Theology, Ethics, and Philosophy, Doctor of Philosophy

The Theology, Ethics, and Philosophy course of study at Boston University School of Theology support work in theology and ethics that is historically engaged, philosophically-informed, interdisciplinary, and transformative for scholarship and religious life communities. The program emphasizes the importance of studying the history of Christian theology and comparative theology in critical and constructive engagement with diverse fields of inquiry and attention to important questions and problems, whether long or contemporary. The program operates to understand that our collective task is not simply to underscore or reiterate claims within Christian or other traditions nor simply to discard them but to generatively and critically interact with them. In a word, to engage them constructively and in robust conversation with disciplinary partners outside of theological studies. The term “constructive,” then, does not so much designate an arena within theology, as an ethos animating our approach to theology and ethics. This work aims to contribute to the construction of knowledge and action within theology and religious communities and without. In all this, we seek to partner with other units of the university and other sources and modes of knowing in order to pursue common questions – and to seek answers that, in keeping with BU’s legacy, “enrich the academy” and advance the cause of “peace with justice in a diverse and interconnected world.” Faculty research, teaching, and doctoral preparation model this constructive dimension of scholarship and nurtures the development of the student’s ability to articulate their theological position.