Bachelor of Arts in Theology

Course Description

The Bachelor of Arts in Theology is an undergraduate degree in Theology offered by the University of Oxford. It provides a solid foundation in Christian Theology, and enables students to specialise in Biblical Studies, History and Doctrine, or Study of Religion/Non-Christian Religions. The course it taught by lectures and tutorials.

Those taking the degree in three years sit the Preliminary examination after the second term, and are examined in three subjects. Those taking the BA in Theology as a second undergraduate degree (including three-year ordinands who have at least a 2.1 in their first degree) may apply to take the degree in two years as Senior Status students. All students take the Final Honour School of Theology, for which they must attend courses and be assessed in eight subjects.

Ordinands taking ‘Schools’ will pursue a more vocational course in their third year: normally either the Diploma in Ministry for Theology Graduates or the Certificate for Theology Graduates.

Entrance Requirements

For three-year students, the entrance requirements are those of the Theology Faculty for the BA: currently three A grades at A level (or equivalent).

Those applying to take the BA in Theology as a second Bachelor’s degree must have obtained at least an upper second (or equivalent) in their first degree.

Teaching Methods

Teaching and learning take place through a combination of lectures (some of which are designated as ‘core lectures’) and tutorials in the House and the wider University. On average, students can expect half their papers to be taught by tutors in the House, and half by tutors in other colleges.

For most papers students write 6-8 essays (of c. 3,000 words each) for tutorial discussion with a specialist tutor. Certain papers are taught by Faculty class rather than tutorial.

Assessment

For Prelims, all papers are externally assessed by three-hour examinations in the Hilary Term of the first year. For the Final Honour School, all papers are externally assessed by three-hour examinations in the Trinity Term of the final year of the degree, unless an external essay is being offered either in place of or in addition to, one of the papers.

Final classifications are awarded according to usual university grading - firsts, upper seconds, lower seconds, thirds (and fail).

Languages

All BA students are required to be assessed in a biblical language at some stage during their course.

Course Structure

Preliminary Examination (taken by general students taking the degree in 3 years):

At least three of the following:

The Christian Doctrine of Creation
The Study of Old Testament set texts
The Study of a New Testament set text
The History of the Church from Nero to Constantine
Introduction to Study of Religions
Introduction to Philosophy
New Testament Greek
Biblical Hebrew
Classical Arabic
Pali

Single School candidates must offer at least one of papers 7, 8, 9 and 10. At St Stephen's House, students also normally take paper 3.

Final Honour School (taken as the final two years of a three year degree or as the whole of a two year degree)

TRACK I

Paper 1 (God and Israel in the Old Testament)
Paper 2 (The Gospels and Jesus)
Paper 3 (Pauline Literature)
Paper 4 (Development of Doctrine in the Early Church to AD 451)
Paper 5 (God, Christ and Salvation)
Another Biblical paper chosen from Papers 22-26 or 29
One further paper (for ordinands this must normally be a Church History paper chosen from Papers 7, 8 or 9)
One further paper

TRACK II

Paper 1 (God and Israel in the Old Testament)
Paper 2 (The Gospels and Jesus)
Paper 4 (Development of Doctrine in the Early Church to AD 451)
Paper 5 (God, Christ and Salvation)
One paper chosen from Papers 7 (Western Christianity 1050-1350), 8 (Western Christianity 1500-1619) or 9 (Christian Life and Thought in Europe etc./Issues in Theology 1789-1921)
Paper 10 (Further Studies in History and Doctrine: ‘Special Theologian’)
One further paper
One further paper (for ordinands this must normally be Paper 3 [Pauline Literature])

TRACK III (Track III is not offered to SSH ordinands)

Paper 1 (God and Israel in the Old Testament)
Paper 2 (The Gospels and Jesus)
Paper 4 (Development of Doctrine in the Early Church to AD 451)
Paper 5 (God, Christ and Salvation)
Paper 13 (The Nature of Religion)
Two papers on EITHER Judaism (Papers 14 and 15) OR Islam (papers 16 and 17) OR Buddhism (Papers 18 and 19) OR Hinduism (Papers 20 and 21)
One further paper

An extended essay (of c. 10,000 words) may be offered either in place of choice viii in each track, or in addition to the eight papers (for ordinands taking Track II, this will be in addition to the eight papers).

Reading List (Three Year Students):

Books to Buy (for first year of course):

New Revised Standard Version of the Bible (Anglicised version; preferably with the Apocrypha/ Deuterocanonical books)
M Hooker, St Mark (Black’s NT Commentaries; A & Black, London 1991)
Either Weingreen or Duff depending on whether you intend to study Hebrew or Greek:
J Duff, Wenham’s Elements of New Testament Greek (CUP 2005)
J Weingreen, Practical Grammar of Classical Hebrew (2nd ed., OUP 1959)
Those taking Hebrew will also need:
Biblia Hebraïca Stuttgartensia (Stuttgart 1977)
Greek New Testaments are normally provided free by the Bible Society.

Other Suggested Introductory Reading:

D Brown, Introduction to Theology (Blackwells, Oxford 1989)
or D Ford, Theology: A Very Short Introduction (OUP, Oxford 1999)

Reading List (Ordinands and Second BAs):