I. The Major in Comparative Theology and the Theology of Religions in the PhD Program:
1. Prerequisites
Applicants for admission to this Major should already have master’s-level background in Christian theology, and have studied in an academic context the second religious tradition that they intend to compare with Christianity. So too, students must have completed at least one year of language study relevant to the non-Christian tradition they will be studying.
It is strongly recommended that applicants, before applying to this PhD program, contact the faculty at Boston College with whom they intend to work to discuss their plans and to ask any questions.
2. Distinctive features of the Major in Comparative Theology:
Students majoring in CT are normally expected to take courses covering the following topics:
a. Theology of Religions and the theory and practice of Comparative Theology*
b. Theory and Methods in the Comparative Study of Religions*
*Graduate courses will be offered in alternating years in Theology of Religions and in Theory and Methods in the Comparative Study of Religions; more specialized areas of focus, such as Comparative Ethics or the Comparative Study of Scripture may be offered according to need. (a. and b. together comprise 2 or 3 courses)
c. A significant engagement in the issues and methods represented by another subdiscipline of Christian Theology, either as represented by the Areas of the PhD Program (Bible, Ethics, History, Systematics, Pastoral Theology) or as devised in relation to the strengths of other faculties in the Boston area (e.g., Missiology and Mission History, or the study of specific religions not focused on in our Program). These courses form the grounding in theology necessary for comparative theological work. This special topic may also constitute a Minor according to the rules of another Area, but is not required to do so. ( 4 courses)
d. A specific concentration in a religious tradition other than the Christian. ( 4 courses)
e. The CT Seminar: CT majors are expected to participate in this seminar during their entire residence at Boston College. They will register for the seminar in their fourth semester of coursework and receive credit for one semester's course (3 credits). CT minors may also participate.
f. Additional courses are electives determined in conversation with advisors. In general, students are encouraged to plan creatively, since there may be relevant courses not only in the Department or BTI schools, but also in Philosophy, Literary Theory, and other disciplines. Students are responsible for receiving the necessary approvals to ensure that courses from other disciplines count towards departmental and university degree requirements.
g. Three languages are to be studied to a level where they are useful in research; normally, two of these languages are western scholarly languages such as Latin, Greek, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, or another language useful in the student’s research. The third is specific to the religious/cultural area on which the student focuses, ordinarily in relation to a non-Christian religious tradition. The goal of the study of this third language is proficiency at a 2-year reading level (as demonstrated in a departmentally administered competency test) and at least facility in "getting behind translations" and exploring the primary texts in a useful manner.*
*Students entering the program with one year of preparation in the tradition specific language are strongly encouraged to fulfill the remaining year of language requirement through summer courses. The program is prepared to cover a total of $ 4000 per student to support the study of languages. Courses in the tradition specific language taken during the regular Fall or Spring semester may count as electives toward the fulfillment of course work.
Students should be cognizant of the fact that they are required to take 50% of their courses in any one semester within the offerings of the Joint Doctoral Faculty. If the specialized requirements of a student's program make this impossible, the student must consult his or her CT advisor and the Theology department's graduate director to petition for an exception to this requirement.
From the beginning of their program of study, students are expected to work closely with two advisors, one in the CT Area and the second in one another Area of the Faculty. The faculty in the CT Area also commit themselves to planning and announcing course offerings two years in advance.
The CT Area faculty, in cooperation with the faculty in other Areas, is responsible for the timely preparation of comprehensive examination questions for students, including any special questions required for particular students.
It is desirable that the students spend a semester or year in a country where a religion studied flourishes. Occasionally, a student may also have reason to spend a semester at another university in North America or Europe.This time abroad normally occurs after the Comprehensive Examinations.*
*Funding for this year must be obtained through external forms of financial aid such as Fulbright Fellowships. Students who spend a year abroad will ordinarily finish the PhD program in 6, rather than 5 years. The regular stipend provided by Boston College to PhD students will be suspended for the duration of the year abroad and resumed upon return.
3. Comprehensive Examinations
Three written examinations will be taken in the third year of the program during the Theology Department’s regular comprehensive exam periods.
Six months before the planned comprehensive exam date, the student will submit electronically to the area convener his or her proposal for comprehensive exams, already approved by the student’s advisor. This proposal will include the following elements:
a. Preliminary Dissertation Proposal of no more than five pages. Normally, this proposal will be closely related to the topics of the comprehensive examination. While this proposal will not bind the student to this specific dissertation project, it is expected that it indicates his or her likely course of research and writing. The student should expect that this proposal will help guide the faculty in constructing the actual exam questions.
b. Reading lists for two exams: in the student’s chosen non-Christian tradition and in the special topic of Christian theology in which the student will be examined. The student will introduce these lists with a brief narrative discussion which explains the specific focus of these exams, including potential approaches to presenting the comparative analysis for the third exam.
i. The reading list in the non-Christian tradition should demonstrate general competence in this tradition, but should also focus on a specific well-defined topic or set of texts within it.
ii. The special topic in an area of Christian theology may come from the subdisciplines of Bible, Church History, Ethics, Pastoral Theology, Systematics or a more specific specialization like Christology, mission history, ecology or feminist ethics, scriptural interpretation, or theoretical issues in teaching religions and pastoral practice. This special topic should be relevant to comparative study, though it need not itself be specifically comparative. If the student’s special topic has been formulated as a standard minor according to the rules of another Area, this examination may be simply the Minor examination offered by that Area. Students will also, in the course of their exams, be expected to demonstrate general competence in Christian theology.
c. A third reading list, in Comparative Theology and Theology of Religions is standard and provided on this site, III.2. Students may propose alterations to this list.
Based on these documents, the student’s advisor and exam committee will develop specific questions for the exam according to the following outline.
i. A tradition-specific examination in a tradition other than the Christian.
ii. An examination on a special topic in an area of Christian theology.
iii. Comparative analysis. This examination brings the materials handled in i. and ii. into conversation so as to shed new light on a theological question. In addition, this essay is to include an exposition of the student’s understanding of Comparative Theological method and its implications for the Theology of Religions. The student is encouraged to discuss possible approaches to this essay with his or her advisor and with other faculty members.
iv. The Oral Examination: The student will be examined orally on the content of the reading lists, the content of the written exams, and the informal dissertation proposal.
5. The Dissertation
Students are expected to continue their comparative theological study by making comparative aspects and questions central to their dissertation topic.
The dissertation proposal is to be submitted by September 30 of the student’s fourth year, to receive faculty approval by December 31 of that year.
The Committee for the PhD Dissertation will be comprised of 3 members, with at least 2 belonging to the Joint Doctoral Faculty.
6. Teaching
Students majoring in CT-TR are ordinarily expected to serve as a Teaching Assistant with a Religious Quest professor at least for one year in preparation for teaching Religious Quest as a Teaching Fellow.
