USI Università della Svizzera italiana

Master of Arts in interreligious dialogue: Science, Philosophy and Theology of Religions

The Master of Arts in interreligious dialogue: Science, Philosophy and Theology of Religions, promoted by the Re.Te. Institute ("Religions and Theology") of the Lugano Faculty of Theology, has been designed to provide extensive knowledge of the major world religions, explain their basic principles, their different structures, and their history. The Master’s course aims to teach its students to promote and develop a dialogue with members of other religions, precisely by gaining an appreciation of other religions and learning how to communicate and hold effective interaction. 

The Master in interreligious dialogue: 

• is entirely available online
• has a clear focus on the world’s main religions and their fundamentals 
• prepares its students for in-depth knowledge of the interrelations between different cultural and religious contexts 
• gives the opportunity to dialogue with people of diverse religious beliefs 
• stands out for the international stature of its Professors 
• guarantees a personal tutor, who provides regular feedback on written work, and guidance about the Master’s programs 

offers the opportunity to receive scholarships and join projects promoted by the Master’s Professor 

After a long developmental process, which has also seen the success of the MOOC (MASSIVE OPEN ONLINE COURSE) Religions from the Inside: Improving Interreligious Dialogue, the Re.Te. (""Religions and Theology"") Institute of the Lugano Faculty of Theology now offers an English-language master’s degree dedicated to promoting interreligious dialogue: The Master of Arts in interreligious dialogue. Science, Philosophy and Theology of Religions. 

The purpose of this new master’s degree is to deepen the knowledge of the world’s main religions and, above all, to shape and stimulate the conduct of interreligious dialogue. To achieve this goal, the Re.Te. Institute offers top-level teachers from around the world and representatives from the world’s main religions. 

The degree is divided into four semesters, fully available on the Institute's Moodle Platform. The first semester features the lessons of the MOOC Religions from the Inside: Improving Interreligious Dialogue. In these lessons, representatives of the world’s main religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism) present the foundations of their respective faith. They demonstrate how their religion, when seen from the inside and considered on fundamental principles, allows the religious human being to be open peacefully to other humans, to the world, and the sphere of the divine. These videos are introduced by a presentation that shows that interreligious dialogue, in the contemporary context, is not only possible but necessary, something that has to be pursued from an ethical point of view. The first semester concludes with a series of in-depth studies conducted from the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic perspectives about violence in religion and how it can arise. The remaining three semesters, each containing 5 lesson modules composed of other videos, respectively deepen the themes of Religious Experience in History and the Contemporary World, discuss Main Questions in World Religions, and offer concrete examples to go towards an Interreligious Dialogue. 

The video lessons are all recorded; none of them will be synchronous or live streamed so that students from all over the world can follow the classes. Each course concludes with an exam taken online and based on the bibliography indicated. The exams are in written form, essay format, with questions proposed by the teacher. With the successful completion of all exams, a research portfolio, and a final thesis, students will obtain a total of 120 ECTS and achieve the title of Master of Arts in interreligious dialogue: Science, Philosophy and Theology of Religions.