Master of Studies in Theology

Differences from 2014/15 to 2024/25

  • 1Candidates for the M.St. Allin candidatesTheology will beare required to follow a course of instruction and directed research for three terms and to present themselves for examination in one of the followingseven subjects:

    • I. Old Testament; New Testament; Ecclesiastical History (split into 6 subsections, see below); Christian Doctrine (split into 4 subsections, see below); Christian Ethics; Science and Religion; Biblical Interpretation.

    • 2II. CandidatesNew will be expected to attend such lectures and seminars as their supervisor shall recommend.Testament

    • 3III. TheChristian examinationDoctrine, shallspecialising consistin one of two fields:

      • History of Doctrine: Patristic Theology (ic. AD 100-787) a three-hour examination as prescribed in the regulations for each course;

      • Modern Theology (post-1789)

    • (ii)IV. twoEcclesiastical History, specialising in one of five historical periods:

      • AD 200-600

      • AD 400-1100

      • AD 1000-1500

      • AD 1400-1800

      • AD 1800-the present

    • V. Christian Ethics

    • VI. Science & Religion

    • VII. Biblical Interpretation

    The examination consists of three elements:

    • A Two essays of not more than 5,000 words oneach topicsto proposedbe submitted for examination by the candidate and accepted by the Theology and Religion Faculty Board (candidates should be very awareFriday of thisWeek word limit when proposing their titles; the most significant cause0 of rejectedTrinity essay titles is insufficient focus);Term.

    • (iii)B aA dissertation of not more than 15,000 words on a topic proposed by the candidate and accepted by the Theology and Religion Graduate Studies Committee. For candidates intending to proceed to doctoral study, the topic of the thesis should be such as to provide a foundation for future research.

  • The examiners may award a distinction for excellence in the whole examination.

  • 4. Proposals for titles of essays and dissertationsdissertation must be submitted tofor theexamination Theology and Religion Faculty by Monday of Week Nought of Hilary Term for consideration by the Theology and Religion Graduate Studies Committee. These will be considered by the committee in consultation with the examiners. Candidates are advised that some time may be required for communication with the Examiners to take place before permission is granted; permission will normally be granted by MondayFriday of Week 8 of HilaryTrinity Term.

    C AllA proposalswritten shouldexamination beor accompaniedtake-home bypaper as aspecified brief indication of how the subject will be treated and a brief account of the primary and secondary sources used. The titles and contents of essays and the dissertation should not substantially overlap withfor each other, though they may cover ground includedstream in the scopecourse ofhandbook. 

    The examinationswritten asexamination detailedtakes below,place and, in theTrinity case of Christian Doctrine and Ecclesiastical History, they may fall within the same sectionTerm.

5. Two copies of essays must be submitted not later than the Friday before the beginning of Trinity Term. Two copies of the dissertation must be submitted at the end of eighth week of Trinity Term.  All submitted work must be printeduploaded and sent in a parcel bearingto the wordsUniversity ‘Mapproved online assessment platform.St in Theology’ to The Chair of Examiners, c/o the Examination Schools, High Street, Oxford. The 3-hour examination will take place in the tenth or eleventh week of Trinity Term.

Each candidate willshould be requiredprepared to present himself or herselfthemselves for an oral (viva voce), which will take place within a few days of the written examination,. andThis may include discussion of both the written examination paperpapers and any pre-submitted work. CandidatesPlease mustrefer notto putthe theirPGT namesConventions for more information on theviva examinationvoce paperexaminations. 

Within orthis ongeneral anypattern, pre-submittedparticular work.requirements Thepertain dissertationto mustcertain besubjects, accompanied by the candidate’s signed statement that it is entirely his or her own work except where otherwiseas indicated below.

  • I. Old Testament

  • The examination shall consist of:

    • (i)I. OLD TESTAMENT

      A three-hourand paperB (essays and dissertation) as above.

      C (the written examination) is on prescribed Old Testament Texts in Hebrew.

      II. TheNEW TESTAMENT

      A and B (essays and dissertation) as above.

      C (the written examination) is on prescribed textsNew forTestament theTexts examinationin will be published on Weblearn before the end of Michaelmas TermGreek.

    • (ii) Two essays of not more than 5,000 words on topics approved by the Theology and Religion Graduate Studies Committee (see 4 above).

    • (iii) A dissertation of not more than 15,000 words on a topic approved by the Theology and Religion Graduate Studies Committee (see 4 above).

  • II. New Testament

  • The examination shall consist of:

    • (i) a three-hour paper on prescribed texts in Greek, which will be published in the Gazette by the Board of the Faculty of Theology and Religion before the end of Michaelmas Term.

    • (ii) Two essays of not more than 5,000 words on topics approved by the Theology and Religion Graduate Studies Committee (see 4 above).

    • (iii) A dissertation of not more than 15,000 words on a topic approved by the Theology and Religion Graduate Studies Committee (see 4 above).

  • III. EcclesiasticalCHRISTIAN HistoryDOCTRINE

  • The examination shall consist of:

    • (i) a three-hour general paper on the natureA and practiceB of ecclesiastical history. Candidates will be expected to show knowledge of a range of historiographical approaches to key questions in ecclesiastical history(essays and of the variety of approaches to historical method which have emerged as a result of the professionalisation of teaching and research in history and of the introduction of new methods into the writing of history.

    • (iidissertation) Two essays of not more than 5,000 words on topics approved by the Theology and Religion Graduate Studies Committee (see 4 above).

    • (iii) A dissertation of not more than 15,000 words on a topic approved by the Theology and Religion Graduate Studies Committee (see 4 above).: All work submittedmust by a candidate under (ii) and (iii) shall lie within one (and only one) of the following sections:

      • (a) The Early Church AD 200-476

      • (b) The Western Church AD 476-1050

      • (c) The Western Church AD 1050-1400

      • (d) English Church History AD 1066-1272

      • (e) European Christianity AD 1400-1800

      • (f) European Christianity AD 1800-2000

  • IV. Christian Doctrine

  • Work submitted on Christian doctrine shall liefall within one of the followingtwo sections:specialised fields listed above under Christian Doctrine.

    • C (athe written examination) takes particular forms for the different fields. In the History of Doctrine: Patristic Theology (c.100-787 AD)

    • (b) History of Doctrine: Scholastic Theology (c. 1050-1350 AD)

    • (c) History of Doctrine: Theology ofspecialisms, the Reformation period (c. 1500-1650 AD)

    • (d) Modern Theology (1780 – the present)

  • The examination shall consist of:

    • (i) a three-hour paper. For section (a), this will include passages for translation and comment from one or more prescribed texts in Greek or Latin. For section (b) it will includeincludes passages for translation and comment from prescribed texts: inGreek or Latin. Prescribed texts will be published on Weblearn.

      For section (c) it will consist of passages for translation and comment from prescribed texts in Latin,the German or Frenchcase of thePatristic Reformation period. The prescribed texts will be approved by the Graduate Studies Committee on the advice of course leaders and ratified by the Faculty Board before the end of Michaelmas Term in the year when the course commences, and will be published on Weblearn Theology. Essays will also be set, both on the prescribed texts and on general topics within the statedsame period. ForIn sectionthe (d)Modern Doctrine field, the examination will be on methodsMethods & Styles in Theology.

      IV. ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY

      A and stylesB in(essays theologyand dissertation): Students may choose to write one of their essays on a topic which falls outside their primary period of study, provided that they obtain the prior written permission of their supervisor and the course coordinator.

    • (ii)C TwoNature essaysand Practice of notEcclesiastical moreHistory: thansubmission of two take-home papers of 3,000 – 5,000 words oneach, topicsto approvedbe bycompleted over a two‐week period following the Theologyrelease of essay questions.

      V. CHRISTIAN ETHICS

      A and Religion Graduate Studies CommitteeB (seeessays 4 above).

    • (iii) Aand dissertation): The topic of notone essay must be one or more thanselect 15texts in Christian Ethics,000 wordswhich may include classic expressions of diverse Christian traditions, the works of major theologians, or texts on a topicchosen approvedethical bytheme; the Theologytopic andof Religionthe Graduateother Studiesessay Committeemust (see 4 above).

  • All work submitted bybe a candidatepractical shallissue—whether sexual, medical, economic, or political—in terms of Christian ethics; the topic of the dissertation must fall within theChristian same section. In proposing titles for essays and the dissertation, candidates in section (d) should explain in which pieces of work they will demonstrate competence in (a) exploring the encounter between theology and some non-theological discipline; (b) exploring a modern theological response to some theological reflection of the pastEthics.

  • V.C Christian(the Ethics

  • Thewritten examination) shall consist of:

    • (i) a three-hour paperis on Christian Moral Concepts and& Methodology: Contemporary and& Historical Discussions.

    • (ii) Two essays of not more than 5,000 words on topics approved by the Theology and Religion Graduate Studies Committee (see 4 above).

    • (iii) A dissertation of not more than 15,000 words on a topic approved by the Theology and Religion Graduate Studies Committee (see 4 above).

  • In proposing titles for essays and the dissertation, candidates should explain in which pieces of work they will demonstrate competence in (a) exploring an ethical question, substantive or conceptual, in relation to contemporary discussion; (b) the interpretation of a Biblical text of moral significance; (c) the discussion of a non-Biblical text of moral significance from some period of history prior to 1900.

  • VI. ScienceSCIENCE AND RELIGION

    A and Religion

  • TheB examination shall consist of:

    • (i) a three-hour paper on topics in Scienceessays and Religion.

    • (iidissertation) Two essays of not more than 5,000 words on topics approved by the Theology and Religion Graduate Studies Committee (see 4as above).

    • (iii) A dissertation of not more than 15,000 words on a topic approved by the Theology and Religion Graduate Studies Committee (see 4 above).

  • In proposing titles for essays and the dissertation, candidates should explain in which pieces of work they will demonstrate competence in (a) exploring a historical debate in which scientific and religious issues are involved; (b) exploring a philosophical debate with a bearing on the discussion of science and religion; (c) analysing a contemporary issue on the interface between science and religion.

  • C (the written examination) is on topics in Science and Religion.

    VII. BiblicalBIBLICAL InterpretationINTERPRETATION

  • A and B (essays and dissertation): All work must fall within one period in the history of biblical study. The period is selected by the student in consultation with his or her supervisor.

    TheC (the written examination) shall consist of:

    • (i) a three-hour paperis on the History and& Principles of Biblical Study with special reference to a selected period. The period willis bethe selectedsame byone as that on which the student inhas consultationworked withfor histhe oressays herand supervisor.dissertation; Wherewhere there is more than one studentcandidate in the examination, each will be able to answer on the period thatwhich he or she has selected.

    • (ii) Two essays of not more than 5,000 words on topics approved by the Theology and Religion Graduate Studies Committee (see 4 above).

    • (iii) A dissertation of not more than 15,000 words on a topic approved by the Theology and Religion Graduate Studies Committee (see 4 above). Pre-submitted work under (ii) and (iii) shall fall within the period covered by the examined paper (i)studied.