Talk:Lancaster University

Secular university
Paul Heelas told me that Paul Tillich probably would not be allowed to teach at the University of Lancaster. Vorbee (talk) 06:29, 11 September 2020 (UTC)


 * Secular? It has a Politics, Philosophy and Religion Department with a Religious Studies section: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/ppr/about-us/religious-studies/
 * Modules it provides with a religious component: undergraduate: :English Literature and Religious Studies : BA Hons : QV36, :Ethics, Philosophy and Religion : BA Hons : VV56, :History and Religious Studies : BA Hons : VV16, :International Relations and Religious Diversity : BA Hons : 6B71, Philosophy and Religious Studies : BA Hons : VV65, Politics and Religious Studies : BA Hons : LV26, Religious Studies : BA Hons : V627, Religious Studies (Placement Year) : BA Hons : V628, Religious Studies and Sociology : BA Hons : VL63, Religious Studies and Sociology (Placement Year) : BA Hons : VL64, Religious Studies with Chinese : BA Hons : 1C19, Religious Studies with Chinese (Placement Year) : BA Hons : 1C20. Postgraduate: Political Theology for Peace (Distance) : PGCert of Achievement, Diplomacy and Religion : MA, Philosophy and Religion : MA, Politics, Philosophy and Religion : MA, Religion and Conflict : MA
 * It has a Chaplaincy that provides services: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/chaplaincy/
 * Its Richardson Institute is a Quaker institution: http://wp.lancs.ac.uk/richardson-institute/
 * SandJ-on-WP (talk) 21:36, 3 February 2019 (UTC)
 * Probably a good example of why we use sources that are verifiable! Absolutelypuremilk (talk) 21:57, 3 February 2019 (UTC)
 * Probably a good example of why we use sources that are verifiable! Absolutelypuremilk (talk) 21:57, 3 February 2019 (UTC)

Early in the life of the university, it decided to have a department that studied religion in a neutral way, rather than a department that promoted Christianity. This idea is an important one that had been widely discussed across the world by Ninian Smart, who was appointed as the first Professor of Religious Studies at Lancaster. Religious Studies as mentioned above is teaching about religion in general and in a neutral academic and secular way, not promoting a particular religion. It really has nothing to do with being a secular university. All UK universities funded by the government are in effect secular. --Bduke (talk) 22:17, 3 February 2019 (UTC)

A reliable source once informed me (the reliable source being Paul Heelas) that the University of Lancaster is not allowed to have a Theology department, as it is a secular university. Does any one think this is worthy of a mention somewhere in the article? Although the university does not have a Theology department, it always got very good research ratings for its secular Religious Studies department. Vorbee (talk) 20:12, 3 February 2019 (UTC)
 * It is allowed to have one, but it chose to create a Department of Religious Studies. There is nothing to stop it setting one up.  Nothing noteworthy here and a personal memory  is not a reliable source. -Snowded TALK 09:13, 11 September 2020 (UTC)

Notable person
Professor John Shanklin at Brookhaven national laboratory in the USA is probably the most accomplished scientist to pass through Lancaster.

In fact Shanklin certainly deserves a Wiki page. Rustygecko (talk) 20:20, 10 February 2020 (UTC)

Lake Carter
I edited the sentence about the lake to make it clear that the lake was created some 60-70 years before the founding of the university. I'm not sure, however, when it was given the name Lake Carter. Certainly before I became a student there in 1971. PhilUK (talk) 20:08, 29 March 2021 (UTC)
 * It was named after Charles Carter the first Vice Chancellor. I am not sure whether it had a name before the university opened. I was there from the very early days just before the first students arrived. It was my first job as a University academic. --Bduke (talk) 02:07, 12 August 2023 (UTC)

Coat of arms
I have never seen this gold coat of arms used by the university (or outside of Wikipedia). I can't find a source for its construction on the commons file. The university only uses the grey one on their website.  dummelaksen   (talk • contribs) 17:13, 11 August 2023 (UTC)