“The assumption that we live in a secularized world is false. The world today, with some exceptions, is as furiously religious as it ever was, and in some places more so than ever.” (Peter Berger).

In our present-day society a strong interest for religion has returned: according to the data of the Pew Research Center, the percentage of non-believers is set to fall from 16.4% to 13.2% in 2050.

Philosophy study programmes are often designed in an agnostic way – as if God didn’t exist - and do not consider the growing interest in religion, both globally and among philosophy students in particular.

Furthermore, in most philosophy study programmes philosophy is studied only through issues and problems while a study of the history of philosophy is neglected.

Last but not least, the study of the millennium-long history of dialogue between philosophy and religions (in ancient Greek philosophy, Jewish philosophy, Christian philosophy, Islamic philosophy, Reformed philosophy, etc.), does not appear to be offered in any university programme, despite the study being fundamental for creating and sustaining dialogue between cultures and faiths in the future.

The Master's in Philosophy, Theology and Religions fills all these gaps. This unique programme takes heed of the mutual relationship between religions and philosophy both from a historical and theoretical point of view.

This Master is natively designed online. It is thus able to cater to global students.

It consists of 120 credit points, with the further possibility of obtaining a Certificate of Advanced Study (CAS), which amounts to only 15 credit points on specific topics. 

Our Master Programme includes the possibility of receiving a full scholarship, providing easy access to high quality Swiss education.

An international team of leading professors, each being a world renowned specialist in his or her own field, bestows the programme with unicity and innovation.

A bi-annual one-week summer school is planned in Sicily from the end of August to early September, an ideal setting to meet professors, while exploring an island at the crossroads of philosophy and the Abrahamic Religions.

First Term

History of Philosophy and Religions: Basic Concepts

Module 1: Basic Concepts I  (CAS,* 15 CP)

1. History of Philosophy across Religions: an Introduction (Peter Adamson)

2. Foundational Concepts and History of Judaism (Simon Erlanger and Tyron Goldschmidt)

3. Foundational Concepts and History of Christianity (Ursula Schumacher)

4. Foundational Concepts and History of Islam (Erdal Toprakyaran)

5. Philosophy and Non-Abrahamic Religions (Ferenc Ruzsa)

Module 2: Basic Concepts II (CAS, 15 CP)

6. Philosophy and Religion in the Greek-Roman World (Christoph Helmig)

7. God as Being according to Plato and Aristotle (David Anzalone and Giovanni Ventimiglia)

8. The Reception of Greek Philosophy in the Jewish, Islamic and Christian Philosophy (Charles Burnett)

9. Philosophical Lexicons across Traditions: coming from Greek, Latin, Jewish and Arabic/Persian Philosophical Texts (Marienza Benedetto, Davide Falessi and Mostafa Najafi)

10. Religious Sense across Religions (Santiago Ramos)

11. Summer School (End of August – beginning of September): Philosophical Issues across Religions

Total Credit Points: 30

Second Term

History of Medieval/Modern Philosophy and Religions**

Module 3: God in the History of Philosophy (“Middle Ages”) (CAS, 15 CP)

1. Judaism (Marienza Benedetto)

2. Christianity (Pasquale Porro)

3. Islam (Olga Lizzini)

4.  Philosophical Books across Religions: The Liber de Causis and its Different Traditions (Maria Evelina Malgeri)

Module 4: God in the History of Philosophy (“Modernity”) (CAS, 15 CP)

5. Judaism (Warren Zev Harvey)

6. Christianity (Marco Lamanna and Paul Richard Blum)

7. Islam (Ulrich Rudolph)

8. Philosophical Proofs of the Existence of God across Religions (Richard Cross)

Total Credit Points: 30

Third Term

Contemporary Philosophy and Religions: Topics and Problems

Module 5: Topics and Problems I (CAS, 15 CP)

1. Philosophy of Religion I: Epistemology of Religion (Maria Rosa Antognazza)

2. Philosophy of Religion II: God’s existence and Attributes (Gyula Klima)

3 Philosophy of Religion III: God, Freedom and Evil (Ryan Mullins)

4. Divine attributes across religions (Maarten J.F.M. Hoenen)

5. Interreligious relationships I (Emanuele Colombo)

Module 6: Topics and Problems II (CAS, 15 CP)

6. Jewish Contemporary Philosophy (Tyron Goldschmidt)

7. Christian Contemporary Philosophy (Winfried Löffler)

8. Islamic Contemporary Philosophy (Gary Carl Muhammad Legenhausen)

9. The Reception of Western Philosophy in the Islamic World (Roman Seidel)

10. Interreligious relationships II (Jehoschua Ahrens)

11. The unknown God: Agnosticism and Mysticism (Anthony Kenny)

Total Credit Points: 30

Fourth Term       

MA Thesis: 30 CP

The Master Programme Philosophy, Theology and Religions consists of:

• 120 credit points obtained over the course of 2 years or 4 semesters. Each semester consists of 2 modules of 15 credit points each, for a total of 30 credit points per semester. The final semester is devoted to the Master’s thesis, and is also 30 credit points.
• 8 Free Choice courses of 3 credit points each in languages (Ancient Greek, Arabic/Persian, Biblical Hebrew, Latin) and select topics (Latin Palaeography, Church History, Ethics and Religions, Politics and Religions, Sociology of Religions) to complement and/or substitute the standard curriculum. 
• Option for CAS (Certificate of Advanced Study) made up of 15 credit points consisting of either one module from the main curriculum or one of 3 subject specific complements (Jewish, Christian and Islamic Philosophy).
• Examinations will consist of [1] a free-topic written paper and [2] a written general test per Module (approx. mid-January and end of June). They will be conducted on the web platform Moodle, and will be identical in content and requirements to in-person exams.

* Certificate of Advanced Study.

** “Medieval,” “Middle Ages,” “modern” and “modernity” are used in a conventional manner.

• All applications must be submitted online no later than 30 April (or no later than 31 August for late registrations) for the autumn semester, or by 30 November (or no later than 31 January for late registrations) for the spring semester. If you are unsure whether you meet the requirements for this program please get in contact with us.  For online registration, a one-time registration fee of CHF 100 will be added. In the event of late registration, an additional processing fee of CHF 150, i.e. a total of CHF 250, will be charged.  
• The tuition fee per semester (including exams and use of the Moodle learning platform) is CHF 810 for students resident in Switzerland and CHF 1110 for students resident abroad. 
• Last scholarships are available that cover 100% of tuition fees and in some cases even the registration fees.

• Scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis with consideration to both financial need and academic merit.

• Download our FAQs to get more information about the scholarship

Should you require any further information about the Master's in Philosophy, Theology and Religions, please contact our Academic Advisor and/or Student Advisor:

E-Mail: info-masterphilterremove-this.@remove-this.unilu.ch or Contact form

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Our programme provides fundamental logical, philosophical, theological and historical knowledge, as well as essential methodological skills that allow for the enhancement of academic and professional study.

The broad range of topics and cultures studied in the programme ensures students a global vision enriched by:

• Skills in Philosophy

In a society that is evolving faster and faster, where companies and institutions are forced to change their strategies on short notice, the demand for versatile, open-minded professionals capable of challenging established paradigms and inventing new ones is growing. Philosophy graduates are therefore increasingly sought after in the professional world.

• Skills in Inter-Religious Dialogue

In a multicultural society challenged by global migratory phenomena, the demand for professionals who are knowledgeable about history, as well as the history of philosophy and intellectual history of cultures other than their own, continues to grow. A strong command of the mentality and intellectual history of different cultures is an indispensable tool for interreligious dialogue. The specific training offered by this Master's course meets these needs.

• Skills in Academia

Our Master's in Philosophy, Theology and Religions grants a solid training over a wide set of areas of knowledge, including philosophy, history of philosophy, theology, history of theology, philosophy of religion, Jewish philosophy, Christian philosophy and Islamic philosophy.

This Master's degree broadens the fields in which to do a doctorate, making it possible for applications to be made not only in philosophy departments but also in theology departments all over the world.

The Faculty of Theology of Lucerne has recently created a PhD (Dr. Phil. in Theological Studies) for which students holding this master’s degree would be ideal.

Career

Programme graduates will be a perfect fit for international careers in culture, education, media, politics, public administration, consulting, church and religious services and NGO work, such as journalism, media & publishing, public relations & marketing, personnel services, political consulting, political and cultural foundations, management consulting, high school philosophy and humanities teaching, archives / museums / libraries,church non-profit organisations (Caritas, Fastenaktion, Gassenarbeit), international aid organisations (ICRC), youth/social work, asylum system, department of education, and political consulting / management consulting.