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Religion and global challenges in the past and present

What does religion have to do with the major global issues we face? How might religion contribute negatively, and in what contexts might it provide agency and resources to address these issues? In this module, you’ll explore the complex relationship between religion and global challenges in the past and present. You’ll investigate key topics, such as equality, health, technological advances, social justice, climate change and peace. Working with historical, social scientific and philosophical/ethical perspectives, you’ll develop the skills to analyse and communicate how global challenges can be better understood and addressed.

Modules count towards OU qualifications

OU qualifications are modular in structure; the credits from this undergraduate module could count towards a certificate of higher education, diploma of higher education, foundation degree or honours degree.

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Module

Module code

DA332

Credits

Credits

  • Credits measure the student workload required for the successful completion of a module or qualification.
  • One credit represents about 10 hours of study over the duration of the course.
  • You are awarded credits after you have successfully completed a module.
  • For example, if you study a 60-credit module and successfully pass it, you will be awarded 60 credits.
60

Study level

Across the UK, there are two parallel frameworks for higher education qualifications, the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications in England, Northern Ireland and Wales (FHEQ) and the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF). These define a hierarchy of levels and describe the achievement expected at each level. The information provided shows how OU module levels correspond to these frameworks.
Level of Study
OU SCQF FHEQ
3 10 6

Study method

Module cost

Entry requirements

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What you will study

Religion influences how we perceive and address global challenges in many ways. This ranges from how we relate to other people to our relationship with the world we live in. It affects our beliefs and ethics, our behaviours and sense of belonging, whether we consider ourselves religious or not. This module will support you in building the confidence and skills needed to analyse and understand religion in a global context.

You’ll engage with traditions such as Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and a range of Indigenous cultures. As well as learning about specific religious traditions, you’ll see how religion continues to be important in law, politics and the media, with real power in today’s global society and people’s everyday lives. You’ll explore a range of religious practices and ideas in relation to global challenges in different cultural and historical contexts. You’ll study diverse topics, such as yoga, conspiracy theories, American Christian nationalism, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, concepts of the state in modern Islam, colonisation of the Arctic, the rise of international Indigenous movements, and climate activism in the UK and Romania.

The following core questions are threaded throughout this module:

  • What are the interrelationships between religion and global challenges? 
  • How can historical, social scientific and philosophical perspectives help us understand the role of religion in global challenges?
  • Why is it important to study religion to understand and address global challenges?

As part of your studies, you’ll work with a range of disciplinary perspectives, including history, philosophy, sociology, politics and anthropology. Engaging with ideas and methods across these different disciplines will help you gain a fuller understanding of the relationship between religion and global challenges in the past and present. You’ll also have opportunities to deepen your knowledge in areas of particular interest and develop your communication skills using various media.

This module includes the following blocks:   

Block 1: Being Human: Religion, the Body and Inequalities explores the global challenge of reducing inequalities. The focus is on the relationship between religion and the body, for instance, in relation to health, well-being, technology, education, and human rights. You’ll also consider how religion can facilitate, reinforce, and challenge structures that create or perpetuate inequalities. 

Block 2: Living Together: Religion, Conflict, and Peace is centrally concerned with the global challenges of promoting peace and justice and reducing inequalities. Drawing on a variety of historical and contemporary examples, you’ll explore how religion has contributed to conflicts but can also play an important role in peacebuilding.

Block 3: Sharing the Planet: Religion, Environments and Justice focuses on religion in relation to the climate crisis. This includes considering how religion has shaped different perceptions and ways of engaging with environments, including religious responses to natural disasters and religiously motivated climate action. You’ll also look at the relationship of religion to contested claims about knowledge, including conspiracy theories.

Vocational relevance

This module will help you develop your understanding of religion in social, cultural, and political life from diverse perspectives. The skills and knowledge involved are important in a wide range of professional settings, including the police, legal services, business, health care, education, politics, and NGOs. UNESCO also recognises these skills as central to addressing global challenges.

You’ll also earn a digital 'DA332 Multi-Media Skills' badge that you can use on your CV, or share on social media, like LinkedIn and other platforms.

Teaching and assessment

Support from your tutor

You’ll get help and support from an assigned tutor throughout your module.

They’ll help by:

  • marking your assignments and offering detailed feedback to help you improve
  • providing individual guidance, whether that’s for general study skills or specific module content
  • guiding you to additional learning resources
  • facilitating online discussions between your fellow students in the dedicated module and tutor group forums.

Online tutorials run throughout the module. Where possible, we’ll make recordings available. While they’re not compulsory, we strongly encourage you to participate.

Assessment

The assessment details for this module can be found in the facts box.

Future availability

Religion and global challenges in the past and present starts once a year – in October. This page describes the module that will start in October 2025. We expect it to start for the last time in October 2036.

Regulations

As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the academic regulations which are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.

Course work includes:

5 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs)
End-of-module assessment


Entry requirements

There are no specific entry requirements for this OU level 3 module. OU level 3 modules build on study skills and subject knowledge acquired from studies at OU levels 1 and 2 with the OU. They are intended only for students with recent experience in higher education in a related subject, preferably with the OU.

Preparatory work

If you’re new to religious studies, you should look at the OpenLearn courses Why not world religions? and Religious diversity: Rethinking religion.

This module has been designed for students on a wide range of different qualification pathways, including those who have not studied religious studies before.

Register

Start End Fee Register
04 Oct 2025 Jun 2026 Not yet available

Registration opens on 19/03/25

This module is expected to start for the last time in October 2036.

Additional Costs

Study costs

There may be extra costs on top of the tuition fee, such as set books, a computer and internet access.

If your income is not more than £25,000 or you receive a qualifying benefit, you might be eligible for help with some of these costs after your module has started.

Ways to pay for this module

Open University Student Budget Account

The Open University Student Budget Accounts Ltd (OUSBA) offers a convenient 'pay as you go' option to pay your OU fees, which is a secure, quick and easy way to pay. Please note that The Open University works exclusively with OUSBA and is not able to offer you credit facilities from any other provider. All credit is subject to status and proof that you can afford the repayments.

You pay the OU through OUSBA in one of the following ways:

  • Register now, pay later – OUSBA pays your module fee direct to the OU. You then repay OUSBA interest-free and in full just before your module starts. 0% APR representative. This option could give you the extra time you may need to secure the funding to repay OUSBA.
  • Pay by instalments – OUSBA calculates your monthly fee and number of instalments based on the cost of the module you are studying. APR 5.1% representative.

Joint loan applications

If you feel you would be unable to obtain an OUSBA loan on your own due to credit history or affordability issues, OUSBA offers the option to apply for a joint loan application with a third party. For example, your husband, wife, partner, parent, sibling or friend. In such cases, OUSBA will be required to carry out additional affordability checks separately and/or collectively for both joint applicants who will be jointly and severally liable for loan repayments.

As additional affordability checks are required when processing joint loan applications, unfortunately, an instant decision cannot be given. On average the processing time for a joint loan application is five working days from receipt of the required documentation.

Read more about Open University Student Budget Accounts (OUSBA).

Employer sponsorship

Studying with The Open University can boost your employability. OU courses are recognised and respected by employers for their excellence and the commitment they take to complete. They also value the skills that students learn and can apply in the workplace.

More than one in ten OU students are sponsored by their employer, and over 30,000 employers have used the OU to develop staff so far. If the module you’ve chosen is geared towards your job or developing your career, you could approach your employer to see if they will sponsor you by paying some or all of the fees. 

  • Your employer just needs to complete a simple form to confirm how much they will be paying and we will invoice them.
  • You won’t need to get your employer to complete the form until after you’ve chosen your module.  

Credit/debit card

You can pay part or all of your tuition fees upfront with a debit or credit card when you register for each module. 

We accept American Express, Mastercard, Visa and Visa Electron. 

Mixed payments

We know that sometimes you may want to combine payment options. For example, you may wish to pay part of your tuition fee with a debit card and pay the remainder in instalments through an Open University Student Budget Account (OUSBA).


Please note: your permanent address/domicile will affect your fee status and, therefore, the fees you are charged and any financial support available to you. The fee information provided here is valid for modules starting before 31 July 2025. Fees typically increase annually. For further information about the University's fee policy, visit our Fee Rules.

This information was provided on 10/02/2025.

Can you study an Access module for free?

Depending on eligibility and availability of places, you could apply to study your Access module for free.

To qualify, you must:

  1. be resident in England
  2. have a household income of not more than £25,000 (or be in receipt of a qualifying benefit)
  3. have not completed one year or more on any full-time undergraduate programme at FHEQ level 4 or above or successfully completed 30 credits or more of OU study within the last 10 years

How to apply to study an Access module for free

Once you've started the registration process, either online or over the phone, we'll contact you about your payment options. This will include instructions on how you can apply to study for free if you are eligible and funded places are still available.

If you're unsure if you meet the criteria to study for free, you can check with one of our friendly advisers on +44 (0)300 303 0069, or you can request a call back.

Not eligible to study for free?

Don't worry! We offer a choice of flexible ways to help spread the cost of your Access module. The most popular options include:

  • monthly payments through OUSBA
  • part-time tuition fee loan (you'll need to be registered on a qualification for this option)

To explore all the options available to you, visit Fees and Funding.

What's included

You’ll be provided with three printed books and have access to a module website, which includes:

  • a week-by-week study planner
  • module materials and interactive activities
  • audio and video content
  • assignment details and submission section
  • online tutorial access
  • discussion forums and news from the module team.

The module authors have also recorded a podcast series to guide you and help consolidate your learning of the most important themes, issues and skills covered.

Where possible, the materials are also available in other formats – which may include PDF, EPUB, interactive ebook (EPUB3), Kindle ebook and Microsoft Word – to enable you to study on the move. You can also access the module materials via the OU Study app.

Computing requirements

  • Primary device – A desktop or laptop computer. It’s possible to access some materials on a mobile phone, tablet or Chromebook; however, they may not be suitable as your primary device.
  • Peripheral device – Headphones/earphones with a built-in microphone for online tutorials.
  • Our OU Study app operates on supported versions of Android and iOS.
  • Operating systems – Windows 10 or 11 or macOS Ventura (or higher).
  • Internet access – Broadband or mobile connection.
  • Browser – Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge are recommended; Mozilla Firefox and Safari may be suitable.

If you have a disability

The OU strives to make all aspects of study accessible to everyone and this Accessibility Statement outlines what studying DA332 involves. You should use this information to inform your study preparations and any discussions with us about how we can meet your needs.

To find out more about what kind of support and adjustments might be available, contact us or visit our disability support pages.