5 Christian Studies PhD Degree Programs in Europe

The purpose of doctoral studies in the field of Biblical Theology is for students to cultivate, in the usual way for advanced studies, their ability to think theologically and to deepen their knowledge in the relevant biblical theology disciplines on an expert level. The field covers all aspects of the specialist study of the Bible, such as theological, literary, and historical factors. Studies focus on either the Old Testament or the New Testament field. They include the examination of biblical texts in their relevance for religious and cultural traditions. Depending on the specific dissertation project, studies may deal with textual, linguistic, literary, literary-historical, historiographical, religious, or cultural issues. Normally, they must also raise questions about the theological profile or overall testimony of Scripture in relation to relevant theological questions, and also deal with issues of understanding, communication, and interpretation. The working field of biblical studies also includes the related specialist disciplines – for example, the philology of the ancient and classical languages, the literature of the ancient Near East and the principal cultures of Antiquity, the phenomenology of religions and the study of the religions of antiquity, the archaeology and historiography of the relevant regions – and also a reflection on methodologies in the biblical field, hermeneutical issues, and the history of biblical research and its current trends. Studies are linked to an appropriate degree with other theological fields, and, like other branches of theology, have an interdisciplinary dimension.

Goldsmiths is an exciting space for postgraduates, with numerous international speakers passing through, a huge range of interdisciplinary seminars and reading groups and a very open and warm environment for the exchange of ideas.

Specialisms include Church History, Wesley Studies/Wesleyan Tradition, Christian Theology, Old Testament Studies/Second Temple/Inter-Testamental Studies, New Testament Studies, and Biblical Theology, Practical Theology, Missiology.

The third cycle is a specialized research track mainly targeted to those who wish to teach and do university research.

The Doctoral Program in Spiritual Theology, with a minimum duration of two years, offers the student the possibility of writing a dissertation on a specific area of Spiritual Theology under the guidance of one of the professors of the Department. This program also prepares the students for teaching at the University level.