The BTh programme is an honours degree, awarded by Queen’s University, Belfast. The course is designed to help you develop critical thinking and to allow you to think deeply about biblical truths that will shape your future life and ministry. The BTh offers students a greater degree of flexibility in module choice, while also providing an excellent foundation for a range of vocations, including teaching, youth work, social work and church work.

The BD programme is an honours degree, awarded by Queen’s University, Belfast. The course is designed to help you develop critical thinking and to allow you to think deeply about biblical truths that will shape your future life and ministry. It may be of particular interest to those who have a desire to go on to formal ministry training within a particular denomination, or those who have a strong interest in biblical languages. Students on the BD pathway must study Greek and Hebrew as a compulsory element of the course.

This course is in two parts. The Old Testament section looks at the questions of how the Bible has come to us, and the different ways that it is studied, using one book as an example. The New Testament section focuses on the skill of exegesis, looking in detail at the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5–7.

Prerequisite: THE1001 (Introduction to the Old Testament)

Corequisite: THE1011 (Introduction to the New Testament)

The story of the first four centuries of the Christian Church is among the most important subjects for understanding the shape that Christianity has taken. Ecclesiastical structures, doctrinal orthodoxy and the nature of community as well as Christianity’s relationship with the state were all fundamentally defined in this period. As such, the study of the Church Fathers and Ecumenical Councils provides an invaluable rooting in the heritage of the church.

Only required for BD students.

This module introduces students to the ancient biblical languages Hebrew and Greek. Students learn basic grammar and vocabulary and begin translating. This prepares them for second year language studies. Students will be introduced to BibleWorks computer software and will learn to make use of this and other scholarly resources for studying the bible in its original languages.

Pastoral Care is moving to the top of the Church’s agenda. From an exploration of its biblical origins, this module asks what pastoral care means in the 21st century; whose role is it and how do we carry it out? 

This foundational module in theology will introduce the students to the sources and skills needed to think theologically in today’s world. It will consider some of the approaches to theology through church history, as well as the impact of postmodernity on contemporary expressions of faith and doctrine.

The aim of this course is to give students a general introduction to the Gospels. In addition to exegeting selected passages from Mark, we will study the world in which the Gospels arose, the processes by which the Gospel material was transmitted, the way in which the Gospel writers wrote their books and the theology which is contained in the Gospels.

How do we get to grips with the 75% of the Bible that is the Old Testament? This course provides an overview of the Old Testament; an introduction to issues involved in studying the Old Testament and to the types of literature of the Old Testament itself. There is also a focus on two Old Testament books.

How do we read and understand Old Testament texts in the original Hebrew? Building on the Hebrew element of Introduction to Biblical Languages, this module will introduce students to the various elements involved in study of specific Hebrew texts in the Old Testament.

The Christian Doctrinal Tradition module is an opportunity to study theology in all its fascinating development and variety in the Christian church. A selection of key subjects are taught in small seminar situations so students can go deeper in such areas as the person of Christ, can understand why Christians believe differently in matters such as baptism, and can enrich their Christian lives as they learn more about God.

The history of Christianity in Ireland is often an obscure subject, even for many Irish Christians. In this course the political, cultural and religious traditions that have forged Irish society since the inception of the Kingdom of Ireland, as well as after its demise in the 1800 Act of Union, will be assessed in order to make sense of the state of play within modern Ireland. It is, after all, an island in which the Christian religion remains prominent in all aspects of society.

This module traces the development of the doctrine of the person of Christ from the New Testament through the Patristic Period. It considers the Enlightenment’s challenges to traditional Christology and theology’s response. The image of Jesus in non–Christian religions, in modern Christology, and in art and popular culture will also be explored.

This module allows students to pursue independent study in an area of theology which is of keen interest to them. The dissertation topic is chosen in consultation with your supervisor and with the approval of the Institute of Theology (8,000 to 10,000 words in length). 

This module introduces students to the ancient biblical languages Hebrew and Greek. Students learn basic grammar and vocabulary and begin translating. This prepares them for second year language studies. Students will be introduced to BibleWorks computer software and will learn to make use of this and other scholarly resources for studying the bible in its original languages. 

History, theology and practice of mission including biblical background, cross-cultural communication, contextualism, mission in a local situation. 

A selective study of key historical documents mainly from the 20th century on Mission and Missiology, originating in the conciliar, Roman Catholic and evangelical traditions. 

 General introduction to the life and theology of the Apostle Paul together with a more detailed study of the Epistle to the Galatians and James.

This module exercises the students ability to read and translate the more difficult texts in the New Testament and to use the textual apparatus in critical editions of the New Testament. Students will continue to build their vocabulary and understanding of Greek syntax.  

The module covers the history of Ancient Israel from the settlement (XIII cent BC) to the time of the Babylonian exile (VI cent BC). It addresses the questions of dating and historical reliability of the biblical traditions as well as the value and contribution of archaeology in reconstructing the course of Israel’s history. 

How do creation and evolution relate? Why is covenant so important in the OT? What does the OT say about the Messiah, or about life after death? What is the relationship between the OT & the NT? This course focuses on the six topics of Creation, Covenant, Messiah, Life After Death, OT & NT relationship, and Methodology.

The aim of this module is to give students an introduction to the practice and thinking of the apostle Paul whose writings have been extremely influential in Christian thinking throughout the centuries and to give them the opportunity to study one of his letters in detail. In addition the module will provide a broad overview of Paul’s life, the world in which he lived and his approach to mission and ministry. Aspects of his teaching on matters related to both Christian behaviour and thinking will also be explored.

This module allows students the opportunity to undertake a supervised placement in a particular area of Christian ministry practice (eg. within a church or ministry organisation), through which students will be enabled to develop skills of critical reflective practice. Students must arrange a placement in advance.

A research project on a theological topic. The project will involve a field study in a church or mission environment. The Institute of Theology must approve the topic for study (5,000 to 8,000 words). This project is normally undertaken over the summer before the student's final year. Students must arrange a title and supervisor by May of the previous year. 

This module provides a close reading of several passages in the book of Revelation as well as a study of major themes arising in the book. The student will exercise their skills of exegesis. The module also seeks to impress on the students the practical values of the book across cultures. 

The aim of this module is to give students the opportunity to study the book of Romans in its historical context and to consider how it would have been understood by its first readers. Selected passages and key themes in the book of Romans such as Paul’s teaching on the human predicament and God’s solution to it through Christ will be explored. Paul’s use of the terms faith, righteousness and justification will be examined in detail. 

The seventeenth century represents one of the most important centuries in making modern Britain and Ireland as we know them today. This course will assess the theological and political forces that brought about the Union of Crowns in 1603, the colonization of the British Atlantic, the War of the Three Kingdoms, the Glorious Revolution and in 1707 the Union of Scotland and England. It will be argued that it is impossible to understand the period without taking seriously the role played by religious belief and expectation. 

Before 1517 there was one faith, one baptism and one church in Western Europe. However, what Luther began by nailing 95 theses to the church door in Wittenberg has continued to gather pace for nearly 500 years. This course is not just a story of the Protestant Reformation and the origins of Protestant doctrines, but rather one of concerted Protestant and Catholic efforts to reform Christianity during a period of extending political empires. 

As ‘Pastoral Care’ becomes more established in secular contexts, this module explores the distinctives of Christian pastoral care from a theological and practical perspective. What characterises the kind of care that meets people in their darkest experiences and where does a pastoral caregiver find the resources and courage to carry out this ministry?

This module is principally concerned with the main developments in Protestant and Catholic theology during the 20th century but also examines the emerging trends of early 21st century theology. It will engage with theological movements, theologically significant events and influential individual theologians.

This module provides students with a foundational Introduction to the history, theology and practice of Christian Youth Ministry.

This module provides a more indepth study of the content and practice of Youth Ministry with reflection upon field experience in a church or para church context.

Pre–requisites: Youth Ministry 1