Best 28 Doctoral Degrees in Theology 2019

The Doctor of Philosophy in Inter-religious Studies is an advanced research-based, highly individualized course of study in a specialized area of religions beyond Master of Arts (or Master of Divinity) in Intercultural Studies (including Missions Studies and World Christianity).

The focus of the programme is to prepare candidates mostly in the African setting for teaching, leadership, and administration in public and private Christian organizations pertaining to critical issues of religions.

This is in view of the growing tension internationally between religious communities in Africa and even beyond, such as Christian-Muslim conflicts around the world. (The programme gives a priority to those applicants who hold an MTh degree in Intercultural Studies with emphasis on any religion (such as Islam), but it also allows even candidates with a Master of Art or Master of Divinity degree in Intercultural Studies or World Christianity to apply for this doctoral programme.)... [-]

Our DMin program is open to a spectrum of disciplines and interests. It aims to address a range of problems in virtually every area of human and ecological concern. Our doctoral program is dedicated to helping you shape and co-create a new global civilization so the human species can learn to act as responsible and respectful stewards of our larger planetary ecosystem.

At every level in the doctoral process you are supported by mentors and coaches. You will be required to take certain core courses and will have the freedom to design the rest of your program in consultation with your mentors and the Dean of Graduate Studies.

Students can select courses from either inside Ubiquity or outside Ubiquity. This means that if there is a course you need to take that is offered through another institution, you are free to do so. Ubiquity’s in-person courses are also available for doctoral credit.... [-]

The Ph.D. in MFT is an advanced course of the MA in Marriage and Family Therapy. The program is grounded in a Christian worldview that presents a holistic perspective of human nature including physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and social aspects of maturation. The approach focuses on the strengths and the resiliency of family systems and communal resources to restore and build healthy family relationships. Systemic philosophy and models provide the basis for a therapeutic approach to mental health and relational restoration. Values of creativity, respect, compassion, excellence, and accountability are promoted. Effective learning and preparation for professional service are believed to occur in an academic community of trust that practices justice, peace and human dignity.... [-]

Founded in 1992 by internationally known trailblazers in the women's spirituality movement, the Women's Spirituality program offers an interdisciplinary, multicultural, decolonial feminist approach to the study of spirituality and religion. Our curriculum incorporates scholarship from women/gender studies, ethnic studies, religious studies, philosophy, religion, and related fields. We are the first Ph.D. granting graduate program in the United States to integrate a study of the sacred feminine with an examination of contemporary social, political, and ecological issues.

Our program honors the spiritual impulse to redress the suppression of the sacred feminine and the oppression of women. We join with those who seek to end the exploitation of marginalized social groups and address the suffering of the Earth and its many species. ... [-]

The Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership program develops the learner’s ability to generate new knowledge and responsibly apply knowledge to achieve high-performing entities that allow organizational employees and followers to grow and develop to their full potential.

Learners will study the major bodies of literature in leadership, reflect critically on existing theory, and identify appropriate applications of theory in education, business, and other organizational cultures. Learners will develop academic and organizational research expertise through the study of statistical and research methodologies. The program of study is consistent with Grand Canyon University's mission to develop learners who are global citizens, critical thinkers, effective communicators, and responsible leaders. Graduates who earn the Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership with an Emphasis in Christian Ministry will advance the study of leadership within the field of Christian ministry with an in-depth research-based approach to facilitate leadership within Christian ministry and society.... [-]

Graduates of doctoral study (Doctor of Philosophy in Theology Ph.D.) are competent to carry out conceptual theological and scientific activities and create professional theological work in church theory and practice as well as in building a Christian worldview based on scientific exegesis of the Bible. They are ready to carry out leadership positions in the church, parachurch, and ecumenical institutions and organizations. They can teach theological courses at the university level and professional training of the church and religious organizations staff.

Graduates understand the relationship between the natural sciences, humanities, and theological sciences and are competent to carry out research in theology and related fields. As personalities at the same time educated in science and faith have a wide view on issues of contemporary philosophical-theological and ethical controversies and are able to handle sensitive and controversial public response to ethical and social issues relating to the Christian faith, religion and culture.... [-]

In 1996, the Standing Committee of the Bishops of the Congo approved a new organization of studies at the Faculty of Theology, which came into force in October of the same year. The reform began with a review of the program of the Department of Theology and Humanities, whose initial twofold objective was the theological formation of religious and lay students who were not destined for the priestly life and the inculturation of the The gospel through the integration, in theological formation, of human sciences attentive to the milieu and cultural traditions.

Without abandoning this double concern, the Standing Committee of Bishops reaffirms that the Church needs the lay people trained in theology, and stresses that the formation of the latter must be the same as for the priests (except, of course, the Matters connected with the priestly ministry). There will be no special program either for the laity or for the priests. For all, he will be the same at all levels: Graduate, License, Diploma of Approfondies (DEA), Doctorate.... [-]

The DIRD (and DIFS) are unique programs in the sense that they are actually offered by an intergovernmental organization with a university charter and an additional mandate in inter-religious dialogue and diplomacy. Notably, EUCLID is the only university which has received the first prize of the UN World Interfaith Harmony Week, presented by H.M. King Abdullah of Jordan (photo below).

EUCLID offers several closely related but nevertheless distinct graduate programs:

This page focuses on the DIRD: EUCLID’s Ph.D. in Inter-Religious Dialogue and Diplomacy, the umbrella program designed to train diplomats, government officials and civil servants in this complex and specialized field. These programs, delivered 100% online, exist to prepare government officials, social workers, clergy, theologians and faculty members to successfully and constructively engage in inter-religious dialogue and diplomacy. This program assumes a strong interest in religion, spirituality, theology, critical thinking, academic research and global affairs. Furthermore, it is open to students from all religious backgrounds including non-believers, although its focus may be of special interest to Muslims and Christians since it was—to an extent—developed in response to the “Common Word” initiative. However, it does assume the following:... [-]

The DLitt et Phil (Biblical Studies) programme is a research programme, comprising predominantly theoretical work, and normally does not require work-based learning or vocational training. The Doctoral programme is by nature an advanced specialization in either OT or NT (or both), building on the specialization level already reached on Master’s level.

The programme is a thesis on a theme from the Old or New Testament or both.

A Master’s Degree in Biblical Studies or an equivalent qualification is a prerequisite, as well as the general University entrance requirements for the Doctoral programme. Greek or Hebrew up to second-year level may be required depending on the field of study and research.... [-]

Mode of Attendance: Full Time or Part Time

The SOAS Religions and Philosophies Department offers a vibrant, stimulating, and interdisciplinary research environment. We provide individual research supervision in a wide variety of religious traditions and comparative and interdisciplinary topics. Supervisors are experts in their fields and thoroughly familiar with the religions, cultures, languages, and geographical areas they specialize in.

In addition to individual supervision the Department offers research training at various levels: an obligatory research writing workshop which prepares year 1 MPhil students for their upgrade to the PhD level; a weekly seminar for PhD students in years 2 and 3 to discuss work in progress and receive feedback before submitting their thesis; a departmental research seminar in which both staff and students present papers on their research projects and discuss them in an interdisciplinary setting. Students also have the opportunity to attend seminars, lectures, and conferences offered by the various specialist Centres relating to their particular fields. These centers run regular evening lecture series, workshops, and conferences which host visiting speakers from other universities in Britain, Europe, and globally.... [-]

The doctoral study program “Theology”, the branch of study “Jewish studies” with a standard length of study of four years prepares students for independent scientific research and independent creative activities in the area of Jewish studies. The branch of study enables students to specialize in their profession according to his or her individual study plan. The branch of study develops an intellectual legacy of Jewish studies and applies that in the contemporary religious situation of Judaism. The subject of the studies is Jewish history and culture, synagogue liturgy, Jewish religious philosophy, rabbi literature, reading and interpretation of selected texts of Babylonian Talmud and Hebrew language of rabbi texts. The goal of the studies is a scientific preparation of first-rate experts that are capable of independent scientific work in the area of Jewish studies. The branch is not nationally or confessionally defined but interprets Judaism as a religious phenomenon in the historical contexts overlapping into present problems. Learning about the spiritual values of Judaism enables students to deepen their understanding of Christianity, primarily its ethics.... [-]

The purpose of doctoral studies in the field of Philosophy of Religion is for students to cultivate, in the usual way for advanced studies, their ability to examine, using philosophical tools and approaches, religious phenomena and issues relating to the religious dimension of human culture, including theological thought and its traditions. Students learn to reflect critically on these approaches and their results and to interpret them both in their specific context and within the framework of current academic knowledge. In direct connection with its multidisciplinary nature, this study program develops the skills necessary for analyzing complex issues, and students learn to combine various specialist perspectives and discourses in evaluating specific findings and testing hypotheses, while at the same time ensuring that the methods used are appropriate, the thinking is precise, and complex or controversial problems are expressed clearly. The study program not only leads to the acquisition of expert knowledge and skills, but also develops the ability to understand views, concepts, teachings and theories that are non-traditional or differ from one’s own, cultivates argumentative approaches to critical debate, and refines the ability to evaluate oneself and to formulate one’s own opinion or position.... [-]

Purpose and Objectives of the Program

The University of Nicosia offers Doctoral Program in Theology and Culture, from September 2015. In particular, the program covers the following subjects:

Be equipped for greater ministry effectiveness.

Our Doctor of Ministry invites men and women to step deeper into the study of the Word, to broaden their perspectives on ministry practices, and to join with a global community of ministry practitioners in dialogue and study for the sake of the Gospel. The program is flexibly designed to fit the schedule and needs of full-time ministry professionals.

Our Doctor of Ministry serves the church of the living God by strengthening the professional competence of persons in ministerial leadership through the integration of advanced theory with contemporary practice.

It is a professional program intended for persons who are in full-time vocational Christian ministries, such as pastors & pastoral staff, chaplains, Christian educators, missionaries, workers in parachurch organizations, and evangelists, both domestic and international.... [-]

Doctor of Ministry Program

The Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) in Biblical Preaching is a program designed to help pastors and church leaders take their preaching and leadership to the next level. Students will participate in a series of seminars and a directed ministry project to enhance their understanding of biblical preaching and to further develop their preaching gifts.The Doctor of Ministry is a professional doctoral degree focused primarily on the practice of ministry. The educational experiences in the D.Min. program at Anderson University will be delivered through a hybrid approach, involving independent and online study, three week-long seminars (two on campus, one in a selected city), three event-based seminars, and development and implementation of a significant ministry project and subsequent dissertation. The student will be expected to plan, carry out and evaluate the project at a level appropriate for a doctoral degree candidate.... [-]