Association of University Departments of Theology and Religious Studies

The Association of University Departments of Theology and Religious Studies (AUDTRS) was founded more than twenty years ago as a national forum for discussion amongst academics and teachers of theology and religious studies working in institutes of higher education at a time of change and in the face of growing governmental and European reviews and assessments of the work of colleges and universities as places of teaching and research. Over the years it has been deeply involved with the development of the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), and will continue to play a part, with national associations in other disciplines, in the years of preparation for the REF. It has kept in close contact and conversation with the Arts and Humanities Research Council (ARHC) and other national funding bodies, as well as attending to issues in Religious Education in schools, bench marking and other areas of common concern.

Acting without any institutional affiliation, AUDTRS seeks to support and articulate issues of policy and definition that affect both departments and individuals without exclusions of tradition or religious faith. It welcomes into its membership all academics working in the fields of theology and religious studies, seeking to engender discussion and monitor the progress of the best interests of its membership in a time of change and continual review.

Urgent Letter from the President of AUDTRS:

 To all members of AUDTRS:

Please note our Conference in Liverpool Hope University on 2 – 3 September, and try to send a delegate. This is a crucial time for our discipline and we need to speak with a common voice. This will be a time to share ideas and hear major speakers who have been at the forefront of central discussions in higher education.  Further information about the conference can be found on our events page.

Please also check that your department has paid the annual subscription fee to AUDTRS. We depend on this source of income for our activities, and to enable us to attend meetings at AHRC and HEFCE which relate to our concerns. Our treasurer is Susan Yore (York St John University). She is happy to receive cheques (made out to AUDTRS) or arrange for a BACs payment or an invoice.

Professor David Jasper
AUDTRS President
University of Glasgow