Christian Theology (Anglican Studies)

Entry requirements

The standard entry requirement is a BA (Honours) degree (UK 2:1 or equivalent, for example, a GPA of 3.7 on a 4.0 scale) in Theology, Religious Studies or a related discipline.

The two principal exceptions to this rule are as follows:

• Graduates of other disciplines who have studied at undergraduate or equivalent level in one or more of the areas in which they hope to work, through their first degrees, through training for the ministry of the churches, and so on
• Students from overseas universities who have successfully reached a point in their theological studies comparable with completion of a British BA at the standard noted above - for example, on the German model, passing the Zwischenprüfung or Kolloquium and two semesters at the Hauptseminar level.

The University will contact the referees named in your application directly. Please ensure that your referees are able to provide a reference in a timely fashion. If you are also applying for a Durham MA bursary, please ensure that your referees understand that their references will be used both for admission and for a very competitive funding process.

Months of entry

September

Course content

Our MA in Christian Theology (Anglican Studies) will enable you to explore fully the ethics, philosophy and history of Anglican theology and study how the consistent account of its doctrines has influenced the broader Christian landscape.

You will have the opportunity to study the Anglican tradition from historical and church perspectives in a department with well-established and hugely beneficial links to Durham Cathedral which, through the ages, has been the seat of a number of theologian bishops.

The course will consist of a core module that will look at classic texts in Christian theology as well as a dissertation and a range of optional modules, from liturgy and sacramentality through ecclesiology and ethnography to Paul and his Interpreters.

The status and reputation of the Department in the historic city of Durham offers unparalleled resources for study enabling you to fulfil your aim to learn more and think more about theology and religion.

Course structure

Core modules:

Classic Texts in Christian Theology provides a detailed introduction to significant texts from the history of Christian theology enabling you to develop your understanding of the nature, goal and tasks of such a body of thinking. It also supports the growth and development of your knowledge of the research methods and approaches to the subject.

The Dissertation consists of a 12,000-15,000-word written project through which you will develop a thorough comprehension of a particular subject and build your skills in researching, analysing and bringing together various texts, data, ideas and arguments related to its theological and religious elements.

Examples of optional modules:

• Liturgy and Sacramentality
• Anglican Theology in Context
• Ecclesiology and Ethnography
• England’s Religious Revolution 1640-62
• Christianity in the Second Century
• Faith and Reason
• Theology, Nature and Environment
• Conceiving Change in Contemporary Catholicism
• Paul and His Interpreters
• Principles of Theological Ethics
• Christian Gender
• Gospels and Canon
• Doctrine of Creation
• The Thought of Thomas Aquinas in Context
• Christian Fundamentalism and the Modern World
• Biblical language studies, including a choice of Aramaic, Greek and Hebrew

Information for international students

If you are an international student who does not meet the requirements for direct entry to this degree, you may be eligible to take a pre-Masters pathway programme at the Durham University International Study Centre.

Fees and funding

For further information see the course listing.