Research degrees
Watch our webinar to find out more about Theology research and how to apply for a PhD at Exeter.
Postgraduate research in Theology and Religion
We combine a strong commitment to research and scholarship with a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Postgraduate students study broadly in the areas of biblical studies, patristics, Christian doctrine, philosophical theology, and the ethical, social and political implications of Christian theology. Some choose inter- or multi-disciplinary topics. There are close links with other disciplines in the College of Humanities and Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies. We welcome research degree applications from those wishing to study on a full-time or part-time basis, on campus or at a distance.
In Theology and Religion we adopt a hands on approach to supervising our PhD students and this has proven effective and popular. Our research culture is built on inter-disciplinary communication and interaction, involving our research students at every level.
We support our research students with a series of courses that provide a grounding in all the key research skills you will require to develop, investigate and write-up world-class and cutting edge theological research. Through fortnightly research seminars, the postgraduate study day and involvement in societies our students are part of a vibrant research community.
Arrangements can be made for part-time students who live a considerable distance from Exeter or even from outside the UK, although there is a six-month residency requirement.
Find out more about our MPhil/PhD and MA by Research in Theology and Religion at Exeter.
Our research covers a wide range of areas, these broad headings give an indication of our special interests:
- Religion and ethics in public life
- Biblical studies and biblical interpretation
- Christian theology and the learning church
- Philosophical reflection and aspects of human life
Explore our research centres and research projects to find out more about our current research topics.
Visit our Theology staff profiles pages for details on individual staff research interests and publications.
Our current PGRs
We're proud of the research carried out by our PhD students. There are currently around 50 PhD students in the Department, many of whom maintain an online personal profile detailing their research activities. Follow the links below to find out more about them and their research projects.
Student | Research title | First supervisor | Second supervisor |
---|---|---|---|
Rachel Addison | Overcoming the legacy of Eugenics - historical, cultural and religious issues regarding the legitimacy of state involvement in the use of generic technologies. | Dr Esther D. Reed | Professor Christopher Southgate |
Joshua Bryant | An Empire Made Safe:The roles of late antique Roman fortified structures in the Eastern frontier region. | Professor Emma Loosley | Dr Ioana Oltean |
Robert William Button | The Theology of Ritual in the Russian Orthodox Tradition: Perspectives on the Nikonian Reforms. | Professor Morwenna Ludlow | Professor Emma Loosley |
Philippa Campbellclause | Eucharistic Food Ethics: Challenging our Stale Economy with the Bread of Life in an Era of Increasing Food Insecurity. | Professor Christopher Southgate | Professor Tim Gorringe |
Esther Chew Su Li | Recovering Heilsgeschichte for a Trinitarian Ethic | Dr Esther D. Reed | Dr Brandon Gallaher |
Elisabeth Cook | Implications of Ezra 9-10. | Professor Francesca Stavrakopoulou | Professor David Horrell |
Penelope Cowell Doe | Queering The Pilling Report | Dr Louise Lawrence | Dr Susannah Cornwall |
Jonathan Curtis | Teetotalism as ethical choice. | Dr Esther D. Reed | Avril Mewse |
Catherine Donner | The centrality of death in the life and writings of Thomas More. | Dr Esther D. Reed | Professor Henry French |
Paschalis Gkortsilas | John Chrysostom and the Greeks: Hellenism and Greek philosophy in the rhetoric of John Chrysostom | Professor Morwenna Ludlow | Dr Richard Flower |
Stephen Goundrey-Smith | The Impact of Pharmaceutical Research on the Shape of Human Life in the 20th Century | Professor Christopher Southgate | Dr Jonathan Hill |
Eva Marina Syster Hannus | ‘Theological anthropology in light of evolutionary and cognitive science’ | Professor Christopher Southgate | Dr Jonathan Hill |
Alistair Harper | ‘Subversive-Fulfilment’: How Acts relates with the Greco-Roman world | Professor David Horrell | Professor Morwenna Ludlow |
Giovanni Hermanin De Reichenf | The role of the Holy Spirit in the Gospel of John within Origen’s and Augustine’s Commentaries. | Professor Morwenna Ludlow | Dr David Tollerton |
David Horner | Body and Soul: An evaluation of Richard Swinburne’s arguments for substance dualism | Dr Jonathan Hill | Joel Krueger |
Cherryl Hunt | The manner the Bible is read and used in churches. | Dr Louise Lawrence | Dr Mike Higton |
Hyun Kang | Establishing a novel eco-feministic model of godfrom Korean folklore. | Dr Esther D. Reed | Heidi Hadsell |
Ha Young Kim | Divine Christology and Priestly Sacrifice in 1 Peter. | Professor David Horrell | Dr Louise Lawrence |
Diane Lincoln | Emerging Church | Dr Esther D. Reed | Avril Mewse |
Daniel McClellan | Divine Agency in Early Israelite and Jewish Literature and Cult | Professor Francesca Stavrakopoulou | Professor Siam Bhayro |
Daniel Nessim | Didache, Torah, Gentile and Jew: A paradigm of distinction and unity. | Professor David Horrell | Professor Siam Bhayro |
Amy Poppinga | Knowledge preceding action. | Dr Esther D. Reed | Scott Thumma |
Louise Prideaux | Towards a Christian Theology of Contemporary Culture in the Reformed Tradition | Dr Esther D. Reed | Dr Louise Lawrence |
Leanna Rierson | Evaluating Paul’s Power-in-Weakness Claims and Strategies in the Corinthian Correspondence in Light of Current Vulnerability and Humility Research | Professor David Horrell | Dr Louise Lawrence |
Mark Rivers Bland | Can money be “made” to glorify God? A proposal for a church-based token currency. | Dr Esther D. Reed | Professor Tim Gorringe |
Carla Roland | Theology and Religious Studies. | Professor Ian Netton | Yahya Michot |
David Shaw | New testament: Identity and Mission in the Letter of 1 Peter. | Professor David Horrell | Dr Louise Lawrence |
Hyunte Shin | New Testament Eschatology and the Environmental Crisis of South Korea: Towards a Contextual Christian Environmental Ethic | Professor David Horrell | Professor Christopher Southgate |
Rebekah Welton | A Study of Gluttony and Drunkenness in Narratives of the Hebrew Bible in Relation to the Law of the Rebellious Son in Deuteronomy 21:18-21 | Professor Francesca Stavrakopoulou | Rita Langer |
Ying Lam Yip | Choosing to Suffer: A Narrative Analysis of the Identity-Making Processes in Philippians | Professor David Horrell | Dr Louise Lawrence |
Supervisors - all students have a primary and a secondary supervisor who provide regular, high quality advice, support and direction in their academic endeavours. You will work closely with your supervisors over three to four years (full time PhD) or six to seven (part-time PhD) to develop, investigate and write-up a project at the cutting edge of theological research.
Visit our staff profiles for more information about individual research interests or use the search box on the right of this page to find a supervisor.
Mentor - each student will also be assigned a mentor who will take on a pastoral role and mediate on any problems that arise during the period of study. Your mentor will keep in regular contact and will provide background stability and support.
Graduate School Office - the College of Humanities has a dedicated Graduate School Office that supports our postgraduate research students during their study with us. The Office promotes intellectual and social contact between research students in all our disciplines to foster a vibrant research community within the College.
Funding opportunities available to students on our research degree programmes in Theology and Religion:*
Award | Value | Application deadline | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Mathematical Research PhD Studentships - EPSRC DTP Funded | 3.5 year studentship: UK/EU tuition fees and an annual maintenance allowance at current Research Council rate. Current rate of £15,285 per year. | Mon 25th Jan 2021 | EPSRC Funded studentships available for September 2021 entry. The studentship will provide funding of fees and a stipend which is currently £15,285 per annum for 2020-21. |
Social and Behavioural Life and Environmental Science Research PhD Studentships - EPSRC DTP Funded | 3.5 year studentship: UK/EU tuition fees and an annual maintenance allowance at current Research Council rate. Current rate of £15,285 per year. | Mon 25th Jan 2021 | EPSRC Funded studentships available for September 2021 entry. The studentship will provide funding of fees and a stipend which is currently £15,285 per annum for 2020-21. |
South West and Wales Doctoral Training Partnership AHRC PhD Studentship | UK tuition fees for eligible students and a maintenance grant of £15,285 (2020/21) | Mon 25th Jan 2021 | UK tuition fees for eligible students and a maintenance grant of £15,285 (2020/21) |
2021/22 PhD Global Excellence Studentship - College of Humanities | International tuition fees and an annual maintenance allowance at current Research Council rate of £15,009 per year (2019/20 rate) | Mon 1st Mar 2021 | Exeter’s College of Humanities is offering one fully-funded PhD Global Excellence Studentship (open to International candidates only) for study commencing in September 2021, across any of its areas of research expertise. |
Al-Qasimi PhD Studentship in Arab and Islamic Studies, Islamic Studies, Middle East Politics, Ethno-Political Studies, Kurdish Studies or Palestine Studies. | International tuition fees and an annual maintenance allowance at current Research Council rate of £15,285 (for 2020/21 entry) per year | Mon 1st Mar 2021 | We are looking for PhD proposals in humanities and social sciences with reference to the Middle East and the Islamicate world. |
University of Exeter Global Commitment Scholarship 2020/21 | £2,000 reduction in the first year tuition fee | There is no application for this award. You will be automatically considered. | A tuition fee discount for students starting a postgraduate taught Masters or research degree with us in 2020/21 |
Sanctuary Scholarship | Full tuition fee waiver plus annual living cost grant | Fri 21st May 2021 | The Sanctuary Scholarship scheme enables individuals seeking asylum and refugees who are not able access student finance to study at the University of Exeter. |
Sports Scholarship Scheme | up to £3,000 plus additional support services worth £3,500 | Mon 31st May 2021 | Sports scholarships are awarded to students of outstanding sporting ability who show evidence of achievement at international level in their chosen sport. |
University of Exeter Alumni Scholarship 2021/22 | 10% reduction in the first year tuition fee | There is no application for this award. You will be automatically considered. | A tuition fee discount for University of Exeter alumni who start a postgraduate degree with us in 2021/22 |
University of Exeter Class of 2021 Progression Scholarship | 10% reduction in the first year tuition fee | There is no application for this award. You will be automatically considered. | A tuition fee discount for current University of Exeter students completing a degree in 2021 and progressing directly to a standalone postgraduate programme with us in 2021/22 |
Fulbright Scholarships: Postgraduate Student Awards - 2021/22 competition | Full tuition fee waiver for one year of Masters / PhD & living stipend | Deadline passed (Tue 13th Oct 2020) |
Our UK Partnership award with Fulbright is available for Masters or Doctoral students who are USA or dual USA:UK citizens wishing to study at the University. The award takes the form of a tuition fee waiver for the first year of graduate study (either Masters or PhD) and a living stipend. We also accept scholars in receipt of Fulbright 'Open Awards' (also referred to as the All Disciplines Award). |
University of Exeter Alumni Scholarship with the Global Commitment uplift 2020/21 | 20% reduction in the first year tuition fee | There is no application for this award. You will be automatically considered. | A tuition fee discount for all University of Exeter alumni who start a postgraduate degree with us in 2020/21 |
University of Exeter Class of 2020 Progression Award with the Global Commitment uplift | 20% reduction in the first year tuition fee | There is no application for this award. You will be automatically considered. | A tuition fee discount for current University of Exeter students completing a full degree in 2020 and progressing directly to a standalone postgraduate programme with us in 2020/21 |
UKRI Centre for Doctoral Training in Environmental Intelligence: Data Science & AI for Sustainable Futures | UK/EU tuition fees together with a yearly stipend at UKRI rates (£15,285 for 2020/21) | Deadline passed (Mon 18th Jan 2021) |
UKRI Funded studentships available for Autumn 2021 entry. The studentship will provide funding of Home/EU tuition fees and a stipend of £15,285 per annum for 2020-21. |
The College of Humanities works closely with the University’s Career Zone to help you gain the skills, experience and expertise employers are looking for. There are a wide range of opportunities to enhance your employability, along with the support you need to make important career decisions.
We have our own Employability Officer who works to develop close links with employers and arranges careers events. Each department has an academic representative who promotes the employability needs and interests of their students. This helps us ensure that employability activities are relevant and appealing to you.
Employers
University of ExeterUniversity of Poitiers, France
Autonomous University of Zacatecas, Mexico
Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe, Germany – Theatre and Opera House
Rye St Anthony School
Christian Concern for One World
ARK Kings Academy
Alliance Française Devon
Cornwall Archaeology Unit
Create Productions
Duchy College
Emory University
University of Bristol
King Abdul Aziz University, Saudia Arabia
Church of England
Bangkok University, Thailand
The Brilliant Club (Charity)
University of Oxford
Royal Holloway University of London
Border Archaeology
Falmouth University
University of Cambridge
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Italian Teacher
Research and Resources Officer
Teacher
Associate Lecturer
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Translator
Lecturer in French Studies
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Historian
Dramaturg
Associate Research Fellow
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Research Officer
*Employment destination information sourced from the DLHE surveys 2013/14 and 2012/13