Doctor of Philosophy in Theology - Integrative Studies in Ethics and Theology

The PhD in Integrative Studies in Ethics and Theology (ISET) represents an effort to rethink the riches of the Christian theological tradition to meet the intellectual, societal, and ethical challenges that confront humanity in the 21st century. In their studies and research, students give particular attention to the ways in which Christian theology and ethics interrelate and mutually inform one another.The first integrative element of the program is the ISET doctoral seminar, which all ISET students (those in both focus areas) take twice, in the Spring of each year of coursework. This course is organized around a theme and attends to key thinkers in their fullness and complexity, including specific attention to interconnections between ethics and theology in the structure of their thought. Recent themes have included, for example, Tragedy and Ambiguity; Theological Anthropology and Consumer Society; and Responsibility. The course also has an integrative nature by virtue of the different disciplinary foci of the students. This builds a community of conversation among our ISET students and makes for rich discussion, with students bringing varied questions and insights to the course readings.

Applicants to the Department of Theology’s MA and PhD degree programs generally have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0.A completed application formOfficial transcripts of all undergraduate and any graduate workThree letters of recommendation regarding scholarly potentialA statement of purpose describing academic and research interests, as well as professional goals. Please indicate the departmental area of specialization to which you are applying on your statement of purpose. PhD applicants may choose among the following: Integrative Studies in Ethics and Theology (ISET) or New Testament and Early Christianity (NTEC). Applicants to ISET should designate their anticipated area of specialization—Ethics or Theology. MA applicants may choose among the following: Biblical Studies; Biblical Languages and Literature; Christian Ethics; or Theological Studies.A writing sample‌Either a TOEFL or IELTS score report is required for international applicants whose native language is not English. For the TOEFL, a score of at least 250 on the computer-based test or 600 on the written test is required. The minimum score for the new TOEFL iBT (Internet-based test) is 100. For the IELTS, a minimum score of 7 is required.