MLitt in The Study of Judaism and Christianity

The MLitt in The Study of Judaism and Christianity offers a unique opportunity to gain comparative and cross-cultural perspectives on these two religious traditions through a joint qualification from the University of St Andrews (MLitt in the Study of Judaism and Christianity) and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel (MA in Comparative Religion with a specialization in the Study of Judaism and Christianity).

Course details

The MLitt in the Study of Judaism and Christianity is a two-year taught programme run jointly by the School of Divinity at St Andrews and the Department of Comparative Religion at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

The programme will allow you to explore both the breadth and depth of the Jewish and Christian religious traditions, encompassing languages, history, theology, and philosophy.

You will spend your first year in Israel and your second year in Scotland. Learn more about being an international student at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Highlights

• As members of two world-class universities in very different settings, you will immerse yourself in two unique and rich cultural, linguistic, and religious environments
• The programme will introduce the comparative study of Judaism and Christianity and allow you to develop your expertise through modules that cross a wide range of sub-disciplines
• Language courses will equip you with the skills to study Jewish and Christian literature in the original languages, both ancient and modern (e.g. biblical and modern Hebrew, Koine Greek, Aramaic, Latin, German)
• The programme is taught by a group of internationally renowned experts in all major areas of the study of Judaism and Christianity from ancient Israel to the 21st century
• The combination of rigorous intellectual training with extensive cross-cultural experience will prepare you to go on to PhD research or to enter a range of top-level graduate careers.

The modules published below are examples of what has been taught in previous academic years and may be subject to change before you start your program.

Jerusalem - Compulsory

• Issues in the Comparative Study of Judaism and Christianity
• Topics in the Relations between Judaism and Christianity

Jerusalem - Optional

Students take three or four optional modules. These optional modules are subject to change each year and are taken primarily from the Faculty of Humanities offerings in Bible, Comparative Religion, and Jewish Studies. Recent modules have included:

• Selected Topics in Biblical Law
• Selected Topics in Biblical Prophecy
• Law in the New Testament
• New Testament as a Witness for Broader Second Temple Judaism
• Approaching Classical Jewish Texts from Medieval to Modern Times
• Reading Medieval Jewish Exegesis
• Monarchy in Classical Jewish Thought
• Kabbalah and German Idealism
• German-Jewish Thought and Culture
• The Legacy of German-Jewish Modernism
• Hannah Arendt and Rahel Varnhagen
• Ethics and Jewish Education in the Thought of Emmanuel Levinas
• Dangerous Liaisons: The Vatican and the Jews after WWII
• Ineffability

St Andrews - Optional

Students take three or four optional modules. These optional modules are subject to change each year and are taken primarily from the School of Divinity’s offerings in biblical studies and systematic and historical theology. Modules offered in recent years have included:

• Hebrew Readings
• Hellenistic Greek Readings
• Biblical Themes
• King and Messiah in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and Second Temple Judaism
• Epistle to the Hebrews
• The Book of Revelation
• From Nazareth to Nicaea: The origins of Christian theology
• Theological Anthropology
• The Doctrine of the Trinity
• Christology
• A Selected Patristic Theologian: Gregory Nazianzen
• A Selected Reformation Theologian
• A Selected Medieval Theologian: Thomas Aquinas
• A Selected Modern Theologian: Henri de Lubac

Students may also take eligible modules from Divinity and other Schools with the approval of the program director.

Dissertation

Student dissertations are supervised by members of the teaching staff who advise on the choice of subject and provide guidance throughout the research process. Both St Andrews and Hebrew University staff will be involved in the dissertation module.

Students begin their dissertations at the start of Semester 2 but will have time for particular focus during the three months in summer. The completed dissertation of 15,000 words must be submitted by a date specified in August.

If students choose not to complete the dissertation requirement for the MLitt, there are exit awards available that allow suitably qualified candidates to receive a Postgraduate Diploma. By choosing an exit award, you will finish your degree at the end of the second semester of study and receive a PGDip instead of an MLitt.

Teaching

Teaching format

Teaching methods include:

• Lectures
• One-to-one discussions
• Seminars
• Class presentations.

Class sizes in the School of Divinity at St Andrews typically range from 6 to 12 students.

Language teaching

Students are required to show an intermediate proficiency in at least one ancient or modern language other than English by the end of the programme and are expected to build language study into their programme accordingly in both Jerusalem and St Andrews. Teaching is available in biblical and modern Hebrew, Koine Greek, classical Latin, classical and modern Arabic, German, French, and Italian.

Assessment

Assessment will include seminar presentations, extended essays and end-of-semester written examinations.

Students in our master's programs are provided with the skills they need to succeed in an international job market, both academic and non-academic.

Regular workshops, both general and subject-specific, in areas such as publishing, conference presentations, and job searches are offered by the School of Divinity and the University.

Further study

Many Divinity graduates continue their education by enrolling in PhD programs at St Andrews or elsewhere in the UK and abroad.