15 credits
Level 1
First Term
How did the Jesus movement turn into the church? At what point did the church decide Jesus was God? How can God be one and three? What is heresy and why did it matter? How did Christianity relate to surrounding philosophy? Did theology develop and change? What were the sources for Christian thought and doctrine? The course introduces students to these questions through the rich history of Christian thought by considering a number of representative theological thinkers, such as Origen, Athanasius, Augustine, Anselm, Aquinas, Luther and Calvin. Download Course Guide
15 credits
Level 1
First Term
This course will explore ancient Greek attitudes towards death and dying and explore the various ways in which it meant to be dead in Ancient Greece. This course will be interdisciplinary in approach, looking at: performative texts (ancient Greek plays and epics), visual culture (monuments, sacred sites), philosophy and science (Presocratic, Plato and Epicurus).
The course will take a firm thematic approach exploring: poetic death and the heroic, locales of the departed and cosmic death and the promise of revival.
15 credits
Level 1
First Term
This course will explore ancient Greek attitudes towards death and dying and explore the various ways in which it meant to be dead in Ancient Greece. This course will be interdisciplinary in approach, looking at: performative texts (ancient Greek plays and epics), visual culture (monuments, sacred sites), philosophy and science (Presocratic, Plato and Epicurus).
The course will take a firm thematic approach exploring: poetic death and the heroic, locales of the departed and cosmic death and the promise of revival.
15 credits
Level 1
First Term
The course will introduce students to the form of Greek found in the New Testament and help students to begin to read the New Testament in Greek. The programme will follow the textbook by J. Duff, Elements of New Testament Greek (Cambridge University Press, 2005). This is not to be confused with the textbook with the same title by John Wenham. Download Course Guide
15 credits
Level 1
First Term
This course is an introduction to classical biblical Hebrew without presupposing any prior knowledge. It involves the study of grammar and syntax and the translation of simple Hebrew prose texts. Download Course Guide
15 credits
Level 1
First Term
Explore theological responses to human tragedy and cultural shock and examine popular reactions to terrorist attacks on USA in 2001, and includes attention to two European world wars and Holocaust, the Tsunami in South-East Asia, Hurricane Katrina, and the Japanese response to disasters in its history. Attention is given to themes such as the question of ‘theodicy’, the function of religious discourse in the face of tragedy, and the relationship between religion and politics. Download Course Guide
15 credits
Level 1
First Term
The course will introduce students to the form of Greek found in the New Testament and help students to begin to read the New Testament in Greek. The programme will follow the textbook by J. Duff, Elements of New Testament Greek (Cambridge University Press, 2005). This is not to be confused with the textbook with the same title by John Wenham. Download Course Guide
15 credits
Level 1
First Term
This course explores the history of European and American engagement with Asian religions, examining modern representations of Hindu and Buddhist practice in the Western world. Download Course Guide
15 credits
Level 1
First Term
This course explores the history of European and American engagement with Asian religions, examining modern representations of Hindu and Buddhist practice in the Western world. Download Course Guide
15 credits
Level 1
First Term
How do we know right from wrong? What are our responsibilities towards others? How should we engage with social and political problems and issues? What constitutes a good life? This course provides an opportunity for students to explore the rich tradition of Western ethical reflection and moral formation. It does so by surveying the various ways in which ethics and morality have been understood and approached by major figures in the Western tradition.
15 credits
Level 1
First Term
How do we know right from wrong? What are our responsibilities towards others? How should we engage with social and political problems and issues? What constitutes a good life? This course provides an opportunity for students to explore the rich tradition of Western ethical reflection and moral formation. It does so by surveying the various ways in which ethics and morality have been understood and approached by major figures in the Western tradition.
15 credits
Level 1
First Term
This course discusses the issues involved in reconstructing the history and religions of ancient Israel and Judah. It provides an overview of the history and religions of Ancient Israel and Judah, as portrayed in the Hebrew Bible, as illustrated by archaeological findings, and as understood within their larger Ancient Near Eastern context. It further teaches the students how to evaluate critically these portrayals and, as a result, how to reach independent and informed interpretations of the Biblical text. Download Course Guide
15 credits
Level 1
First Term
This course discusses the issues involved in reconstructing the history and religions of ancient Israel and Judah. It provides an overview of the history and religions of Ancient Israel and Judah, as portrayed in the Hebrew Bible, as illustrated by archaeological findings, and as understood within their larger Ancient Near Eastern context. It further teaches the students how to evaluate critically these portrayals and, as a result, how to reach independent and informed interpretations of the Biblical text. Download Course Guide
15 credits
Level 1
First Term
How did the Jesus movement turn into the church? At what point did the church decide Jesus was God? How can God be one and three? What is heresy and why did it matter? How did Christianity relate to surrounding philosophy? Did theology develop and change? What were the sources for Christian thought and doctrine? The course introduces students to these questions through the rich history of Christian thought by considering a number of representative theological thinkers, such as Origen, Athanasius, Augustine, Anselm, Aquinas, Luther and Calvin. Download Course Guide
15 credits
Level 1
Second Term
This course traces the history of Christianity from its establishment as the religion of the Roman Empire to the period just prior to its arrival in the Americas in the late 15th century. We examine some of the main strands of Christian theology, spirituality and institutional life in this period and also consider marginal groups such as the Cathars and Waldensians, as well as mediaeval Christianity’s relationship with religions of pre-Christian Europe. Download Course Guide
15 credits
Level 1
Second Term
This course traces the history of Christianity from its establishment as the religion of the Roman Empire to the period just prior to its arrival in the Americas in the late 15th century. Lectures and seminars examine some of the main strands of Christian theology, spirituality and institutional life in this period and also consider marginal groups such as the Cathars and Waldensians, as well as mediaeval Christianity’s relationship with religions of pre-Christian Europe. Download Course Guide
15 credits
Level 1
Second Term
This course is the second part of an introduction to classical biblical Hebrew. It involves the study of grammar and syntax and the translation of simple Hebrew prose texts. Only students who have taken DR1042 or equivalent are eligible to take this course. Download Course Guide
15 credits
Level 1
Second Term
This course, which builds on the foundations laid in DR1039, introduces further study of the grammar and vocabulary of New Testament Greek. Download Course Guide
15 credits
Level 1
Second Term
This course, which builds on the foundations laid in DR1039, introduces further study of the grammar and vocabulary of New Testament Greek. Download Course Guide
15 credits
Level 1
Second Term
This module will examine the representations of Jesus that are found in the four canonical gospels as well as in a selection of non-canonical (apocryphal) gospels. By evaluating the evidence of witnesses and reading this against the social and cultural backdrop of first century Palestine, the module will consider the question of what "the Historical Jesus"" was really like and how this figure relates both to the theological traditions of the church and to popular reworkings of the gospel stories through the centuries.
15 credits
Level 1
Second Term
This course will offer a systematic survey of varying definitions of mysticism, of the varieties of mysticism from ancient times to modern, of the philosophical issues raised by the subject, and of the differing approaches to the study from the fields of sociology, anthropology, psychology, and drugs. Download Course Guide
15 credits
Level 1
Second Term
This module will examine the representations of Jesus that are found in the four canonical gospels as well as in a selection of non-canonical (apocryphal) gospels. By evaluating the evidence of witnesses and reading this against the social and cultural backdrop of first century Palestine, the module will consider the question of what "the Historical Jesus"" was really like and how this figure relates both to the theological traditions of the church and to popular reworkings of the gospel stories through the centuries. Download Course Guide
15 credits
Level 2
First Term
This course will explore ancient Greek attitudes towards death and dying and explore the various ways in which it meant to be dead in Ancient Greece. This course will be interdisciplinary in approach, looking at: performative texts (ancient Greek plays and epics), visual culture (monuments, sacred sites), philosophy and science (Presocratic, Plato and Epicurus).
The course will take a firm thematic approach exploring: poetic death and the heroic, locales of the departed and cosmic death and the promise of revival.
15 credits
Level 2
First Term
This course will explore ancient Greek attitudes towards death and dying and explore the various ways in which it meant to be dead in Ancient Greece. This course will be interdisciplinary in approach, looking at: performative texts (ancient Greek plays and epics), visual culture (monuments, sacred sites), philosophy and science (Presocratic, Plato and Epicurus).
The course will take a firm thematic approach exploring: poetic death and the heroic, locales of the departed and cosmic death and the promise of revival.
15 credits
Level 2
First Term
This course discusses the issues involved in reconstructing the history and religions of ancient Israel and Judah. It provides an overview of the history and religions of Ancient Israel and Judah, as portrayed in the Hebrew Bible, as illustrated by archaeological findings, and as understood within their larger Ancient Near Eastern context. It further teaches the students how to evaluate critically these portrayals and, as a result, how to reach independent and informed interpretations of the Biblical text. Download Course Guide
15 credits
Level 2
First Term
This course will present the student with the discipline of homiletics and the challenge of communicating the Gospel in the contemporary world. We will begin by looking at the sermons and rhetorical delivery in Scripture and will continue by discussing the development of the sermon from the Church Fathers to the present day. The use of scripture, themes and the liturgical year will also be discussed. Download Course Guide
15 credits
Level 2
First Term
This course will engage students as active citizens through the viewing and discussion of films engaging contemporary moral issues. Feature length films, most often documentaries, will be screened during class session and will be followed by student-led classroom debates about the issues raised. Each session will end with a lecture on the topic raised by the film. Assessment will be by way of short student papers explaining how the debates have led students to change their views on the discussed topics. Download Course Guide
15 credits
Level 2
First Term
How did the Jesus movement turn into the church? At what point did the church decide Jesus was God? How can God be one and three? What is heresy and why did it matter? How did Christianity relate to surrounding philosophy? Did theology develop and change? What were the sources for Christian thought and doctrine? The course introduces students to these questions through the rich history of Christian thought by considering a number of representative theological thinkers, such as Origen, Athanasius, Augustine, Anselm, Aquinas, Luther and Calvin. Download Course Guide
15 credits
Level 2
First Term
We live in a world that our ancestors could scarcely have imagined, with the progress of science and technology opening to us the workings of the universe and new ways to live within it as human beings. Rapid technological advancements in computing, robotics, materials, genetics, biological engineering other technical fields hold immense promise for the augmentation and transformation of our humanity, but they pose deeply disorienting questions about just what it means—and what it will mean in the future—to be a human being at all. Can any of the ways of thinking about human being and significance that were held in the past be sustained today, or in the future? The intertwining of three themes of fundamental existential importance—God, sex and death—offer a path of inquiry into these questions and issues.
15 credits
Level 2
First Term
This course discusses the issues involved in reconstructing the history and religions of ancient Israel and Judah. It provides an overview of the history and religions of Ancient Israel and Judah, as portrayed in the Hebrew Bible, as illustrated by archaeological findings, and as understood within their larger Ancient Near Eastern context. It further teaches the students how to evaluate critically these portrayals and, as a result, how to reach independent and informed interpretations of the Biblical text. Download Course Guide
15 credits
Level 2
First Term
How did the Jesus movement turn into the church? At what point did the church decide Jesus was God? How can God be one and three? What is heresy and why did it matter? How did Christianity relate to surrounding philosophy? Did theology develop and change? What were the sources for Christian thought and doctrine? The course introduces students to these questions through the rich history of Christian thought by considering a number of representative theological thinkers, such as Origen, Athanasius, Augustine, Anselm, Aquinas, Luther and Calvin. Download Course Guide
15 credits
Level 2
First Term
This course explores the history of European and American engagement with Asian religions, examining modern representations of Hindu and Buddhist practice in the Western world. Download Course Guide
15 credits
Level 2
First Term
This course explores the history of European and American engagement with Asian religions, examining modern representations of Hindu and Buddhist practice in the Western world. Download Course Guide
15 credits
Level 2
First Term
How do we know right from wrong? What are our responsibilities towards others? How should we engage with social and political problems and issues? What constitutes a good life? This course provides an opportunity for students to explore the rich tradition of Western ethical reflection and moral formation. It does so by surveying the various ways in which ethics and morality have been understood and approached by major figures in the Western tradition.
15 credits
Level 2
First Term
How do we know right from wrong? What are our responsibilities towards others? How should we engage with social and political problems and issues? What constitutes a good life? This course provides an opportunity for students to explore the rich tradition of Western ethical reflection and moral formation. It does so by surveying the various ways in which ethics and morality have been understood and approached by major figures in the Western tradition.
15 credits
Level 2
Second Term
This course on sacramental theology is situated primarily in the area of Practical Theology. The model of the four voices of theology (normative, formal, operant and espoused), as developed by Helen Cameron and others, functions to structure the course around biblical, historical, and contemporary developments in sacramental theology. The students will critically evaluate contemporary views and practices of the sacraments in one particular denomination of their choice in light of this denomination’s historical and doctrinal teaching. Download Course Guide
15 credits
Level 2
Second Term
This module will examine the representations of Jesus that are found in the four canonical gospels as well as in a selection of non-canonical (apocryphal) gospels. By evaluating the evidence of witnesses and reading this against the social and cultural backdrop of first century Palestine, the module will consider the question of what "the Historical Jesus"" was really like and how this figure relates both to the theological traditions of the church and to popular reworkings of the gospel stories through the centuries. Download Course Guide
15 credits
Level 2
Second Term
DR2549 traces the history of Christianity from its establishment as the religion of the Roman Empire to the period just prior to its arrival in the Americas in late 15th century. Lectures and seminars examine some of the main strands of Christian theology, spirituality and institutional life in this period and also consider marginal groups such as Cathars and Waldensians, as well as mediaeval Christianity’s relationship with religions of pre-Christian Europe. The course provides useful historical and theological background for students interested in the Reformation period as well as in mediaeval art, literature and history.
15 credits
Level 2
Second Term
The Philosophy of Religion investigates fundamental and longstanding questions about the nature and rationality of religious beliefs and practices. Key topics include arguments for the existence of God, the concept and attributes of God, the nature of religious language, the problem of evil, the question of miracles, and the challenges of religious pluralism. In this course we will explore such questions through close attention to classic texts within the mainstream tradition of Philosophy of Religion. The course presumes no previous philosophical knowledge, only a keen interest in thinking patiently and critically about the subject matter. Download Course Guide
15 credits
Level 2
Second Term
We live in a world that our ancestors could scarcely have imagined, with the progress of science and technology opening to us the workings of the universe and new ways to live within it as human beings. Rapid technological advancements in computing, robotics, materials, genetics, biological engineering other technical fields hold immense promise for the augmentation and transformation of our humanity, but they pose deeply disorienting questions about just what it means—and what it will mean in the future—to be a human being at all. Download Course Guide
15 credits
Level 2
Second Term
This module will examine the representations of Jesus that are found in the four canonical gospels as well as in a selection of non-canonical (apocryphal) gospels. By evaluating the evidence of witnesses and reading this against the social and cultural backdrop of first century Palestine, the module will consider the question of what "the Historical Jesus"" was really like and how this figure relates both to the theological traditions of the church and to popular reworkings of the gospel stories through the centuries. Download Course Guide
15 credits
Level 2
Second Term
DR2586 traces the history of Christianity from its establishment as the religion of the Roman Empire to the period just prior to its arrival in the Americas in the late 15th century. Lectures and seminars examine some of the main strands of Christian theology, spirituality and institutional life in this period and also consider marginal groups such as Cathars and Waldensians, as well as mediaeval Christianity’s relationship with religions of pre-Christian Europe. The course provides useful historical and theological background students interested in the Reformation period as well as in mediaeval art, literature and history.
15 credits
Level 2
Second Term
This course will offer a systematic survey of varying definitions of mysticism, of the varieties of mysticism from ancient times to modern, of the philosophical issues raised by the subject, and of the differing approaches to the study from the fields of sociology, anthropology, psychology, and drugs.
15 credits
Level 3
First Term
STUDENTS SHOULD NOT ENROL ON THIS COURSE WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF THE UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMME COORDINATOR
This course allows a student to do in-depth study in a specific area in Divinity or Religious Studies. The specific content of the course may vary, but the focus will include work on enhancing research skills and the completion of an academic research paper.
Flexible Delivery; further information can be obtained through the Course Guide. This is coordinated by Dr Sam Newington.
15 credits
Level 3
First Term
This is a course in homiletics which engages students in critical reflection on the theory, practice, and theology of the art of effective and responsible preaching in the context of Christian ministry. Download Course Guide
30 credits
Level 3
First Term
30 credits
Level 3
First Term
An exploration of Christian theology and spirituality as it relates to medicine and health. An exploration of Biblical and theological perspectives on health healing in the Old and New Testaments. An examination of Christian healing today. Critical reflection on healing and disability Critical reflection on contemporary understandings of spirituality without God. Vocational issues around ministry, chaplaincy, medicine and psychiatry. Practical issues around mental health, dementia, cancer, death and dying and the relationship between spirituality and medicine. Download Course Guide
30 credits
Level 3
First Term
The courses involves study of a range of issues in the study of the literature and theology of the Hebrew Bible. Download Course Guide
30 credits
Level 3
First Term
STUDENTS SHOULD NOT ENROL ON THIS COURSE WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF THE UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMME COORDINATOR
This course allows a student to do in-depth study in a specific area in Divinity or Religious Studies. The specific content of the course may vary, but the focus will include work on enhancing research skills and the completion of a academic research paper. Students interested in pursuing such a course of study need to obtain the permission of a supervisor and of the Head of School.
15 credits
Level 3
Second Term
STUDENTS SHOULD NOT ENROL ON THIS COURSE WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF THE UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMME COORDINATOR
This course allows a student to do in-depth study in a specific area in Divinity or Religious Studies. The specific content of the course may vary, but the focus will include work on enhancing research skills and the completion of a academic research paper. Students interested in pursuing such a course of study need to obtain the permission of a supervisor and of the Head of School.
15 credits
Level 3
Second Term
This course on sacramental theology is situated primarily in the area of Practical Theology. The model of the four voices of theology (normative, formal, operant and espoused), as developed by Helen Cameron and others, functions to structure the course around biblical, historical, and contemporary developments in sacramental theology. The students will critically evaluate contemporary views and practices of the sacraments in one particular denomination of their choice in light of this denomination’s historical and doctrinal teaching. Download Course Guide
30 credits
Level 3
Second Term
This course will explore the ancient Greek, Roman and Near attitudes towards creation, cosmology and world view. Download Course Guide
30 credits
Level 3
Second Term
This course will explore the ancient Greek, Roman and Near attitudes towards creation, cosmology and world view. Download Course Guide
30 credits
Level 3
Second Term
Christian theology involves close reflection upon the substantive claims of the Christian faith, their interconnections and their historical development. This course invites students to detailed exploration of one or more major themes in Christian doctrine by engaging primary texts in the context of lively seminar discussion and debate. Download Course Guide
30 credits
Level 3
Second Term
The writings of the apostle Paul have exercised more influence over the development of Christian theology than almost any other writings, but much scholarship would question whether they have been interpreted correctly. Since the end of the Second World War, there have been significant developments in our understanding of the Judaism of Paul's day and of the socio-cultural realities of the wider Mediterranean world; these have led to the emergence of new readings of the apostle's theology and have demanded fresh accounts of Christian origins. Download Course Guide
30 credits
Level 3
Second Term
This explores the tension between the theological concepts of forgiveness, reconciliation, and justice. How does one, or should one, forgive those who have committed unjust and terrible crimes? To what extent must justice be retributive? This analysis of the difficult work of reconciliation gives particular attention to how the churches in Latin America and South Africa have wrestled with this issue in their own social and political contexts. Some attention will be given to the emotional and spiritual tensions that individuals face when confronted with the complexities involved in living through periods of conflict and reconciliation.
30 credits
Level 3
Second Term
STUDENTS SHOULD NOT ENROL ON THIS COURSE WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF THE UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMME COORDINATOR
This course allows a student to do in-depth study in a specific area in Divinity or Religious Studies. The specific content of the course may vary, but the focus will include work on enhancing research skills and the completion of a academic research paper. Students interested in pursuing such a course of study need to obtain the permission of a supervisor and of the Head of School.
30 credits
Level 3
First Term
A survey of eight leading theories of myth from the fields of anthropology, sociology, psychology, and religious studies. The focus will be on the differing answers the theories give to the common questions of the origin, the function, and the subject matter of myth. Each theory will be applied to a familiar myth.
30 credits
Level 3
Second Term
A survey of eight leading theories of myth from the fields of anthropology, sociology, psychology, and religious studies. The focus will be on the differing answers the theories give to the common questions of the origin, the function, and the subject matter of myth. Each theory will be applied to a familiar myth. Download course guide.
30 credits
Level 4
First Term
30 credits
Level 4
First Term
The course aims to explore the connection between spirituality, health and healing within the contemporary practice of health care. The course is multi-disciplinary (including Medicine and Nursing students). It examines issues of health and healing within various contexts, highlighting the benefits of a multi-disciplinary approach which incorporates the spiritual as well as the material aspects of human beings. Areas covered will include: the relationship between the ‘medical’ and the ‘spiritual’ within healing; the practice of Christian healing; psychiatry and religion; and alternative medicine. Download Course Guide
30 credits
Level 4
First Term
STUDENTS SHOULD NOT ENROL ON THIS COURSE WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF THE UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMME COORDINATOR
This course allows a student to do in-depth study in a specific area in Divinity or Religious Studies. The specific content of the course may vary, but the focus will include work on enhancing research skills and the completion of a academic research paper. Students interested in pursuing such a course of study need to obtain the permission of a supervisor and of the Head of School.
30 credits
Level 4
First Term
This course involves the writing of a dissertation in one of the sub-disciplines in Divinity and Religious Studies. Independent Research work is done under the supervision of a member of staff. The dissertation is an extended essay, of no more than 10,000 words inclusive of bibliography and references.
30 credits
Level 4
First Term
The courses involves study of a range of issues in the study of the literature and theology of the Hebrew Bible. Download Course Guide
30 credits
Level 4
First Term
A survey of eight leading theories of myth from the fields of anthropology, sociology, psychology, and religious studies. The focus will be on the differing answers the theories give to the questions of the origin, the function, and the subject matter of myth. Each theory will be applied to a familiar myth.
30 credits
Level 4
Second Term
This course will explore the ancient Greek, Roman and Near attitudes towards creation, cosmology and world view. Download Course Guide
30 credits
Level 4
Second Term
This course will explore the ancient Greek, Roman and Near attitudes towards creation, cosmology and world view. Download Course Guide
30 credits
Level 4
Second Term
Christian theology involves close reflection upon the substantive claims of the Christian faith, their interconnections and their historical development. This course invites students to detailed exploration of one or more major themes in Christian doctrine by engaging primary texts in the context of lively seminar discussion and debate. Download Course Guide
30 credits
Level 4
Second Term
The writings of the apostle Paul have exercised more influence over the development of Christian theology than almost any other writings, but much scholarship would question whether they have been interpreted correctly. Since the end of the Second World War, there have been significant developments in our understanding of the Judaism of Paul's day and of the socio-cultural realities of the wider Mediterranean world; these have led to the emergence of new readings of the apostle's theology and have demanded fresh accounts of Christian origins. Download Course Guide
30 credits
Level 4
Second Term
This explores the tension between the theological concepts of forgiveness, reconciliation, and justice. How does one, or should one, forgive those who have committed unjust and terrible crimes? To what extent must justice be retributive? This analysis of the difficult work of reconciliation gives particular attention to how the churches in Latin America and South Africa have wrestled with this issue in their own social and political contexts. Some attention will be given to the emotional and spiritual tensions that individuals face when confronted with the complexities involved in living through periods of conflict and reconciliation.
30 credits
Level 4
Second Term
STUDENTS SHOULD NOT ENROL ON THIS COURSE WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF THE UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMME COORDINATOR
This course allows a student to do in-depth study in a specific area in Divinity or Religious Studies. The specific content of the course may vary, but the focus will include work on enhancing research skills and the completion of a academic research paper. Students interested in pursuing such a course of study need to obtain the permission of a supervisor and of the Head of School.
30 credits
Level 4
Second Term
This course involves the writing of a dissertation in one of the sub-disciplines in Divinity and Religious Studies. Independent Research work is done under the supervision of a member of staff. The dissertation is an extended essay, of no more than 10,000 words inclusive of bibliography and references.
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