Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Christian Thought & Theology

This program is closed at this time. Please check out our Doctoral Programs.

The Doctorate of Philosophy is the highest academic degree awarded by SFBC. A Ph.D. degree is normally a pre-requisite for a teaching career. With this in mind the Ph.D. in Christian Thought and Theology is designed to prepare students for a vocation in theological instruction at Christian scholarly service to the church.

Graduates should be able to:

Have an in-depth knowledge of Biblical and theological problems and their solutions.
Contribute to the knowledge of the specific area concentration in theology
Demonstrate competence in theological teaching and scholarship
Have knowledge of essential tools and research methods of theological scholarship
Develop skills in teaching
Possess demonstrated academic gifts
Committed to a Christian calling in a life of scholarly research and theological reflection, leading to teaching and publication
This program of study consists of sixty credit hours of specific and independent studies. The seminary Ph.D., is an academic degree to advance the students’ knowledge in religion. The student must have a background in hermeneutics, apologetics, theology, philosophy, and church history. The student must hold a Master degree in this field, A Master of Divinity degree is preferred.

Program Requirements

Sixty credit hours of directed and independent studies that include documented research and reading of 20,000 pages (a minimum bibliography of fifty books).
The dissertation must be typewritten, double spaced, and not less than 150 pages, covering a topic in the student’s field of study.