Wednesday, July 07, 2004
(6:00 PM) | Anonymous:
On not understanding the titles of graduate programs.
I am applying to the MA in Philosophical Theology program at the University of Nottingham. The only real problem posed by applying to this program is I have no fucking clue what 'Philosophical Theology' is or even could be! According to the prospectus from the university "the course allows students to: explore and understand the interaction between philosophy and theology, acquire the skills to engage in philosophical reflection within or upon religious traditions and acquire the skills required for study at research degree level." I understand the last one, the one with the developing research skills part though not how Philosophical Theology is necessary to develop these skills but really it's the first two that still do nothing to help me understand the title."Explore and understand the interaction between philosophy and theology." Why call it Philosophical Theology then? Why not Theological Philosophy? What makes this theology, which has an interaction with philosophy anyway, specifically philosophical? Let's try to do the Greek literal meaning. "Of lovers of knowledge of the study of God." Hmm... well that still doesn't really make sense. It's better than theosophy though: "God-wisdom." At least I'm not doing some program in God-wisdom studies, that title would make even less sense than Philosophical Theology and is just damn dumb.
"Acquire the skills to engage in philosophical reflection within or upon religious traditions." Well that one seems to at least give me the option of never going to church while still loving the knowledge of the study of God. So does this mean Nottingham's theology program considers theology to be religious traditions? Well I just be learning how to critique theology using philosophy rather than theology? That doesn't seem to match up with it being Philosophical THEOLOGY. Which discipline gets to be the primary discourse in this Philosophical Theology? It would seem that the title suggests I will be doing theology by using philosophy but is there any kind of Political Scientifical Theology? Or Sodomitical Theology? Would CTS's rather infamous author of The Man Jesus Loved be considered to do this kind of theology? I only ask because I am applying there also and I would like to know how I am to be doing theology.
Perhaps we can begin a new books series entitled: The Memory of the Socius in Sodomitical Theology Studies Across the Boundries of the Philosophical Present.
