Doctorate of Theology
Overview
The Doctor of Theology (ThD) program aims to develop advanced theological researchers trained in the theological discourse of Eastern Christian traditions, preparing future leaders in interdisciplinary domains. The Doctor of Theology degree is a manageable program that provides the appropriate rigor for advanced research. This degree is aimed at students who may or may not pursue, be pursuing, or are ordained in clerical ministry, but who desire to use the knowledge and skills gained through pursuing a doctoral degree in order to serve their communities. As such, the program endeavors to form a network of highly trained persons in our communities in order to create educational excellence and opportunities for autonomous learning.
Students pursuing the ThD degree will have acquired appropriate theological training at the Master’s level prior to entry into the program. The ThD provides students critical research skills and methods for the purposes of conducting original research, engaging with one’s community, and establishing a world-wide cadre of theologians able to bridge historically rooted theology with the contemporary world. The program focuses on producing future scholars knowledgeable with the roots and legacy of ancient Christianity, as particularly represented by the Orthodox Christian tradition.
The Doctor of Theology is a 60 credit-hour program comprising doctoral seminars (42 credit-hours), comprehensive examinations, and a dissertation (18 credit-hours). The program culminates in the production of an original contribution to the field of theology through the research and writing of the doctoral dissertation.
Objectives
Students pursuing the ThD program will by the end of their program be able to:
- Recall an advanced knowledge important to the history, culture, and theology of early and Eastern Christianity.
- Orally articulate ideas and concepts pertinent to Orthodox Christian history, culture, and theology.
- Utilize appropriate research theories, methodology, and theoretical frameworks to address fundamental questions concerning Eastern Christian theology for engaging contemporary challenges in society.
- Demonstrate theologically based critical thought and contemplation concerning the Orthodox Christian theological positions and their application, both historically as well as within contemporary church and society.
- Construct and defend a position rooted in Orthodox Christian thought, demonstrating effective written communication sufficient to publish or present student’s work within the appropriate theological research domains.
- Produce new and original contributions to Orthodox Christian theological discourse, at a level appropriate to teaching at the community as well as collegiate or university levels.
Core Course
Research Methods
Elective Courses
Students will take the modules in the order they are made available. The modules listed here are indicative, and there is no guarantee that they will run for the current academic year.
The Two Ways of Knowing
This course explores the two types of knowledge in Orthodox Christianity: Knowledge of the mind (ἐπιστήμη) and knowledge of the heart (γνῶσις). The course will discuss the essence of Orthodox Christian knowledge through true encounter, and the expression of such experience in the diverse human epistemological and philosophical frames of mind. The course will also highlight the importance of establishing a priority for using a specific order of epistemological questions to accurately express the encounter. The course will then highlight Orthodox methodologies and their foundational dependence on a lifestyle of a ‘change of mind’ (μετάνοια) and the necessity of this change for a true Orthodox conversion, not just in form but also in essence.
Theological Anthropology
This course aims to explore the historical, scriptural, and patristic sources to engage with contemporary issues in theological anthropology. The course will examine theological anthropology as outlined in Pauline literature. It will also examine the theology of the Cappadocian and Syriac Fathers, particularly Gregory of Nyssa, Gregory the Theologian, Ambrose of Milan, Basil the Great, Ephrem the Syrian, and Jacob of Serug to examine the diversity of interpretation and breadth of meaning for the mystery of humanity. The course will shed emphasis on establishing methodologies to address modern issues surrounding the origin of humanity.
Orthodoxy in the Modern World
This module intends to familiarize students with the thought of some of the most important modern Orthodox theologians, as well as the challenges Orthodoxy faces today. To this end, the work of key theologians such as Sergei Bulgakov, Georges Florovsky, Paul Florensky, Vladimir Lossky, John Zizioulas, Christos Yannaras, Alexander Schmemann, and Dumitru Staniloae will be examined, as well as critical assessments of their work and contribution. Several challenges and problems of the Orthodox Church in the contemporary world will also be examined, such as the renewed importance to the Patristic legacy; the collapse and restoration of Mt Athos in the 20th century; the challenge of ecumenism.
Advanced Seminar in Christology
The question Christ posed to His disciples, “who do people say I am?” has been answered in different ways since the earliest times of Christianity. Using Christ’s query as a point of departure, this seminar investigates and presents a comprehensive synthesis of the Christological controversies that arose in both the Eastern and Western part of Christendom. Through a close reading of the writings of the Church fathers, the course also helps the students understand the mystery of the Incarnation of the Logos (Word of God) as the indispensable part of the divine plan of salvation.
Genocide in the Early 20th Century Middle East
How did Christianity in Turkey decrease from 25% of its population to just 0.4% today? This doctoral seminar is designed to introduce students to the critical study of human genocide through an in depth examination of the Turkish driven genocide against its Christian minority communities. Students taking this course will examine the antecedents of genocide and the Christian response. Questions investigated in this course address religious and national identity, persecution, martyrdom, and the legacy of victimhood. The experience of Armenians and Assyrians (i.e., Syriac-speaking Christians) will especially be highlighted.
Comparative Translations of Scripture in Late Antiquity
How do the various ancient translations of the Bible convey the same meaning in essence but diverge in form? This doctoral seminar is designed to introduce students to the critical study of the Sacred Scriptures through an examination of the various languages traditions through which these writings are conveyed. Students will participate in weekly seminars of scripture reading with attention to issues in comparative translation. Students taking this seminar are expected to be proficient in Hebrew and Greek. Proficiency in one or more languages of Christian and Jewish antiquity are highly encouraged: Aramaic (Targumic and Syriac) Armenian, Coptic, Ethiopic (Ge’ez), Georgian, and Latin.
The Book of Daniel
The book of Daniel is a unique document within the literature of the Old Testament, intersecting with history, prophecy, apocalypse, and wisdom literature, in three different languages. Like all books of the scripture, the book of Daniel can be read entirely on its own as well as in concert with the entirety of scriptural tradition. In this course, we will be plunging deeply into the book of Daniel in order to better understand inner-biblical exegesis, the reception of the text within the tradition of the Church, and its place in modern biblical scholarship.
This course proceeds under the assumption that students previously have read the Old Testament in its entirety. Doctoral students are required to read the text in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, (and are encouraged to bring translations reflecting the the liturgical language of their tradition to our seminar).
Scripture in its Ancient Near Eastern Context
This doctoral seminar is designed to introduce students to the critical study of the religions of ancient Israel and Judah during the Iron Age and their development in relation to the ontological encounter of divine inspiration prior to the incarnation. In large part, the course is motivated by the question of how the image and likeness of God is imprinted upon those inside and outside the faith community of ancient Israel, and what this means for understanding the emergence of scripture and tradition before the dawn of Christianity. Engaging both the primary texts of scripture and the ancient near East, the course prepares students to analyze the similarities and differences between the beliefs and praxis of ancient Israel with those of their neighbors. An examination of the prominent secondary literature introduces students to the major theories of the nature and diachronic changes in Israelite religion. Research beginning with these primary and secondary texts will be measured against the concerns of Orthodox Christian theological anthropology. Students taking this course will be proficient in Classical Hebrew and ideally one other scriptural language from antiquity, such as: Greek, Targumic Aramaic, Syriac, Latin, Coptic, Armenian, or Ethiopic.
The Christian Doctrine of God and Diversity
The Christian faith confesses a Trinitarian God who is a diversity of persons in unity. This doctrine must present Christians with a model of appreciating diversity while also being rooted in a unity. This course traces the development of the Christian doctrine of God and related themes from Scripture to the 20th century. The course pays close attention to significant texts in the Christian tradition to discussions of the doctrine of the trinity and its relationship to diversity. We explore how our Trinitarian faith should be lived daily by reflecting on contemporary challenges surrounding diversity of religion, sexuality, culture, and biodiversity.
History and Memory
History begets memory and memory begets history. Different groups of people hold differing historical narratives based on their communal memories. Communal memory creates historical narrative that ultimately intentionally seeks to forget, erase, and exclude events that are historically preserved. This class seeks to explore the history of the Oriental Orthodox tradition and how this history is shaped, remembered and forgotten, and preserved in communal memory.
Death in the Christian Tradition
In this module students will engage with a range of biblical, classical and contemporary texts to explore how the Christian tradition has thought about death and what, if anything, might come ‘after’ it. Students will acquire a thorough grounding in the biblical perspectives on death and
hope, noting how this develops and changes through the history of Israel and the early Christian era.
This will lay the foundation for the investigation of classic theological questions such as the relationship between sin and mortality, and the relationship of body and soul in Christian anthropology and hope. We will explore the increasing complexity of the ways in which Christians came to understand the possible post-mortem states of the person, and the debates which have circled around each of these: eternal bliss, eternal damnation (whether understood as conscious eternal torment or otherwise), and the various conceptions of Purgatory. Much of what the Christian tradition has to say about death is mediated through liturgy, and we will spend time investigating the significance of classic and contemporary funeral rites from diverse traditions. The willing embrace of death, whether through martyrdom or suicide (of course the distinction can be a blurred one), features much in contemporary cultural and political discourse. The course ends with a look at how the Christian tradition has approached both topics historically and in the present day.
From Cult to Culture
This doctoral seminar examines the fundamental elements of Eastern Christian worship as it developed in the early centuries of the Church, in order to historically ground subsequent theological discussion of contemporary renewal. After several weeks exploring the common repository of Orthodox liturgical tradition, we consider examples of current scholarship on the extant Rites in use among the Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches: Armenian, West Syrian, Coptic, Ethiopian, East Syrian and Byzantine. The selected readings showcase key scholars in the field, highlight the value of comparative and interdisciplinary methodologies, and illustrate the challenges of integrating history and theology with pastoral practice. The final weeks invite students to synthesize what they have learned by means of reflection on their own identity as worshippers in the modern world—with all its challenges: how does the beauty of the lex orandi (“rule of prayer”) relate to the truth of the lex credendi (“rule of belief”), while also cultivating the goodness of an authentic spirituality, that is, a faithful and fruitful Christian lex vivendi (“rule of living”)?
The Gospel of John
The course, The Gospel of John, involves an in-depth exploration of a particular theme or area in the study of theology. In this stream of the theology, we shall read the entire text of the Gospel according to John, chapter by chapter, in the context of modern historical research, but also with an eye to the Patristic commentaries and the spiritual reading of this text. The several strands of the text will be studied in a seminar form. The class will take into account several Biblical hermeneutic methodologies, but ultimately will concentrate on the text itself and the way it was understood and received in the early Christian communities.
A focus will lie on independent study on the part of the students to explore particular themes, texts, figures, or areas around the subject, which will be based in contemporary scholarly resources. Students will be required to take initiative on devising their assessment projects, and to exhibit strong communication in the delivery of their findings.
Required Dissertation Writing
Dissertation Writing and Doctoral Student Evaluation Criteria
Doctoral Seminars: In doctoral seminars, students will be evaluated based on their participation and essay submission, which is graded according to the ThD Essay Grading Rubric.
Advancing to Candidacy
In order to advance to candidacy, students must successfully pass all doctoral seminars and comprehensive examinations. The following assessments are used to evaluate students advancing to candidacy:
Language Exams:
Students must satisfy one language requirement from each of the following categories:
1. Classical Greek
2. The Primary Language of a major tradition: Classical Armenian, Christian Arabic, Coptic, Ethiopic, or Syriac.
3. One modern research language: (E.g. Arabic, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Italian, or Russian)
Students can show the fulfilment of the language requirement by a) submitting transcripts to show successful completion of these languages, b) sitting for language examination at one of the national testing centers [e.g. the Goethe Institute for the German language exam], c) by successfully passing Agora’s faculty evaluation at the discretion of the Dean, where students will be presented with pertinent passages to translate from primary texts in the case of classical languages, or research articles in their modern research language.
Comprehensive Exams:
Comprehensive exams comprise two exams addressing the student’s primary and secondary research areas. These examinations cover the dominant and relevant peer-reviewed literature in the appropriate field measuring the student’s presentation of advanced scholarly theological knowledge, inclusion/use of theoretical and theological concepts, and evidence of specialized content areas specific to Orthodox Christian theology.
Dissertation Progress Defense:
Following the passing of language and comprehensive exams, doctoral students must pass their dissertation progress defense by producing a 10,000-word excerpt and sitting for an oral defense of their dissertation before a select committee from the faculty senate, excluding the student’s supervisor. Upon passing the dissertation progress defense, students will advance to candidacy and be cleared to enter the dissertation writing phase of the program.
Dissertation Writing:
The student will write the dissertation with an original contribution to the field. The dissertation must be at least 65,000 words with a maximum of 75,000 words, excluding bibliography.
THEO 801 Learning Outcomes:
Students will solidify their acquisition of the program outcomes and develop specific skills particular to the doctoral dissertation that prepares students for conducting and completing future research. The following learning outcomes are aligned to the Th.D. program outcomes.
I. Research Skills:
– Students shall utilize appropriate research theories, methodology, and theoretical frameworks to address fundamental questions concerning Eastern Christian theology for engaging contemporary challenges in society.
a. Students will have exceeded the research skills particular to each course and expanded these to address the work necessary to major, sophisticated presentations in monograph format.
b. Students will know the major streams of research particular to their field: books, authors, journal databases, primary sources, etc.
II. Knowledge of their Field:
– Recall an advanced knowledge important to the history, culture, and theology of early and Eastern Christianity.
– Orally articulate ideas and concepts pertinent to Orthodox Christian history, culture, and theology.
a. Through their research undertaken, students will acquire specific knowledge and perspective on material directly and indirectly related to their research question. The research process is valuable not only for answering the specific research question, but also for learning valuable information within the context of uncovering data specific to the research. Generally, student research will yield 10x the information that will be directly necessary to include in the publication of the thesis.
III. Proper Analysis
– Students shall demonstrate theologically based critical thought and contemplation concerning the Orthodox Christian theological positions and their application both historically as well as within contemporary church and society.
– Students shall be able articulate a specific position on their undertaken research producing an original contribution to the fields of theological discourse. Proper analysis displays a student’s ability to not only conduct independent research, but to make sense of that research for the student’s own benefit as well as for others.
IV. Written Communication
– Students shall construct and defend a position rooted in Orthodox Christian thought, demonstrating effective written communication sufficient to publish or present the student’s work within the appropriate theological research domains.
o Produce new and original contributions to Orthodox Christian theological discourse, at a level appropriate to teaching at the community as well as collegiate or university levels.
Upon completion of the dissertation, students will be able to display the acquisition of their ability to communicate their research and analysis in written format.
The Viva:
At the conclusion of the dissertation writing process with a minimum of 65,000 words and a maximum of 75,000 words, students will submit the completed project to their supervisor, who will forward it to the examination committee, comprised of three faculty members. The committee will determine a date for the viva no later than six months from the date of submission. The viva usually takes two hours, with a maximum of four hours.
Study Plan
| Term 1 – Fall | Term 2 – Spring | Term 3 – Summer | Term 4 – Fall |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Two Ways of Knowing | Scripture in its Ancient Near Eastern Context | Genocide in the Early 20th Century Middle East | The Christian Doctrine of God and Diversity |
| Death and the Christian Tradition | Advanced Seminar in Christology | The Book of Daniel | The Gospel of John |
| Term 5 – Spring | Term 6 – Summer | Term 7 – Fall | Term 8 – Spring |
|---|---|---|---|
| From Cult to Culture | History and Memory | Theological Anthropology | Research |
| Comparative Translations of Scripture in Late Antiquity | Death in the Christian Tradition | Research |
| Term 9 – Summer |
|---|
| Research |
Students' Life-Changing Experiences
As a deacon at Saint Mary’s Coptic Orthodox Church in Ottawa, I found immense value in Dr. Emmanuel Gergis’s Introduction to Orthodox Theology and Methodology course at Agora University. Through engaging lectures and insightful discussions, Dr. Gergis broadened my understanding of Orthodox Christian perspectives, deepening my spiritual journey and intellectual growth. The course’s user-friendly approach to theological concepts, coupled with a well-structured virtual learning platform, made for an enriching experience. I highly recommend it for anyone seeking to strengthen their faith and explore theology’s profound depths.
Students' Life-Changing Experiences
As a deacon at Saint Mary’s Coptic Orthodox Church in Ottawa, I found immense value in Dr. Emmanuel Gergis’s Introduction to Orthodox Theology and Methodology course at Agora University. Through engaging lectures and insightful discussions, Dr. Gergis broadened my understanding of Orthodox Christian perspectives, deepening my spiritual journey and intellectual growth. The course’s user-friendly approach to theological concepts, coupled with a well-structured virtual learning platform, made for an enriching experience. I highly recommend it for anyone seeking to strengthen their faith and explore theology’s profound depths.