Theology, Ethics, and Philosophy, Doctor of Philosophy

The Theology, Ethics, and Philosophy course of study at Boston University School of Theology support work in theology and ethics that is historically engaged, philosophically-informed, interdisciplinary, and transformative for scholarship and religious life communities. The program emphasizes the importance of studying the history of Christian theology and comparative theology in critical and constructive engagement with diverse fields of inquiry and attention to important questions and problems, whether long or contemporary. The program operates to understand that our collective task is not simply to underscore or reiterate claims within Christian or other traditions nor simply to discard them but to generatively  and  critically interact with them. In a word, to engage them constructively and in robust conversation with disciplinary partners outside of theological studies. The term “constructive,” then, does not so much designate an arena within theology, as an ethos animating our approach to theology and ethics. This work aims to contribute to the construction of knowledge and action within theology and religious communities and without. In all this, we seek to partner with other units of the university and other sources and modes of knowing in order to pursue common questions – and to seek answers that, in keeping with BU’s legacy, “enrich the academy” and advance the cause of “peace with justice in a diverse and interconnected world.” Faculty research, teaching, and doctoral preparation model this constructive dimension of scholarship and nurtures the development of the student’s ability to articulate their theological position.

At Boston University School of Theology (STH), you can pursue the ministries you imagine as you become a leader ready to respond to the challenges of today's global religious landscape. Transform yourself. Then change the world. A renowned faculty guides you through rigorous academics. A supportive community nurtures your life, your faith, and your goals.

Our mission is to pursue knowledge of God, to cultivate leaders for communities of faith, to enrich the academy, and to seek peace with justice in a diverse and interconnected world.

As the founding school of Boston University and the oldest United Methodist seminary in North America, we are a professional school within a cosmopolitan research university that is itself committed to "learning, virtue, and piety." Rooted in the Wesleyan traditions and drawing from the wider Christian traditions of the world, we strive to equip women and men for ministries and vocations that foster personal and social transformation, that are oriented to the world's diversities, and that expand the prophetic legacy of this historic School of Theology.

Join our unique community of learners who think creatively about real-world problems. Learn alongside accomplished students, guided through rigorous academic programs by renowned faculty. At Boston University School of Theology, our faiths are diverse; our callings, varied. But we share a common aspiration of creating a better world.