For background: I have full custody of a relative. For simplicity's sake, I'll refer to her here as DR. Her biological parents are no longer in contact, and I am the one she comes to for advice on things like subject choices and uni. She will start A-levels this autumn.
DR is an incredibly bright, inquisitive human being. She genuinely loves to study and learn. Her teachers have suggested she would be a strong candidate for Oxbridge, and until recently she intended to apply for history. However, in the last few months she has been talking about making a change and doing a theology and religion degree.
Her reasoning behind this is that it combines all of her favorite subjects: sociology, history, literature and languages. DR feels understanding religion and people's relationships to it is key to understanding the way people think and have thought throughout history and therefore understanding the state of the world today.
I understand her thinking, but I'm worried the degree might be too narrow and may cut off some possible career fields. I'm also woriied that propective employers would see her CV and assume that she's a particularly religious person and attach some positive or negative value to that erroneously; she actually isn't religious at all. DR isn't sure what she would like to do after uni, but is thinking about a career in diplomacy, maybe doing a law conversion or possibly continuing on in academia. She's also very creative and sometimes thinks about careers in media.
Would opting for theology and religion over history shut doors for her in the future? It's ultimately her choice and I'll support her, but it isn't a field of study I've ever thought much about and I don't want to give bad advice.