POSTGRADUATE PROSPECTUS - London School of Theology

LST 12RESEARCH DEGREESResearch is about diggingdeep into a topic. The freshdiscoveries you make willcontribute both to yourpersonal growth and also tothe community you will beserving. A research degreeestablishes and demonstratesyour competence in thetheological discipline inwhich your thesis is beingsubmitted.In a research programme you willdemonstrate critical knowledge of the mainscholarly contributions to your chosen field.You will critically test hypotheses (includingyour own) by methods appropriate to yourdiscipline. You will write a comprehensiveand disciplined study of your topic, which willbe coherently structured and appropriatelyargued. Research degrees are not ‘taught’courses, although you may be asked to takea course of guided reading or attend somerelevant classes.SupervisionResearch students are assigned one or twosupervisors (the number of supervisorsdepends on your topic) who have expertisein the student’s topic, and will guide andadvise them in their research. Normallyyou will meet with your supervisor at leastfour times each year (two or three timesfor part-time students) to discuss at somelength written work previously submitted,and to talk through the way ahead. Allstudents are required to visit the Schoolat least once a year. For students who liveat a great distance from LST (particularlyoutside the UK), supervision can beconducted by telephone, Skype or iChat,and contact can be maintained by email.Possible areas ofresearchThe lists below give an indication ofthe main areas of interest among ourresearch supervisors; look at the individualsupervisor profiles (pages 19-22) tofind out each supervisor’s more specificinterests. Projects that fall outside the areasbelow will also be considered.Old TestamentExegesis and theology of the Pentateuch, theDeuteronomistic History, Wisdom literature,Hebrew poetry, Psalms, the propheticliterature; OT and biblical theology; OTinterpretation and hermeneutics; Hebrewlanguage; discourse analysis of OT texts.Supervisors: Jean-Marc Heimerdinger,Alison Lo, John Wilks.New TestamentCriticism and theology of Mark, Luke-Acts,John, the Pauline letters, Hebrews andRevelation; Pauline theology; NT theology,especially God, Christology, pneumatology,ecclesiology, missiology; aspects ofNew Testament hermeneutics (e.g. thecontribution of linguistics, use of the OTin the NT); historical Jesus studies; socialhistorical,sociological, narrative-criticaland theological approaches to the NewTestament; Greek language and linguistics;textual criticism.Supervisors: Max Turner, Conrad Gempf,Steve Motyer, Steve Walton, Julie Robb,William Atkinson, Robert Willoughby (MTh).LST5642 - Postgraduate Prospectus revise v8REPRO.indd 12 12/08/2011 12:32