Exciting New Postgraduate Course for 2012/13

MA in Social Scientific Biblical Studies

Recruiting now for September 2012 - full and part time routes available

We are now accepting applications for our exciting, new and unique MA programme in Social Scientific Biblical Studies.

The MA has been developed by experts in the interface between biblical studies and social sciences at the University of Sheffield to answer the growing need for bespoke training for those who wish to make the most informed and effective use of the social sciences in their historical and exegetical work and in understanding the legacy of the Bible in contemporary societies and cultures.

Students will take four core modules, one optional module and write a dissertation. In core modules, students will apply sociological, anthropological and social psychological perspectives to substantive topics relating to the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament and the Dead Sea Scrolls. Students will be trained in the history of sociological thought, with special attention paid to the life, work and legacy of Max Weber, and in the use of qualitative and ethnographic method. These methods are utilised in the sociological analysis of the role of the Bible in contemporary societies and cultures, including European, North American, African, Asian and Oceanic contexts. A range of other module options are available including, Biblical Languages, Issues in Cultural Studies, Religion in an Age of Terror, Religion and Violence, The Bible and the Arts, and The Bible and The Postcolonial World.

Students will prepare a dissertation under the close supervision of their tutor and may elect to concentrate on either historical or contemporary cultural or ethnographic work.

Professor David Chalcraft is the course leader. David is trained in both Biblical Studies and Sociology and held a Chair in Classical Sociology before coming to Sheffield as Head of The Department of Biblical Studies in 2011. He is the Chair of The Social Sciences and the Interpretation of the Hebrew Scriptures program unit at the Society of Biblical Literature, and of European Association of Biblical Studies’ Bible and Sociology Research Unit. Other teaching staff will include colleagues from the Department of Sociological Studies, and colleagues in Biblical Studies who possess an established reputation for social scientific biblical studies, including Dr Mark Finney, Professor James Crossley, Professor Hugh Pyper and Dr. Katie Edwards.

For more information on the course content, structure and application process, please visit: www.sheffield.ac.uk/postgraduate/taught/courses/arts/biblical/social-scientific-biblical-studies