Christian Theology MPhil Pathway
Each module of the Christian Theology pathway is taught through four two-hour seminars scheduled each fortnight and is assessed through a 5,000 word essay due at the end of term. Students who wish to write a dissertation in the area of Christian Theology are required to attend the seminars during Michaelmas Term and complete The Doctrine of God assessed essay. It is recommended that students continue on to the Lent Term modules, but it may be possible in certain cases for students to audit these modules to allow them to undertake a module in another subject in the Lent Term. Students wishing to do this must consult with the Module Coordinator as early as possible.
Module 1. Michaelmas Term. The Christian God
Module Coordinator: Professor David Fergusson, daf52@cam.ac.uk
The seminars in this module study key texts in the Christian doctrine of God. Texts studied in 2025–26 include writings by Augustine, Maximus the Confessor, Friedrich Schleiermacher, and Kathryn Tanner.
The module aims to study the Christian doctrine of God in different periods, through the close study of theological texts.
The module objectives are to enable students to develop their understanding of the doctrine of God by analysing and discussing theological texts in their contexts, by thinking through ways in which these texts contribute to the discussion of major issues in the Christian doctrine of God, and by writing a substantial essay demonstrating such understanding and skills.
The module seminars will cover:
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- Seminar 1 – Augustine of Hippo
- Seminar 2 – Maximus the Confessor
- Seminar 3 – Friedrich Schleiermacher
- Seminar 4 – Kathryn Tanner.
The module assessment is through a 5,000 word essay. Students may select an essay subject from the list below, or may write on a suitable topic agreed in consultation with the module co-ordinator. In either case, the essay subject should make special reference to the theology of Augustine, Aquinas, Schleiermacher, or Tanner. Approval of a given topic will be dependent on the availability of appropriate supervision, and all students should be aware that they may not choose in the Lent Term an essay subject which substantially overlaps with the subject pursued in the Michaelmas Term.
Indicative essay topics:
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- Apophaticism
- Christ and the church
- Christology and atonement
- Divine sovereignty and human freedom
- Divine transcendence and immanence; Mystical theology
- Naming God
- The Creator-creature relation
- The nature of knowledge of God (for example, what it means for knowledge of God to be either ‘natural’ or ‘scientific’)
- The relationship between the doctrine of the Trinity and Christology
- The relationship between the doctrine of creation and the doctrine of sin
- The relationship between the immanent Trinity and the economic Trinity
- The relationship between unity and plurality in God
- Time, eternity and revelation
Module 2. Lent Term. Theology and Literature: Tragedy
Module co-ordinator: Giles Waller, gew25@cam.ac.uk
Tragedy is the art form that raises and processes some of the most painful and perplexing questions of human life, and over the last two centuries has become a focal point for philosophical, ethical, theoretical and theological discussions. This module explores the relationship between tragedy and Christian theology through five seminars. The first two seminars focus on philosophical and doctrinal questions in the works of major 20th century theologians for whom tragedy determinatively shaped their understanding of Christian doctrine: Donald MacKinnon (on ethics and Christology) and Hans Urs von Balthasar (on the Crucifixion and the doctrine of the Trinity)
The third seminar explores theological questions through the close reading of a literary text, examining the theme of tragedy and the theology of sacrifice through T.S. Eliot’s Murder in the Cathedral. The final two seminars explore Shakespearean drama, focusing on the ‘absolute tragedy’ of King Lear, and the theological move ‘beyond tragedy’ in the late Romances, focusing on The Winter’s Tale.
The module aims to introduce students to interdisciplinary study of religion and literature from a theological perspective closely examining the work of major theologians who have engaged with tragedy, and engaging with theological questions that arise from the close reading of literary texts.
The module objectives are that by the end of the module, students should be equipped with skills of close analysis of both theological and literary texts. Students should be able to engage both in close reading of literary texts, while also tackling broader theoretical and speculative issues that arise from these texts. They should have developed an understanding of the various literary, philosophical and theological issues raised by tragedy.
The module seminars will cover:
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- Seminar 1 – Metaphysics, Ethics and the Cross: Donald MacKinnon and tragedy
- Seminar 2 – Hans Urs von Balthasar: Tragedy and the Doctrine of the Trinity
- Seminar 3 – Murder in the Cathedral: Sacrifice and Christian Tragedy
- Seminar 4 – King Lear
- Seminar 5 – Beyond Tragedy? The Winter’s Tale
The module assessment is through a 5,000 word essay. Students may formulated their own title on a suitable topic, within the area of Christian Theology, subject to the approval of the module coordinator and the Degree Committee. Essay titles must be agreed with the supervisor and approved by the module coordinator and Degree Committee. Students will not be permitted to write on a subject which substantially overlaps with that pursued in the Michaelmas Term.
Indicative Essay Topics:
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- ‘Only there is no escape from contingency.’ (Donald MacKinnon) What are the theological implications of construing contingency as tragic?
- Does an understanding of Christ’s Passion in tragic terms necessitate compromising divine impassibility?
- ‘His blood given to buy my life/My blood given to pay for His death/My death for His death’ (Murder in the Cathedral). Does tragedy transcend or reinforce the logic of sacrifice?
- ‘Christianity is anti-tragic, modernism is anti-Christian.’ Does Eliot’s Murder in the Cathedral succeed as Christian tragedy?
- Is ‘Christian tragedy’ an oxymoron?
- ‘Tragedy enjoins resignation.’ Discuss
- ‘To be worst,/ The lowest and most dejected thing of fortune,/ Stands still in Esperance, lives not in fear./ The lamentable change is from the best;/ The worst returns to laughter.’ (King Lear, IV.1) Discuss.
- ‘Oh, I have ta’en,/ Too little care of this! Take physic, pomp./ Expose thyself
to feel what wretches feel,/ That thou mayst shake the superflux to them,/ And show the heavens more just.’ (King Lear, III.4) What is the relation between kenosis and justice in King Lear?
Module 3. Lent Term. Artificial Intelligence, Theology and Ethics
Module co-ordinator: Dr Simeon Xu, sx279@cam.ac.uk
Description
Artificial Intelligence (Al) has been pervasive in human society and radically transformed every sphere of human life, such as economy, politics, and education. Al has also had an impact on religion, posing challenges to conventional religious activities and received doctrines. How can Christian theology respond to these challenges? Can theology an d, Al facilitate the development of each other? To what extent may theology help address issues surrounding Al technology? This module offers an orientation to and substantial exploration of both Al-and theology interplay and theology of Al. Some of the most fascinating debates around Al and theology will be covered, but no specialised prior knowledge of Al is assumed. Al algorithms, Al ethics, artificial companion, artificial moral agents, human-centred Al, machine learning etc all of these will form the backdrop to this exploration of the interaction between Al and theology.
Module Aims
This module aims to provide students with an understanding of major issues in Al technology, Al ethics, and Al philosophy, in relation to theology. It offers the students the opportunity to develop interdisciplinary research on Al and religion through close reading of texts on Al, theology, and theology's engagement with Al.
Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites for enrolling in this module.
Prescribed Topics
Seminar One: Introduction to Al-and-Theology Research Seminar Two: Al and the Image of God
Seminar Three: Al and Theological Ethics Seminar Four: Al and Creativity
Seminar Five: Al, Theology, and Human Flourishing
Teaching provision: S x 2-hour seminars
Learning Outcomes
On completion, the student will be able to:
Demonstrate critical awareness of the current state of scholarship on Al and Al ethics.
Understand the key areas and ideas in the current interface between Al and theology.
Comment intelligently on key writings on Al-and-theology research, and engage critically with cross-disciplinary conversations;
Demonstrate the ability to interact with debates in recent technological, theological, ethical, philosophical scholarship when constructing an argument .
Display enhanced skills of oral presentation to a wide-ranging audience.
Assessment
This module is assessed by a 5000-word essay. Students may select a title from the list below, in consultation with the paper coordinator. Alternatively, students may formulate their own title on a suitable topic, in discussion with the coordinator, within the area of the module. Titles are subject to the approval of the Degree Committee, Faculty of Divinity.
Coursework
Each student will be expected to deliver a 15-minute oral presentation. Oral presentations should engage critically with one of the essential texts and should be agreed with the coordinate. Students not presenting at a given seminar will be expected to contribute a critical reflection paper (max. 1500 words). These papers should be submitted not later than 2pm the day before the class.
Module Outlines & Texts
Week One: Introduction to Al-and-Theology Research
This first session will introduce dialogues between Al research and theology as well as religion. It will engage both Al philosophy and Al ethics and lay out the important dialogical points that will be examined in the following seminars. Finally, it will explore how theology, ethics, and Al interact with one another.
Week Two: Al and the Image of God
The theological notion of "image of God" is a key player in Al-and-theology research. A great deal of literature has been produced to discuss how Al challenges the meaning of humanity and personhood through the lens of the imago Dei. This session will examine relevant· debates on the meaning of the imago Dei in the context of Al and explore whether Al is considered the image of God or the image of humanity.
Week Four: Al and Theological Ethics
Having looked at Al in light of the image of God, this session will provide an introduction to Al ethics, with an overview of the ethical questions surrounding Al per se and Al application. This will lead into a discussion of the agenthood of Al, and of how theological ethics can contribute to the creation of ethical Al. Along the way, much debated issues, such as artificial moral advisors, moral decision-making, and responsible Al, will be examined from theological perspective
Week Six: Al and Creativity
The extensive application of generative Al has presented a broad range of legal, ethical, and social challenges to human creative work, such as the displacement of creative roles, the deskilling of artistic practice, and homogenisation of artistic outputs. However, Al also significantly augments human creativity and improves efficiency, for example, providing novel > ideas. This session will look at these issues from the theological perspective of creativity, before discussing how theological ethics of creativity might provide ethical guidance for the application of Al in creative work. Along the way, it will be touched upon that God's creativity serves as the foundation for all creative work.
Week Eight: Al, Theology, and Human Flourishing
This final session will look at the future of Al and the human-centred approach to Al technology, which aims to promote human flourishing. Relevant much-debated issues such as sustainable Al and automated work will be discussed. This will lead into an exploration of how theological ethics of human flourishing can help shape the moral future of Al.
Essay Questions
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- To what extent does Al pose challenges to religion and theology in ways unprecedented in previous technologies?
- Discuss whether Al possess the image of God because it is created by the image of God.
- Can humanity eventually be explained away by Al? -
- In what ways may theological ethics contribute to the development of ethical Al?
- Theologically assess recent disputes around responsible Al.
- In what sense can Al be considered created co-creator?
- How might the theological ethics of creativity inform the development and application of Al creativity?
- Discuss the extent to which theological anthropology advances human-centred Al without causing the latter to fall into anthropocentrism.
- Theologically assess recent arguments for "Al for human flourishing."
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Module 4. Lent Term. Pastoral Care in 12th and 13th century Medieval England
Module Coordinator: Professor Philippa Hoskins; ph534@cam.ac.uk
Teaching is on Tuesday, 2pm-4pm.
What pastoral care meant in theory and in practice in the high middle ages has been the subject of extensive research and debate. Historians have been repeatedly drawn to an area which starts in the High Politics of the Medieval Church but ends in the ordinary streets and houses. The reform movement often called the Gregorian Reform, in its late twelfth and thirteenth century forms, helped to shape and to express ideas in medieval thought and belief in the Middle Ages for both the clergy and the laity. This module looks at the ways in which this was made manifest in the realm of ideas (legislation and theology), and in the lived experience of men and women, to whom the theory meant very little. The area is thus a case study in how ideas and concepts were transmuted into social and cultural practice. The first half of the module focuses on the theory and legislation of the movement (particularly the Paris Schools and the legislation it produced at international, national and regional level). The second half of the module considers the practical results and compromises, using the test case of England, which has rich records for the study of lived religion in particular localities. Each session will consider a particular issue and its influence, via a set of relevant records, asking how the lives of ordinary men and women were (or were not) affected. There will be an opportunity to consider the standard forms and constructions (the diplomatic) of the documents and how a knowledge of these allows us to a better understanding of what is happening in the records. Several sessions will also make use of original medieval manuscripts held in the Parker Library, Corpus Christi College.
Provisional schedule for 2025-26
(1) Gregorian' Reform: the Western Church Reform movement of the 11th-13th centuries.
(2) The theology of the movement: Reform in the Schools of Paris and Oxford
(3) The Lateran Councils: the text of the decrees of the third and fourth Lateran Councils
(4) Local legislation: The legislation of key English church councils
(5) Reform in the English parish I: the provision of clergy and their preaching
(6) Reform in the English Parish II: confession and penance
(7) Reform in the English Parish III: marriage and defamation
(8) Reform in the English Parish IV: the parish church [followed by guidance on the course essay]