- 100% of students are satisfied with the course (National Student Survey 2018).
- Flexible evening and weekend teaching, allowing you to continue with your ministry commitments.
- Roehampton has historical roots as an institution with strong connections to the church.
- The option to complete a further year to gain a BTh honours degree.
UndergraduateMinisterial Theology (FdA/BTh)
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Summary
Summary
This course is ideal for those who are already working in Christian ministry and mission. It gives you the opportunity to develop your intellectual and practical expertise, while continuing to work in your local church or community.
This foundation degree is specifically designed for people who have little or no previous academic experience but are keen to learn new ideas and skills. There is the option, upon successful completion of the FdA, to study for a further year to gain a BTh honours degree in Ministerial Theology.
All students undertake a long ministry placement for the duration of the foundation degree. This will normally be at your home church, where you will be supported by a local mentor. Your mentor will provide supervision and will be someone who knows you and your Christian ministry. Roehampton teaching staff will also visit you in your church.
You will also have a short ministry placement in another church or ministry context, which is carefully chosen with your local mentor to ensure a rich and valuable experience. The work you do in your local church or community counts towards the credits you need to successfully complete the course. There are also specially-designed study days for evangelists, worship leaders, pastoral assistants and preachers.
You will join a large ministerial theology student body, ranging from foundation level to PhD, and benefit from Roehampton's historical roots as an institution with strong connections to the church. Chapel is held regularly during term and students are encouraged to attend and participate. All of our ministry students become members of our Whitelands College and benefit from the chaplaincy facilities there.
Teaching takes place out of working hours, giving you the space to manage your other commitments. Staff have a wide range of research interests and expertise, but particular specialisms include African Christianity, Christian education, congregational studies, ecclesiology, Pentecostalism, New Testament and transnational churches.
Content
Year one
- Develop your understanding of the nature of the Old and New Testament scripture and explore the theory and practice of relating scripture to both the historical and contemporary context.
- Address the question ‘What is Ministry?’ and reflect on your own spiritual journey.
- Other modules include Navigating Church History and Christian Doctrine.
Year two
- Begin a ministry placement and continue to develop your ability to observe, describe, analyse and evaluate your own ministry practice.
- Develop your understanding of Christian ethics, reflect on how Christians theologise about encounter with other faiths, develop your theology and practice of preaching, and explore liturgy and liberty in worship.
- A short ministry placement puts you in a different ministry context, allowing you to experience how other Christian traditions do church.
Continue onto year three to gain a Bachelor of Theology.
Year three
- Investigate the theology and practice of pastoral care, consider how different theologies have developed around the world or learn about the art and science of biblical interpretation - hermeneutics.
- Choose to study a topic of interest to you in-depth as a special essay or a dissertation, where you will produce a sustained piece of theological reflection on an aspect of Christian ministry.
Modules
Here are some of the varied range of modules we currently offer:
Year 1
Compulsory Modules
Scripture 1 (Old Testament)
Scripure 2 (New Testament)
The Contexts of Ministry 1
Study Skills for Ministerial Theology
Navigating Church History
Introduction to Christian Doctrine
Optional Modules
English for Academic Study
Year 2
Compulsory Modules
The Contexts of Ministry 2
Short Ministry Placement
Engaging Scripture
Optional Modules
Christian Ethics
Church and World Religions
Pentecostal Theology in Context
Mission in the 21st Century
Modern Christian Doctrine
Liturgy and Liberty in Worship
Christian Apologetics
Introduction to New Testament Greek
Year 3 (BTh)
Compulsory Module
Either Ministerial Theology Dissertation or Ministerial Theology Special Essay
Optional Modules
Church and Society
Pauline Theology
Theologies from World Christianity
Theology and Practice of Pastoral Care
Christian Doctrine in Ecumenical Perspective
Education, Faith and Society
Preaching
Trinitarian Theology
Compulsory and Required modules
Compulsory and/or required modules may change when we review and update programmes. Above is a list of modules offered this academic year.
Optional modules
Optional modules, when offered as part of a programme, may vary from year to year and are subject to viability.
Career options
You could go onto work in a wide variety of Christian ministry roles in churches and parachurch organisations, or continue with postgraduate study in theology. You could also work in the charity sector or teaching.
Our careers team is available to support you from the start of your studies until after you graduate. They will help you build your CV, prepare for interviews, and meet and learn from successful graduates working at the top of their careers. You’ll also have opportunities to work with our partners across London and beyond, and to attend a Roehampton jobs fair where you can find out about graduate opportunities and meet employers.