The Role of Religion at Queen’s University: A Complex Balance

By Ronan Hegarty 

Founded in 1845, Queen’s university proclaims itself to have been “designed to be a non-denominational alternative to Trinity College Dublin.” [1] However, there is no lack of religious societies on campus today. The unique local history of Belfast has given rise to a strong politicization of religion in the area. This, paired with the growing indifference towards religion among young people today, has given rise to a fierce debate over whether religion should have a place on campus at all. However, would a secular approach be irreverent of the fact that religion is undeniably intertwined with the development of Belfast?  

Religion has been a defining yet controversial part of life in Northern Ireland. We are reminded often of the years of conflict that remain fresh in our parents and grandparents’ minds, so it is understandable that many of our young people have grown up to become disenfranchised with religion and associate it with the vast schism that has pervaded our society for generations. 

 It is perhaps due to the strong stigma that still exists towards certain communities that the University has tried to distance itself from religion, to avoid education being overly associated with one specific denomination. 

 In 2018, QUB made the decision to shut its Institute of Theology, seemingly severing its ties with the Presbyterian Church in Ireland’s theological colleges. The following year, the University opted not to admit any more undergraduate theology students to the Church-led Union Theological College. 

 In their report, QUB declared that the complete influence of solely one Church was “not sustainable in today’s post-conflict Northern Ireland.” [2] This came following the controversial decision of the Presbyterian General Assembly to preclude those in same sex relationships from church membership and exclude their children from being baptized.  

While QUB did not expressly refer to this in their reasoning, Lord Alderdice, former member of the Alliance party, believes that there must be a correlation between the two events. He publicly condemns the Presbyterian Church’s “slide… into religious fundamentalism,” and acknowledges that QUB could not “be expected to promote academic obscurantism. [3]” 

 Is this the solution to the University’s past compliance with some highly controversial practices of the Churches? Moreover, does this truly mean that the values of such Churches are now obsolete for the younger, more progressive demographic attending QUB today? 

Although it comes with its fair share of issues, it is crucial to remember that religion is meant to serve a unifying rather than a divisive role in society, and this is no different on campus. For example, the First Love society is a non-denominational society whose primary aim is “fostering a thriving and inclusive community,” and states that they welcome all, “irrespective of their faith or belief system.[4]”  

In light of Northern Ireland’s turbulent past and the entrenched separation of two sides of our community, these words reflect a refreshingly contrasting position. It is also important to note that QUB is home to thousands of students from all over the world. 

 Societies such as the Jewish society and the University Christian Outreach society help to unite students at both a national and international level. The Islamic society also organises weekly Halaqas and plans events throughout the year, providing students with the opportunity to practice and celebrate their religion together. This shows the capacity for religion to garner a strong sense of community on campus. 

The QUB Christian Union describes itself as “a community that is marked by love, vulnerability and honesty;”[5] which sounds quite fitting given the title of the organisation. The regular events coordinated by the group include beach trips, prayer meetings and formal dinners. Social activities such as these, organised by any QUB religious society, are a sure-fire way of promoting inclusion and wellbeing rather than exclusion and isolation. 

So, despite the highly potent question of what degree of influence religion ought to have on an educational institution, it is clear that the answer is not black and white. The values attributed to many of QUB religious societies are conducive rather than detrimental to their students; so long as they do not encroach on the ways of life of other students. QUB has made progress in creating an educational environment that allows religious expression and limits exclusion. Of course, this is a difficult balance to strike in Northern Ireland, and there is still progress to be made.  

Sources:

[1] History and heritage | About | Queen’s University Belfast. (2016, March 1). https://www.qub.ac.uk/about/History-and-heritage/#:~:text=Queen%E2%80%99s%20University%20Belfast%20was%20founded%20by%20Royal%20Charter%20in%201845                                                               

[2] Meredith, R. (2018, December 18). QUB will not admit new students to Union Theological College. BBC News. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-46612527                                                                                                  

[3] The Newsroom. (2019, April 13). MLA: QUB grows colder for Protestants after severing links with all four theological colleges. Retrieved October 12, 2024, from https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/mla-qub-grows-colder-for-protestants-after-severing-links-with-all-four-theological-colleges-985281                                                                                                                          

[4] First Love Society. (n.d.). https://home.q-su.org/clubssocieties/firstlove 

[5] “In the Spotlight: QUB | Christian Unions Ireland.” 2024. Cui.ie. 2024. https://cui.ie/in-the-spotlight-qub/. 

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