Doctor's degree Theology - Fordham University

Doctor's degree Theology from Fordham University is a Campus Ph.D Religious Studies degree that prepares you for a Liberal Arts career. The Department of Theology at Fordham University offers a Ph.D. in the following four Fields of Study: 1. Biblical Studies 2. Christianity in Antiquity 3. Historical Theology/History of Christianity 4. Systematic Theology The Nature of the Degree The doctoral degree is the sign of accredited membership in the scholarly community of the theological academy. Its attainment represents the judgment of the faculty, as representatives of that academy, that the recipient is qualified to perform the essential functions and duties of a professional theologian. As a university degree, the doctorate of philosophy signifies orientation to the ideals of the university as a community of learning. Not all graduates will eventually function in a university setting; but all are formed by a university environment, and are expected to be committed to what the university stands for: not for simply passing on a body of knowledge, but the advance of learning through personal and communal enterprises. A doctor, as the word's Latin root indicates, is first of all a teacher. Of course, no amount of education guarantees the ability to fulfill Dewey's admonition to ?teach the student, not the subject.? A successful teacher at any level must be much more than the possessor of a graduate degree . The doctorate should indicate, however, that a person is competent, from the point of view of knowledge and scholarship, to be a professor: not merely a communicator of knowledge, but a guide for others, including both undergraduate and graduate students. This means not only that one has sufficient mastery of essential information, questions, and perspectives in the field, but also that one knows how the advance of knowledge takes place: that is, that one is proficient in the methods of theological inquiry. It also implies that one has sufficient general education and mastery of the skills of communication (especially writing) to be able to advance others' education through dialogue and evaluation. The doctorate also implies a commitment to the advancement of learning through scholarship. University professors are expected to conduct research, present their findings in academic fora and publish their results. Publication is the means of sharing the results of one's labors, submitting them to peer evaluation and criticism, and promoting scholarly progress. The doctorate thus implies not only a broad knowledge of the field and its methods, but also a degree of specialization that allows one to make a particular contribution. While not all teachers of theology will be under the imperative to ?publish or perish,? the requirement of a written dissertation for the doctoral degree signifies the ability to engage in this dimension of scholarly life. Scholars are also expected to contribute to the life of the field in other ways: for example, by service to the institutions that preserve and communicate knowledge. This service will take many different forms: participation in conferences and dialogues, administration of schools and departments, organization of programs, working on committees, etc. All of these should not be merely unfortunate duties that come along with an academic appointment (although in honesty it must be said that they often become exactly this), but should ideally be a part of the larger collaboration in scholarship that typifies those who have responsibility not only for their own work, but for the profession itself. The PhD program should be looked at in the light of the nature of the degree. It presents a series of steps that are intended not as extrinsic requirements ?a sort of ?dues? that must be paid for a union card?but as a progressive engagement in the life functions of a theological scholar. At this stage, the student is invited increasingly to take charge of his/her education: to determine the direction of study, to begin to specialize in the field, to dialogue with and demonstrate his/her competence to representatives of the academy. Doctoral study is designed for the preparation of scholars: not simply competent teachers of theology , but ones who can also communicate with and make a contribution to the community of theologians. Hence the program aims not only at the attainment of deeper and more extensive knowledge within one of the department's ?Fields of Study? (i.e. Biblical Studies , Christianity in Antiquity, Historical Theology/History of Christianity, and Systematic Theology), but also at the formation of the habitus of a scholar who can ask independent questions, research unexplored areas, suggest novel syntheses, and make new connections. As a doctoral student, the student is a new member of the department, collaborating with faculty in the theological enterprise while laying the foundations for a particular contribution. View more details on Fordham University . Ask your questions and apply online for this program or find other related Religious Studies courses.