Rachel Fidler - Theology

I applied to study theology at St John's after studying philosophy and ethics at AS/A-level and finding it really engaging. Coming from a state school, I initially (and naively) felt daunted by the impressive history and beautiful grounds at St John's. Everyone was really friendly from the get-go though, and there's a welcoming atmosphere as soon as you start, helped by your DoS and Tutor(s), who are keen to make sure people are settling in well. 

The course itself was really varied in the first year - with excellent teaching which encourages students to develop their own passions in the subject. I opted for a mixture of subjects to work out what I was interested in - including sociology of religion and New Testament Greek, two subjects that were completely new to me. 

I particularly liked the philosophy of religion modules, and thinking more broadly about how those ideas of God fitted in with concepts in church doctrine (God becoming incarnate, salvation, creation). I focused on these areas for my final two years. 

By my third year, I had developed a deep-rooted and detailed knowledge of Christian theology - being able to pull on things I'd learnt over the past two years to approach issues creatively. I gained the confidence to think constructively in supervisions and to argue clearly and concisely. A well-taught, well-rounded and thoroughly interesting subject, I would recommend anyone with a passion for issues around religion to look into studying the course at St John's.

Rachel Fidler, March 2017