MTh in Ministry, Theology and Practice

Teaching Institution: University of Glasgow

Credits: 180

Programme Leader: Prof Mark W. Elliott (Mark.Elliott@glasgow.ac.uk)

Rationale

This programme fulfills our historic commitment to the Dr Williams Trust for training ministers of English and Irish Non-Conforming Protestant traditions, by delivering continuing professional development in four key areas: equipping for congregational ministry, culturally relevant hermeneutics and preaching, creative approaches to ministry, and freedom of inquiry in theological doctrine.

Programme Aims

The Programme aims:

  • To employ an expanded depth of hermeneutical and theological knowledge, to enrich their preaching.
  • Provide practical managerial skills relevant for the demands of running a parish.
  • Enhance reflection on the political significance of theology and construct a coherent understanding of the potential for social change.
  • Develop creative and engaging approaches to worship.

Intended Learning Outcomes of Programme:

The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and to demonstrate knowledge and understanding, skills and other attributes as described below.

Knowledge and Understanding

By the end of this programme, students will be able to:

  • critically and contextually analyse a wide range of historical and theological discourses in relation to their broader cultural, historical, and ideological contexts.
  • articulate and evaluate a range of theoretical and critical approaches to hermeneutics and worship.
  • assess the structures of the local church and the application of relevant managerial theories.

Skills and Other Attributes

By the end of this programme, students will be able to:

Subject-specific/practical skills

  • analyse the historical and theological traditions of Protestant denominations and their importance for the contemporary church evidenced in a local context.
  • use a wide range of sources, including manuscripts, artefacts and printed texts to support their arguments.
  • use relevant research tools including electronic corpora and databases.

Intellectual skills

  • clearly define their own critical position in relation to ongoing debates in the field.
  • define and analyse a range of broader intellectual contexts that inform literature and ideas produced within the historic Protestant traditions.
  • complete a dissertation that enhances their capacity as an independent researcher.

Transferable/key skills

  • communicate effectively both orally and written.
  • work effectively independently.
  • manage their time and workload to complete tasks and meet assessment deadlines.
  • deploy information retrieval and subject specific research skills in assessed work.
  • make effective use of collections and archives.

Structure

The programme will be delivered part-time meeting the one day a month (in term time) in Dr Williams Library, Gordon Square, London (or in Glasgow). Each of the four courses will be delivered within a semester. Research training will be provided by the School’s new online suite of courses and will be assessed separately.

Course Title

Course

Code

Credits

Core

Optional

Semester(s) taught

Homiletics and Biblical Hermeneutics

20

Core

1 (2023/24)

Creative Ministry

20

Core

2 (2023/24)

Bible, Doctrine and Freedom of Interpretation

20

Core

1 (2022/23)

Resourcing Congregational Ministry

20

Core

2 (2022/23)

Research Training

TRS5031

20

Core

1 or 2 (online)

Religion, Theology and Culture Directed Study

TRS5067/

5068

20

2 (summer) of first year

Dissertation

TRS5056P

60

Core

After coursework

Features

The degree will be delivered primarily in Dr Williams Library in London, however the Dr Williams Trust has agreed that students from the North of England will be permitted to attend courses in Glasgow if there is a demand. The ‘London’ students will meet in the middle of each month for 5 hours each time.

60 credit exit point: Postgraduate Certificate

120 credit exit point: Postgraduate Diploma

Regulations

This programme will be governed by the relevant regulations published in the University Calendar. These regulations include the requirements in relation to:

(a) Award of the degree

(b) Progress

(c) Early exit awards

(d) Entry to Honours (For undergraduate programmes, where appropriate)

www.gla.ac.uk/services/senateoffice/policies/calendar/