Hello, I've decided to apply to St Andrews as well so maybe I'll see you there! It must be tough waiting for your results, I'm sure you'll do great though
So what got you interested in Theology??
Hello, I saw your post in the other thread and completely forgot to answer. I've looked up Exeter and Sheffield though and I can see what you mean, they do look great for Theology! Good luck as you wait for exam results
In regards to my interests, I suppose they can best be summed up as history, feminism, and philosophy. I just love how interdisciplinary Theology is, you can apply it to so many other fields. The
Women & Christianity books by Mary T. Malone are excellent. I also like Karen Armstrong, her book
A History of God got me interested in early Christianity, especially at the time of Constantine. I didn't know about Arius and Athanasius beforehand but I've discovered I really like Arius. I've got a soft spot for heretics
Elaine Pagels, Matthew Fox, and Marcus Borg are on my reading list this summer. I've also been to see some lectures by Amy-Jill Levine who is a really great Jewish scholar on the New Testament. She's the one who edited
The Jewish Annotated New Testament a few years ago which I highly recommend. It's got some wonderful essays at the back by Jewish Scholars about the NT. I really love studying Jesus in his historical Jewish context. The more I learn about the history of Christianity, the more I find it meaningful.
Besides Christianity I know most about Buddhism but I'd like to learn more about Hinduism and Islam as well, especially in today's world. One of my favourite spiritual teachers is Thich Nhat Hanh. He's a Buddhist monk and has written numerous books on meditation and spiritual practice. Not really academic I suppose but still great reads.
What books are you reading? And how is your personal statement coming along? Mine's all over the place, I probably won't finish it until the end of August. Also, have you taken Theology for your A levels? I don't know how the British Education system works entirely, but could you tell me the general topics you've covered in your class or do you happen to know where I could find an outline of the curriculum? I'm just worried about interviews. I don't want them to ask me something that I've never heard of but everyone else has because they've covered it in school.