Master of Philosophy in Philosophical Theology

Differences from 2014/15 to 2021/22

(See also the general notice at the commencement of these regulations.)

The regulations made by the BoardBoards of the Faculty of Theology and Religion and the Faculty of Philosophy are as follows:

Candidates will be admitted to take the examination as defined below in a specific year. In exceptional circumstances candidates may be allowed to take an examination later than one to which they were admitted. Permission for this must be sought from the faculty board not later than Monday of the week before the first week of the Trinity Term in which the examination was to have been taken. The application must have the support of the candidate's college and be accompanied by a statement from the supervisor.

Candidates shall be required:

  • (a ) To present themselves for a written examination in three of the papers prescribed below, the selection to depend on their previous qualifications;

  • (b) to present a thesis1 dissertation of not more than 30,000 words on a topic in philosophical theology to be approved by the facultyJoint boardStanding (theCommittee thesisfor Graduate Studies in Philosophical Theology.  The completed dissertation must be accompanieduploaded to the University approved online assessment platform by aFriday signedof statementWeek by8 of Trinity Term. Each submission will require the candidate to make a declaration indicating that the thesisthis is his or hertheir own work except where otherwise indicated; successful candidates may be required to deposit one copy of the thesis in the Bodleian and to sign a form stating whether they give permission for the thesis to be consulted);

  • (c) to present themselves for a viva voce examination unless individually dispensed by the examiners (no candidate will be failed without a viva).

    • 1. Philosophy of Religion

      withThe syllabusexamination will contain questions on arguments for examinationand against the sameexistence asof thatGod, forproblems essaysrelated forto various supposed divine attributes and perhaps problems of religious language, on other standard issues in the B.Phil.philosophy inof Philosophyreligion, and on some Christian doctrines.

    • 2. Either Moral Philosophy

      or Metaphysics and Theory of Knowledge

      or Philosophical Logic and Philosophy of Language

      or Philosophy of Science

      or Philosophy of Mind and of Action

      with syllabus for examination the same as that for essays for the B.Phil. in Philosophy.

    • 3. History of Philosophical Theology

      The paper will contain questions on philosophical influences on theology during the patristic period, the early medieval period, and the period 1760-1860. Candidates are required to show knowledge of two of the three periods, and, within each of those two periods, of some of the principal relevant writings, viz. for the patristic period of works of Origen and Augustine, for the early medieval period of works of Anselm and Aquinas, and for the period 1760-1860 of works of Kant, Kierkegaard, and Schleiermacher. Study of texts in the original languages will not be required.

    • 4. Either The Development of Christian Doctrine to ad 787 or Theology in Western Europe from Gabriel Biel to Jacob Arminius

      asCandidates specifiedwill forbe theexpected M.Phil.to inwrite Theologyessays (paperon 1different oftopics, Sectionshowing A and paper 1 of Section Cknowledge of the main lines of development of Christian Doctrine option)or Theology in Western Europe from Gabriel Biel to Arminius, and discussing particular developments in relation to the historical conditions which influenced them.

The Examiners may award a Distinction for excellence in the whole examination.

If it is the opinion of the examiners that the work done by a candidate is not of sufficient merit to qualify him or her for the Degree of M.Phil. but is nevertheless of sufficient merit to qualify him or her for the Degree of Master of Studies in Philosophical Theology, the candidate shall be given the option of resitting the M.Phil. examination under the appropriate regulation, or of being granted permission to supplicate for the Degree of Master of Studies.