2025/26 events
Divinity Reads...
Three Online Sessions: Thursdays, 7:30 – 8:30 pm (13 and 27 November, 11 December)
We are very excited to launch this new program where Year 12 students read alongside members of the Cambridge Faculty of Divinity!
We'll provide a copy of the book (Nationalism: A Very Short Introduction by Steven Crosby) for all participants. The group will meet online three times to discuss the book, with each student required to offer a verbal reading reflection in the third session. Our aims are to develop key skills (like reading comprehension, critical thinking, and oracy) and to support and inspire students through interaction with excellent reading and our excellent researchers!
Space is limited to eight students and you can apply to participate using this link. Apply by Friday October 24, applicants will be notified of if they have a place by Tuesday 4 November.
Online Masterclasses
Wednesdays (5th, 12th, 19th, 26th) in November, 4:15 – 6:15 pm
This year our Masterclasses combine two very different approaches to a common theme. Theology, Religious Studies, and Philosophy of Religion brings students into contact with an extensive reach of questions and methodologies and we are eager to show you what you would get to see by studying with us! Pick a session that especially interests you, or come along to them all!
Each Masterclass will start with two, thirty minute lectures, followed by time for interaction with the lecturers. At the end, we will offer some information and take questions about our undergraduate program.
There is no cost for attending these events, which are designed for Year 12 (S5 for Scotland, Year 13 for NI, international grade 10 or 11, or equivalent) and mature students. Both UK and International students are welcome to attend and registration will open soon!
Wednesday, 5 November: The Quest for Identity
The God of Love and the Love of God in Hindu bhakti
Ankur Barua (University Senior Lecturer in Hindu Studies)
In this lecture, we will discuss some themes from traditions of Hindu bhakti where God (brahman, īśvara) is presented as the supremely beautiful divine beloved. It is their wholehearted love for God that gives human beings their true identity––namely, a “lover of God” (bhakta) who discerns the divine presence in the everyday world. This love, which is said to be intoxicating, de-centres them from their worldliness and re-centres them in the radiant heart of reality.
Selassie Souljahz - Spiritual/Professional Identity Tensions and Synergies amongst British Army Rastafari
Joseph Powell (British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow)
In this session we will discuss my ongoing ethnographic research amongst Rastafari serving in the British Army, examining how professional and spiritual identity can interact, create tensions, and also offer up synergies.
Wednesday, 12 November: Language and Prayer
Unintelligible Prayer: Glossolalia and the End of Language
Jörg Haustein (Professor of Global Christianity)
Glossolalia or speaking in tongues is an ancient religious practice that has seen a modern revival in the form of Pentecostal Christianity. What is meant by a prayer that seemingly signifies nothing? In this session we discuss how Pentecostals came to rediscover glossolalic prayer and what their theologians have come to think it means for divine presence. We land with the philosopher Jacques Derrida: What if non-signifying speech reveals something essential about language?
Poetry and Prayer
Giles Waller (Senior Teaching/Research Associate in Theology and Literature)
Some of the earliest poems that survive are addressed to gods, while in the 19th century Matthew Arnold described poetry as ’secular prayer’. Can poetry ever really be separated from praying? In this session, we discuss theological approaches to poetry and poetics through the question of prayer, looking together at poems by George Herbert, and by some recent English poets. What is the relation of poetic form to prayer?
Wednesday, 19 November: Understanding the Ultimate
The Cosmos Within: A Buddhist Guide to Understanding
Alexandra Ilieva (Teaching Associate, Buddhist Studies)
We often look outward for answers to ultimate existential questions, but what if part of the answer starts with how we see ourselves? From a Buddhist point of view, nothing stands alone and rigid labels can trap us. Buddhism invites us to loosen our grip on fixed labels, opening up clearer thinking, kinder action, and a fresh way to look at the universe we share. Dr Alexandra S. Ilieva will explore how noticing change and connection can reshape how we live and how we think about the cosmos.
Was the Universe Designed for Life? Cosmic Fine-Tuning in Science and Religion
Emily Qurehsi-Hurst (Teaching Associate in Theology and Natural Science)
Why do we exist? Why is there something rather than nothing? Was the universe designed with life in mind? In this masterclass, Dr Emily Qureshi-Hurst will tackle these questions head on. She will take you on a whirlwind tour of Cosmic Fine-Tuning, exploring whether the cosmos's secrets are revealed by modern physics, philosophy, and theology. Whether these arguments are successful or not it a hotly debated topic in theology, philosophy, and physics. The masterclass will explore this fascinating topic and give you the tools to answer these questions for yourself.
Wednesday, 26 November: Facing Big Questions
This session will offer a glimpse at where research in Theology, Religious Studies, and Philosophy of Religion is moving right now! Several of our PhD students will tell the story of their research to give you an idea of the kinds of questions that are being asked, and the different methods that we use to answer them. Participants will be able to submit questions that they are interested in exploring and our panel will talk about how they can be pursued.
Humanities Exploration Day (Bradford)
9 December 2025
The School of Arts and Humanities at the University of Cambridge is hosting a Humanities Exploration Day for Year 12 students on the 9th December 2025 at New College, Bradford. The aim is to give students the opportunity to experience university-level teaching in a range of humanities subjects, to enrich their current studies and to help them decide which subject might be the best choice for them going forward. Apply to attend using this link.
A-Level Study Day (Academy Learning)
14 January 2026
We are hosting this event which is put on by another organization (Academy Learning). This study day is designed to enrich your students’ understanding, spark intellectual curiosity, and equip them with the tools to excel in A Level Philosophy, Ethics and Religion. Led by some of the UK’s most distinguished academics—including speakers from Oxford and Cambridge—this event offers your students the chance to engage with complex ideas in a clear, accessible, and challenging format. Held in prestigious venues in London, Oxford, and Cambridge, the day features university-style lectures tailored to meet the needs of A Level learners across all major specifications (AQA, OCR, Edexcel, and Eduqas).
More than just a day out, this is a carefully structured academic experience that complements classroom learning, promotes independent thinking, and has the potential to significantly raise attainment. Teachers consistently report that students return from these events more motivated, more confident, and better prepared for the demands of A Level study—and beyond.
More information and registration can be found using this link.
View on demand
Hinduism GCSE study evening
Holy Women and Heretics study evening
Reading Religion and Conflict study evening
MASSOLIT lectures
Faculty of Divinity academics have produced several high-quality, curriculum-linked video lectures for GCSE, A Level and IB students and teachers as part of the MASSOLIT lecture series. Please note that some content requires a subscription.
If the event you are interested in has passed, please do check back. Events are added throughout the year. Alternatively, follow us on Twitter, where all our events for prospective applicants are advertised.
Please note that the Faculty of Divinity reserves the right to cancel or adjust events.