The Straight Path' was my introduction to a subject that I had little knowledge of. Besides learning the history of the genesis of the Islam and how politically active it has been from the start, I particularly liked Esposito's attempts at contextualising the modern revivalist movements and explaining their origins in the ideas of Muhammad ibn 'Abd-al-Wahhab and Sayyid Qutb, among others.

I've holidayed in Asia for a total of more than one year. Most of this time was spent in India, where I witnessed its famed landscape and culture. John Keay's 'India: A History' served me well as a guide to the history of the country; helping to explain the relevance of its many former empires and extant monuments, and giving me a foundation to understanding the country as it is today. Among other things, I was fortunate to attend the impassioned Ashura procession in Lucknow, spend time with the family of an Adi Baptist minister in Arunachal Pradesh, and study yoga at the Sivananda Ashram in Kerala. The time that I spent abroad brought me into contact with a variety of cultures and attitudes, fostered self-reliance and granted me perspectives of history and nature that can be hard to discern in one's home country.

I recently participated in a research project organised by The University of Sheffield into attitudes towards environmentally friendly burial and memorialisation. It was interesting to learn about people's motivations for opting for this form of burial and of the variety of types of burial within what is still a relatively small industry.

The majority of the jobs I have had have been in the catering industry, where the work is typically low-skilled and involves long hours, but I have always taken pride in my work, trying to do a good job with respect for my colleagues. I ultimately, however, want to learn something about the world, rather than just exist within it. In this spirit I enrolled at college.

What I have liked about the Access to university course is how the subjects have helped me to understand things from more than one viewpoint. For example, in learning about the Protestant Reformation in both History and Sociology, I have attained a broad understanding of this important period in British history. At university, I hope to build on this knowledge of history and come to a firmer understanding of what factors have, and continue to, influence people and society today. I look forward to studying in the company of people who share similar interests.

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