The UniBenedictine Master of Theology degree enables students to explore the languages, literature, institutions, practices, and structures of many theological fields and religious traditions.

    Upon graduation, the candidate for a master’s degree in theological studies should be able to:

    • Articulate a focused area of ​​interest and understand the key materials, issues, and studies within that area.
    • Understand some of the main theories and methods in the academic study of religion.
    • Reflect critically on the social, historical and/or contemporary contexts of religion.
    • Articulate their own views, understand views they disagree with, and engage in dialogue.
    • Communicate ideas from the study of religion in a manner accessible to the public.
    • Carry out research using methods appropriate to at least one subfield within the academic study of religion, or apply the fruits of the research to a particular problem.

    African and African American Religious Studies courses in this area explore various dimensions of the religious experiences and expressions of African and African American peoples, including the African Diaspora. Focusing on interdisciplinary perspectives (historical, sociological, phenomenological, literary, and theological analysis), the courses also examine the interaction of the lived religious traditions of Black peoples in local and global contexts.

    Buddhist studies courses in this area foster an understanding of Buddhists and the lifeworlds they have created, historically throughout Asia, as well as in contemporary settings around the world.

    Comparative studies courses in this area include the comparative study of religion and anthropology, comparative theology, and comparative ethics. They involve the disciplined study of the complex relationships between themes and concepts, as well as the study of texts, practices, and images, in two or more religious traditions.

    East Asian religions

    Courses in this area cover the diversity of East Asian religions, primarily Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, Shinto, and Christianity, from a variety of methodological perspectives: historical, philosophical, literary, and anthropological.

    Hebrew Bible/Old Testament

    Courses in this area introduce students to the writings that make up the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, with attention to its setting in the ancient Near East, its literary features, and its significance for contemporary communities of faith and ethics. commitment. The courses are designed to serve both students with no background in Biblical languages ​​as well as those who have studied Hebrew, Greek, and/or other ancient Bible-related languages ​​and who seek to continue building their linguistic foundation for further study.

    Hindu studies courses in this area foster understanding of Hindu thought and practice both in India and throughout the global Hindu diaspora. Students in this area are encouraged to explore Hindu texts, ideas, values, and practices from a wide variety of disciplinary perspectives: history, theology, philosophy, literature, and anthropology. Students are also encouraged to undertake the study of Sanskrit and other relevant languages.

    History of christianity

    Courses in this area study Christianity in its evolving institutional, theological, devotional, social, cultural, and intellectual expressions from the first century to the present. In addition, the area offers courses in historical method, historiography, and interpretive issues in secondary literature.

    Islamic studies courses in this area study different dimensions of the long and varied history and contemporary reality of the Islamic tradition. Islamic art, law, politics and theology, Islamic mysticism, Islamic gender constructions, pre-modern Islamic culture, and other themes are explored within the Arabic, Persian, and Turkic-speaking societies of the Muslim-majority world, South , Central and Southeast Asia, Africa, and/or the modern Western world.

    Jewish studies courses in this area explore the Jewish tradition as it has developed over the millennia. In historical terms, it comprises five broad periods: Biblical, Second Temple, Rabbinic, Medieval, and Modern. Methodologically, it draws on a number of diverse but interrelated approaches: literary, historical, theological, philosophical, and sociological. The most relevant language for Jewish studies is Hebrew, although for work in some areas others, such as Aramaic or Yiddish, may also be essential.

    New Testament and Early Christianity courses in this area focus on the interdisciplinary study of Christian literature (canonical and extracanonical), history, exegesis, and theology in the context of the ancient Mediterranean world, with particular emphasis on hermeneutics, feminist interpretation and material culture. .

    Philosophy of religion

    Courses in this area are devoted to the philosophical interpretation and evaluation of religion, religious belief, and religious practice.

    Religion and social science courses in this area attempt to explain and account for the connections between religious phenomena and various aspects of society, including the organization of cultural, political, economic, and reproductive life.

    Religion, ethics and politics

    Courses in this area focus on a variety of normative issues that arise within political cultures. This area encourages students to understand the many social, cultural, and political contexts in which human agents are formed and act.

    Religion, literature, and culture courses in this area provide students with the historical and critical methods necessary to analyze literary texts from a variety of genres (poetry, biography), religious traditions (Buddhism, Christianity), and cultural perspectives (Latin America, South America). Asia).

    Religions of the Americas

    Courses in this area explore the diverse religious traditions and expressions of the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, and Latin America. Historical, ethnographic, and comparative approaches apply to immigrant, indigenous, diaspora, and new religions.

    Religious traditions of South Asia

    Courses in this area cover the diversity of South Asian religious traditions, primarily Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity, from a variety of methodological perspectives, including: historical, philosophical, theological, literary, and anthropological.

    Theology courses in this area focus on all modes of self-understanding of the Christian tradition of its faith and practice in historical, contemporary, and comparative contexts.

    Women, Gender, Sexuality and Religion

    Courses in this area use gender and/or sexuality as categories of analysis across the disciplines of religious and theological studies.

    Curriculum

    • First year (2 semesters)
    • Hebrew
    • Greek
    • Exegetical methodology (Investigative practice I)
    • Seminar
    • Exegesis I (Elective)
    • Exegesis II (Elective)
    • Exegesis III (Elective) (Investigative practice II)
    • Exegesis IV (Elective) (Investigative practice II)
    • Geography, History and Archeology
    • Project – Thesis (Tutorial I)
    • Second year (2 semesters)
    • Tutoring II 3
    • Exegesis V (Old Testament)
    • Latin American Biblical Theology I
    • Latin American Biblical Hermeneutics I
    • Exegesis VI (New Testament)
    • Latin American Biblical Theology II
    • Latin American Biblical Hermeneutics II
    • Monograph and support