MA in Systematic and Philosophical Theology by Distance Learning

This module introduces the skills and resources students will need for academic research, writing and oral presentation at postgraduate level, and introduces students to methodological and theoretical issues which arise in many areas of theology and religious history. Topics to be covered may include IT skills, library resources, use of the web, the development of arguments, academic style and sensitivity to language, formatting and referencing, presentation skills, and the relationship between academic research and religious commitment.

This module is particularly intended for students who are entering the programme from disciplines other than theology and/ or philosophy. It may be a requirement of your admission that you take this module. Systematic and Philosophical Theology for Newcomers will introduce students to the language and method of systematic theology and philosophical theology through a study of key themes and texts. These will include portions of Plato’s ‘Republic’, Aristotle’s ‘Metaphysics’, St. Thomas Aquinas on theological language, John Calvin on the sacrament of the Eucharist, Karl Barth on revelation and the Trinity, and Hans Urs von Balthasar on the paschal mystery.

This module concerns the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas (c.1225-1274) and the associated theological and philosophical school known as Thomism. Through a close reading of a range of primary texts, we will examine some key themes in Aquinas's work including the relationship between theology and philosophy, the doctrine of creation, Christology and the sacraments. This will lead to an examination of the most significant moments in the history of the interpretation of Aquinas, from Suárez (1548-1617) to the present day.

‘The New Theology’ is a pejorative term coined by the French Dominican theologian Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange (1877-1964) to describe a new wave of twentieth century Catholic theology which offered a fresh interpretation of Aquinas and called for a return to the Church’s patristic and high mediaeval resources. This movement, which was a reaction against nineteenth century neoscholasticism, is also known as ‘ ressourcement ’ theology – a theology which looks to the depths of the Church’s traditional theological resources to meet the intellectual and cultural challenges of late modernity.

This module seeks to develop core skills in historical and systematic theology with reference to a particular topic: namely, Christian doctrine and devotion concerning the Virgin Mary. The module will study the historical development of the Marian cult in Eastern and Western Christian traditions, with emphasis on its spiritual, doctrinal, and liturgical importance. It will show how Christian interest in the Virgin Mary increased in the course of the first five centuries of the Church, especially with regard to three main aspects: her central role in the incarnation of Christ, her status as a model of virginal asceticism, and her capacity to act as protector or intercessor for Christians.

Richard Hooker (1554-1600) is the great theologian of English Anglicanism. This module considers how he has helped shape the development of the Church of England’s self-understanding over the centuries. Particular attention will be paid to Hooker’s own writing – not simply the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Polity – but also his sermons, and to the many and varied ways in which these have been interpreted. The module will conclude by offering a reading of the ways in which Hooker’s work speaks directly to modern theology.

The module will be a close reading of four or six of the earliest Christian documents of various lengths in their entirety. The concerns of each text will be given priority rather than viewing them as sources for other thematic concerns. This will lead to an examination of how these documents bring before us the history of the earliest churches, and exhibit both their theological concerns and styles of theology. There will be close attention throughout the module to how these texts have been used in theology in the past and how they can be used in theological understanding today .

The background to modern (i.e. nineteenth and twentieth century) theology is dominated by German idealism and its detractors. Key figures are Kant and Hegel, while Kierkegaard offered a radical critique of Hegelianism. This module will introduce students to the thought of these great eighteenth and nineteenth century philosophers in order better to understand modern theology, particularly German protestant thought in the 20th century (Barth, Moltmann, Pannenberg).

This would be your final module prior to commencing the dissertation. All the Department’s specialists in systematic and philosophical theology (Simon Oliver, John Milbank, Karen Kilby, Philip Goodchild, Tom O’Loughlin and Conor Cunningham) contribute to the module. It is a ‘capstone’ module which draws together the key themes of the programme, particularly the relation between theology and philosophy.