Philosophy and Theology

Academic Staff

Fellow

Dr Krister Bykvist is the Fellow and Tutor in Philosophy, who teaches mainly in the areas of Mill's Moral Philosophy, Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, Ethics, and Philosophy of Religion. His research interests lie in normative ethics, especially topics about well-being.

Lecturers

Dr Oliver Rashbrook is a Lecturer in Philosophy for Jesus College. He teaches in the areas of elementary logic, general philosophy, knowledge and reality, history of modern philosophy, philosophy of language, and philosophy of mind.

About the Course

Philosophy and Theology brings together some of the most important approaches to understanding and assessing the intellectual claims of religion, and in particular of Christianity. It fosters intellectual capacities that you can apply across both disciplines, and develops skills which you will find useful for a wide range of careers and activities after graduation. The degree is constructed in the belief that the parallel study of these related disciplines provides new perspectives on each, leading to deeper understanding.

The study of philosophy develops analytical rigour and the ability to criticise and reason logically. It allows you to apply these skills to many contemporary and historical schools of thought and individual thinkers, and to questions ranging from how we acquire knowledge and form moral judgements to central questions in the philosophy of religion, including the existence and nature of God and the relevance of religion to human life.

The study of theology brings together a wide range of skills and disciplines, historical, textual, linguistic, sociological, literary-critical and philosophical. It provides a grounding in the theology and ethics of early and of modern Christianity, along with a wide range of options in the academic study of religion, including non-Christian traditions.

The Philosophy Faculty is the largest philosophy department in the UK, and one of the largest in the world, with more than 70 full-time members, admitting more than 500 undergraduates annually to read the various degrees involving Philosophy. Many Faculty members have a worldwide reputation, and library and other facilities are acknowledged as among the best in the country.

The Theology Faculty has nearly 100 members, covering almost every possible branch of the discipline, ranging from experts in the ancient languages and literature of the world's religions to church historians and systematic theologians. Its reputation attracts scholars from all over the world as visiting lecturers.

Your work is divided between tutorials (one or two weekly), lectures (typically six to eight weekly), and perhaps some classes, for instance for first-year logic, or for languages such as New Testament Greek. A large part of your week will be spent in private study to prepare essays for tutorials. The tutorial system, involving a programme of recommended reading and the individual discussion of weekly essays, is particularly well adapted to subjects such as Philosophy and Theology where the analysis and comparison of different theories and points of view will occupy a central place.

In the Preliminary Examination, taken at the end of the second term, the weighting is to some extent on the theological side with papers on the Doctrine of Creation and a New Testament set text (Gospel of Mark); the Philosophy is the same as for the PPE Examinations, i.e., Moral Philosophy (Mill), General Philosophy, and Logic.. In the degree course the compulsory papers are the Philosophy of Religion and a historical paper (either the History of Philosophy from Descartes to Kant, Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, or Plato’s Republic). A considerable number of other optional papers are available: see the list under PPE. On the Theology side there is a compulsory New Testament paper (on ‘The Gospels and Jesus’) and a compulsory paper on the interpretation of Christian doctrine today (‘God, Christ, and Salvation’). Again, there is a wide range of optional papers to choose from.

Joint Schools

Theology is not available as a single subject at Jesus College. Philosophy cannot be studied on its own at Oxford. At Jesus College, you can also study the following combinations:

Admissions

Applications are accepted from candidates with any subject at A-level. Religious Studies may be helpful for some elements of the course, but is by no means essential.

Candidates are selected on the basis of academic record (e.g. GCSEs) and potential, as shown by their UCAS reference, submitted written work, and performance in the Philosophy written test and in interviews if shortlisted. For Theology, candidates are required to submit two essays written and marked as part of their A-level work. There is no written test in Theology. In Philosophy there is a one-hour test during the interview period of your ability to reason analytically and to use language accurately.

In the interview, tutors are looking for an interest in the proposed fields of study, a critical and analytical approach to abstract questions and the ability to defend a viewpoint by reasoned argument.

In a total College entry of about 100 undergraduates, 2 are offered places in a typical year to read Philosophy and Theology. Offers made to pre-A level candidates will be conditional upon A2 level results (normally AAA, excluding General Studies). Offers made to post-A level candidates will usually be unconditional.

Deferred Entry: Applications for deferred entry to Jesus College are welcomed. You must apply for deferred entry at the time of application to Oxford: you cannot change your mind after an offer has been made. Please refer to departmental web sites for subject-specific advice. You should be aware that applicants who are offered places for deferred entry will generally be among the strongest of the cohort for their subject. We would not usually offer more than one or two deferred places per subject in order not to disadvantage the following year's candidates. In some cases, an applicant for deferred entry may be offered a place for non-deferred entry instead. If you require any further advice, please contact the Admissions Officer.

Postgraduate Studies and Careers

Oxford is a major centre for postgraduate study in Philosophy. At this level (by contrast with the undergraduate course) it is possible to specialize exclusively in Philosophy, with the help of formal and informal classes, seminars and discussions. It is frequently possible to hear and meet visiting philosophers from abroad. Frequently postgraduate students work towards the BPhil, which involves an examination in general philosophical subjects and also some major philosopher or group of philosophers, and in addition a short thesis (which can, if the candidate is successful at the BPhil stage, be expanded subsequently for a DPhil). For others, however, concentration on a single topic of MLitt or DPhil scope may be more attractive.

Undergraduates who have taken courses including Philosophy have engaged subsequently in a wide variety of careers, sometimes involving a direct application of their undergraduate studies but in many cases not. Philosophy and Theology graduates enter a wide range of careers, including academic teaching and research, school teaching, commerce, banking and financial services, journalism and communications.

Preliminary Reading and Further Information

If you are contemplating a course involving Philosophy, or are wondering whether such would suit you, you might wish to read some of the following:

Thomas Nagel What Does It All Mean? (Oxford)
Bertrand Russell The Problems of Philosophy (Oxford)
M Hollis Invitation to Philosophy (Blackwell)
Nigel Warburton Philosophy: The Basics (Routledge)
Peter Singer Practical Ethics (Cambridge)
Simon Blackburn Think (Oxford)
Roger Scruton An Intelligent Person's Guide to Philosophy (Duckworth)

On the Theology side you might find the following useful:

David Brown Invitation to Theology
Christopher Tuckett Reading the New Testament
P Vardy and M Mills The Puzzle of the Gospels
Alister McGrath Christian Theology: an Introduction
Bart D Ehrman A Brief Introduction to the New Testament

Further information about Philosophy and Theology at Oxford can be found on the Faculty of Philosophy and Faculty of Theology websites and the University's Undergraduate Courses pages