Seeking Graduate Programs Focused on Philosophy within Christian Theology

[August Caleb]

Hello Puritans. As I prepare for my graduate studies, my academic curiosity is deeply rooted in the philosophical study within the context of Christian theology, with a particular emphasis on Continental philosophy.

I would like to know what are the recommended programs in this field that offer a depth of research comparable to the standards of prestigious institutions such as KU Leuven, although I do not like the KU Leuven program for its Catholic background and I would prefer one of Protestant background.

But my undergraduate background is not in philosophy, so it seems that my choice is limited.

At the same time, I have some concerns about the job prospects for this type of program. I hope I won't be unemployed after my PhD, because there are no pure theology-related employment opportunities in China due to religious control. I was hoping to find employment in Europe or America.

May the God of peace with you all!

 

[Ulster Fry]

Hello Puritans. As I prepare for my graduate studies, my academic curiosity is deeply rooted in the philosophical study within the context of Christian theology, with a particular emphasis on Continental philosophy.

I would like to know what are the recommended programs in this field that offer a depth of research comparable to the standards of prestigious institutions such as KU Leuven, although I do not like the KU Leuven program for its Catholic background and I would prefer one of Protestant background.

But my undergraduate background is not in philosophy, so it seems that my choice is limited.

At the same time, I have some concerns about the job prospects for this type of program. I hope I won't be unemployed after my PhD, because there are no pure theology-related employment opportunities in China due to religious control. I was hoping to find employment in Europe or America.

May the God of peace with you all!

Hi Caleb.

You haven't said where you are hoping to study, so I'll assume you are open to travelling if necessary. The option that springs to mind given what you've said, but will not be easy to get into, is the Cambridge divinity school. There are philosophy of religion specialists within the faculty who lean more towards contintental philosophy, and always with an eye to its application for Christian theology.

Here's a link to the relevant Masters programme:

MPhil in Theology, Religion and Philosophy of Religion | Postgraduate Study

www.postgraduate.study.cam.ac.uk

I will say that if you are looking for something more openly Reformed or a less secular option then your options will be very limited indeed. Studying at a secular university has its own challenges. But there is at least one conservative leaning figure who teaches philosophy of religion in Cambridge, Dr James Orr. He's been on some fairly high profile podcasts you can find on YouTube. He's also a classical theist.

 

[Solparvus]

Hello Puritans. As I prepare for my graduate studies, my academic curiosity is deeply rooted in the philosophical study within the context of Christian theology, with a particular emphasis on Continental philosophy.

I would like to know what are the recommended programs in this field that offer a depth of research comparable to the standards of prestigious institutions such as KU Leuven, although I do not like the KU Leuven program for its Catholic background and I would prefer one of Protestant background.

But my undergraduate background is not in philosophy, so it seems that my choice is limited.

At the same time, I have some concerns about the job prospects for this type of program. I hope I won't be unemployed after my PhD, because there are no pure theology-related employment opportunities in China due to religious control. I was hoping to find employment in Europe or America.

May the God of peace with you all!

Brother, I gave thought to doing a PhD. I was told quite bluntly by a professor that for every academic job opening out there, there's 150 applicants, and I will very likely not teach at a seminary or academic institution. The job will most likely go to someone known by the seminary or its faculty. It really is "who you know." That's the case in America.

If you want to pursue a PhD, there needs to be other reasons than employment. I would only do a PhD if you could conjoin it with a course of study that you know is greatly needed in the church, and which will truly help as a follower of Christ. It'd be nice to have the skills that come with having completed a PhD, but that's a lot of money put out just for a sharpened intellectual skill set.

Other than that, beware, and really ask yourself why it is you want to do this. There really is wondrous kingdom work you can do without it.

 

[Charles Johnson]

Brother, I gave thought to doing a PhD. I was told quite bluntly by a professor that for every academic job opening out there, there's 150 applicants, and I will very likely not teach at a seminary or academic institution. The job will most likely go to someone known by the seminary or its faculty. It really is "who you know." That's the case in America.

If you want to pursue a PhD, there needs to be other reasons than employment. I would only do a PhD if you I could conjoin it with a course of study that you know is greatly needed in the church, and which will truly help as a follower of Christ. It'd be nice to have the skills that come with having completed a PhD, but that's a lot of money put out just for a sharpened intellectual skill set.

Other than that, beware, and really ask yourself why it is you want to do this. There really is wondrous kingdom work you can do without it.

Here in South America a PhD isn't a requirement to teach in seminaries, but it's still all about who you know.
To anyone who wants a job in academia — start making friends today and start publishing tomorrow!

 

[August Caleb]

Thank you for all of your responses!

After reviewing the admission criteria for the MPhil program at Cambridge, I've realized that the language prerequisites are quite rigorous, presenting a significant challenge for me as a student from China.

Currently, I'm contemplating the possibility of attending either Princeton Theological Seminary or Boston University's open-format MTS program. However, I harbor concerns that the liberal environment at these institutions could potentially undermine my faith, despite recognizing the excellent academic training they provide.

Could you possibly share any further insights or advice regarding the MTS programs at these two establishments?

I deeply appreciate your help!

 

[iainduguid]

We've had a couple of New Testament PhD students transfer from Princeton into our PhD program because they found it a hostile environment to their faith and were unable to complete their work there. I suspect that in some cases, Catholic universities might be more comfortable, especially in their philosophy departments. I would reiterate the concerns others have raised about jobs in the field. Higher education generally is shrinking in Europe and America, especially in the humanities, and there are far more applicants than jobs currently. So unless you can get full funding for a top notch program going in, your chances of getting a job are very slim. I suspect that is even more the case for a candidate from outside the country.

 

[Solparvus]

Thank you for all of your responses!

After reviewing the admission criteria for the MPhil program at Cambridge, I've realized that the language prerequisites are quite rigorous, presenting a significant challenge for me as a student from China.

Currently, I'm contemplating the possibility of attending either Princeton Theological Seminary or Boston University's open-format MTS program. However, I harbor concerns that the liberal environment at these institutions could potentially undermine my faith, despite recognizing the excellent academic training they provide.

Could you possibly share any further insights or advice regarding the MTS programs at these two establishments?

I deeply appreciate your help!

@iainduguid said what I was going to. I'll only add that I was also warned by my professor that the academic world is hostile to the faith, and it can be extremely challenging to hang on to your faith in those programs. Going to an ivy league is putting your head in the lion's mouth.

If you want a simple theology degree, there are much better alternatives. There is Westminster Seminary, Greenville Seminary, Puritan Seminary, the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary (where I am), Reformed Theological Seminary, and some others. I would first check and see whether one of these will get you on the course you want to go.

And there are other places where you can get a PhD. You might check Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia (where Dr. Duguid is) or Puritan Seminary in Grand Rapids and see if they can help you with your aim (though I think PRTS is more aimed at Puritan studies in their program). I'm sure there are others.

Perhaps these don't have the academic respect of the world, but instead of giving you mud and leaves they'll give you gold.

 

[RamistThomist]

Although I have fundamental worldview problems with James KA Smith, these blog articles are something of a cult classic now.

So You Want to Go to Grad School: Choosing Schools (1) – James K. A. Smith

jameskasmith.com