MA Biblical Studies and English
About this course
Biblical studies and English is a pairing that brings together the most foundational body of texts in Western civilisation and the literary tradition that emerged from, and in constant dialogue with, those texts. The Hebrew Bible and the New Testament have exerted an influence on English literature that is impossible to overstate: from the King James Bible's shaping of the English language itself to Milton's use of scripture, George Eliot's moral frameworks, T. S. Eliot's allusive poetry, and the work of countless writers who have wrestled with the religious traditions they inherited. Studying biblical texts seriously alongside English literature illuminates both in ways that neither alone provides. At St Andrews this four-year full-time programme includes a year abroad, which adds an international dimension to your studies. The biblical studies component allows you to explore the profound influence that the Christian and Jewish scriptures have had on Western civilisation, focusing on the Old and New Testaments while also engaging with related writings from these periods including the Dead Sea Scrolls. You will develop the skills of textual analysis, historical contextualisation, and hermeneutical reasoning that serious biblical scholarship requires. The English component adds a tradition of close reading, literary critical analysis, and engagement with literature across a wide range of periods and forms. The MA programme at St Andrews is particularly suited to students who want breadth across arts subjects while giving substantial attention to divinity. Graduates find careers in education, publishing, chaplaincy, the cultural sector, journalism, archival and heritage work, academic research, and the wide range of fields where the combination of critical thinking, textual precision, and cultural knowledge is valued. Many graduates also continue to postgraduate study in theology, English literature, biblical studies, or comparative religion, and the degree provides excellent preparation for academic research careers in the humanities or for roles in religious education and chaplaincy services.
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