The former archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has joined 75 academics, faith leaders and public figures in signing an open letter coordinated by Theos, a Christian think tank, warning that theology and religious studies are among the hardest hit by university course closures.
The letter highlights that soon only 21 higher-education institutions in England and Wales will offer theology degrees, compared with 90 offering history, 80 offering music and 101 offering sociology.
Hannah Rich, senior researcher at Theos, told Premier Christian News: "We’re seeing Theology and Religious Studies hit hardest by cuts when institutions are under financial pressure. But these are subjects vital to our society, intellectually, ethically and culturally."
Among recent closures is Spurgeon’s College, a 170-year-old Christian institution that taught theology to about 200 students. It announced that all courses are shutting down due to "significant financial challenges…driven by declining student numbers and an increasingly complex and difficult financial landscape".
The letter warns this trend may lead to theology becoming the "preserve of the elite", as course closures create educational "cold spots" across the UK.
The impact is already being felt in schools. Rich told Premier Christian News: "More than 50% of religious education (RE) lessons are now taught by teachers without a specialism in the subject."
"Fewer theology graduates means fewer qualified RE teachers and that affects the entire education system!"
"In an increasingly polarised world, theology provides space for interfaith dialogue and understanding," Rich said. "Without it, we risk losing the ability to build bridges across belief systems."
Signatories, including actor James Norton, faith leaders and academics, are calling on universities and the government to prioritise and safeguard theology education.