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3. Written Qualifying Examinations in Theology
3.1. Purpose of the Written Qualifying Examinations
Doctoral programs have built in assessment points, each of which must be passed before progressing to the next stage. Doctoral candidates in theology take the qualifying examinations in theology only after having successfully completed the language requirements of their program (and, in the case of PhD candidates, only after passing the Division-wide examination and the qualifying examination in Core Texts and Motifs as well). They must pass all of the written qualifying examinations before taking an oral examination of the specialization in which their dissertation is to be written (in the case of ThD Majors, qualifying examinations in the Minor discipline must also be completed before the oral examination). They must pass the oral examination before submitting their prospectus to the committees administering the various doctoral programs. They must obtain approval of their dissertation prospectus from those committees before they can advance to the dissertation.
General competence in theology is necessary for proceeding to work in a theological specialization. The written qualifying examinations in theology, regardless of program, assess the general competence of theology candidates in scriptural theology, systematic theology, fundamental theology, philosophical theology, and advocacy theology, as these theological tasks are pursued from historical, constructive, and comparative methodological perspectives. These types of theological activity and methods are briefly described in "Kinds of Theological Activity" (section 1.1.6). What it means to be competent in them is outlined in what follows.
The qualifying examination committee looks for signs of competence in the practice of theology using the several methods already mentioned.
- Competence in the historical mode of doing the tasks of theology shows up in the abilities to describe, compare and assess the views of individual theological thinkers, to discuss and assess the significance of theological movements and themes, and to evaluate theological reflection in relation to its concrete historical contexts.
- Competence in the constructive mode of doing the tasks of theology is evident when a candidate is able to construct sound arguments for theological positions, to state and analyze criteria for theological adequacy, and to present and defend their own theological point of view. ThD Majors in theology are especially expected to be able to relate their theological expertise to the specific focus of their program in constructive fashion.
- Competence in the comparative mode of doing the tasks of theology in indicated by the ability to discuss the specifics of various traditions in such a way as to furnish fruitful insights for constructive and historical analyses. This ability is expected of all PhD candidates, and especially of those in the Comparative track.
The qualifying examination committee also looks for signs of competence in the five types of theological tasks already mentioned.
- Competence in scriptural theology requires the abilities to assess the nature of sacred scriptures as a source for theology, and to use sacred scriptures as a source for historical theology (e.g. identifying and discussing Paul’s understanding of salvation, or the Lotus Sutra’s conception of enlightenment), constructive theology (e.g. discussing the nature of God with the Qur’an as source and dialogue partner), and comparative theology (e.g. comparing the theological functions of sacred scriptures in several traditions).
- Competence in systematic theology involves being able to discuss and evaluate the interconnections between various parts of theological systems, to discern when and why a theological thinker makes a systematic move that breaks from traditional patterns, and to construct and critique arguments for theological positions in the context of a given systematic perspective.
- Competence in fundamental theology demands the ability to describe and assess theological methods, to identify sources for theology and discuss their function in theological reflection, and to state and analyze epistemological assumptions guiding claims that theological reflection yields knowledge.
- Competence in philosophical theology is evident when a candidate is able to evaluate theological positions and methods in terms of traditional philosophical spheres of inquiry such as metaphysics and epistemology, and to construct and evaluate theological arguments from within a given philosophical framework.
- Competence in advocacy theology calls for the abilities to use and evaluate the use of experience and social contexts as sources for theological reflection, to describe and assess the distinctive methods of advocacy theologies, and to discuss and criticize the generation of specific theological doctrines from the various perspectives of advocacy theologies.
3.2. General Description of the Written Qualifying Examinations
The examination committee reserves the right to ask questions of any kind. However, some indications of possible styles of questions is possible.
3.2.1. The Kinds of Questions Asked in the Written Qualifying Examinations
Sample questions for written qualifying examinations may be culled from the collection of past examinations (see "Past Examinations," section 3.4.3) and from the QE Question Archive. The examples provided in the following discussion assume that the qualifying examinations are for the Christianity Track. The principles illustrated, however, are quite general.
Candidates are likely to get a question with some degree of choice, requiring a mixture of exposition and critique, sometimes comparison and contrast, and almost always construction and defense of their theological point of view—perhaps similar to the following hypothetical question for a Contemporary Period examination in the primary tradition of Christianity:
"Compare and contrast three theologians—one a feminist theologian, one a neo-orthodox Protestant theologian, and one a post-Vatican II Roman Catholic theologian—on (1) the nature of salvation, and (2) the role of Jesus Christ in salvation. Construct an argument for your own view by way of evaluating the views you describe."
Such questions as this afford an opportunity to exhibit what candidates have learned and the insight they have gained, rather than trying to find out gaps in knowledge. In particular, for example—and this is of special importance to PhD students—candidates are enabled by this question to indicate the importance and specific impact of the Christian debate over how to understand theologically the fact that something like what Christians call "salvation" appears to occur widely among religious traditions.
Other questions might test the completeness and depth of candidates’ knowledge about central figures; these questions are most likely to be about the figures especially commended to candidates’ attention by the Theology Faculty in the descriptions of written qualifying examinations provided for each primary tradition. Such questions might be similar to the following hypothetical question from a Classical Period examination in the primary tradition of Christianity:
"State Augustine’s understanding of the Christian Church against the background of the political and cultural concerns that stimulated his writing of The City of God. Carefully critique Augustine’s view in detail from your own late 20th century perspective."
Among other things, this question would afford students—and this is of special significance for ThD students—an opportunity to connect what they have learned about theology with particular interests and concerns they may have in relation to the contemporary Christian church.
Other questions may give candidates an open-ended opportunity to expound their understanding of an entire theological trajectory. It is important to be specific in answering such questions as, for example, the following hypothetical question from a Modern Period examination in the primary tradition of Christianity:
"Describe the effect of historical criticism on the formulation of Christian doctrines during the 18th and 19th centuries, paying particular attention to Christology and the understanding of revelation. Be specific with regard to key figures, their views, and their impacts. Use this exposition to state and defend your own view of the issues involved."
Specificity, economy, and precision are virtues in qualifying examinations. Vagueness, padding, and inaccuracy are the corresponding vices.
Note: Typically, questions are constructed to evince evidence of both historical knowledge and constructive competence. Tacking one’s own opinion on at the end of an historically focused answer is no more satisfactory an approach to answering such questions than mounting a large-scale argument for one’s own point of view in cavalier disregard of the historical demands of the question. Neither the constructive nor the historical requirements should be compromised.
3.2.2. Guidelines with Regard to Figures
The descriptions of written qualifying examinations provided later in this Prospectus list figures and themes that the Theology Faculty judge to be especially important to know, together with some indication of the breadth of knowledge likely to be drawn upon in a qualifying examination. Especially with regard to central figures, regardless of how many of their works appear in the reading list provided for each primary tradition, it is important:
- to be familiar with the general thrust and structure of their entire corpus;
- to be able to relate specific elements of their writing to the wider pattern of their thought, even in questions asking only about one particular doctrine;
- to have clearly in mind their position and influence in their era and in the entire history of theology; and
- to know how their thought interacted with other key theologians and the characteristic concerns of their time.
Consulting past examinations (see "Past Examinations," section 3.4.3) or the QE Question Archive is the best way to get some sense for the degree of choice offered by these examinations, though trends in the past in no way bind the Examination Committee in their composing of written qualifying examinations.
3.3. Administration of the Written Qualifying Examinations
3.3.1. Timing of the Written Qualifying Examinations
One set of three four-hour, closed-book written qualifying examinations is offered each semester in a single examination week. The precise days and times of the examinations will be announced on the Theology Buletin Board (STH, third floor) as each examination week approaches. Examination weeks are the first full week of November and April (that is, the weeks containing the first Monday of November and April), unless announced otherwise.
3.3.2. Registering for the Written Qualifying Examinations
It is important that your theology advisor be consulted about your readiness to take written qualifying examinations. In preparation for written qualifying examinations, you must:
- fill out such forms as may be required by the administrative bodies governing your program (see "Where to Get More Information," section 1.4); and
- notify the chair of the Theology Faculty (currently Prof. Wildman) of your intention to take examinations at least one month in advance so that the need for writing examinations can be discerned by the faculty, and so that space can be reserved and copies of the examinations made for you.
3.3.3. Committee for the Written Qualifying Examinations
Each semester, the Theology Faculty appoint two of their number to compose and read the written examinations in theology. Each candidate’s advisor is a third reader, reading only his or her candidate’s written examinations. If a candidate’s advisor is already one of the two faculty-appointed readers, then the Examination Committee will appoint a third reader. The Examination Committee may secure the help of suitable replacement and/or additional readers for reading one or more examinations if circumstances call for this.
3.3.4. Handling of the Written Qualifying Examinations
The Examination Committee appoints a professor not grading any of the examinations or a staff person to function as the Examination Administrator (proctor). The examinations are handled in the following process, facilitated by the Examination Administrator.
- Examinations are to be hand-written or typed on a computer, at the student's discretion, in English. If typed on a computer, the machines used must be clean machines furnished by the university and their use supervised by the Examination Administrator.
- Candidates write their names on all paper to be submitted.
- After writing each examination, the Examination Administrator makes copies of the examinations.
- The examinations are returned to candidates at the end of the examination week at a time arranged by the Examination Administrator. Candidates who wrote their examinations by hand are required to type up the examinations as they wrote them, expanding abbreviations and making minor corrections for spelling and grammatical errors. Candidates who typed their examinations using a university-provided computer may also expand abbreviations and make minor corrections for spelling and grammatical errors. This is particularly helpful for students whose first language is not English and those cursed with illegible handwriting.
- Candidates then return the typed versions to the Examination Administrator on the first Monday after the examination week.
- The typed versions are checked for consistency against the copied versions and then handed to the Examination Committee for reading.
3.3.5. Results of the Written Qualifying Examinations
For each written qualifying examination in theology, the Examination Committee can return a number of results:
- Pass, based on a simple majority vote.
- Fail, based on a simple majority vote: candidates failing a written qualifying examination are sometimes permitted to retake the examination. If so permitted, they may repeat the examination only once, and must retake the examination the very next time the examination is held. No candidate may take any examination more than twice.
Before deciding whether a candidate has passed or failed a Qualifying Examination, the Examination Committee may also require supplementary written and oral examination of the material covered by the written examinations. These examinations are in addition to those required in the Qualifying Examination sequence. This procedure does not affect a student’s right to retake the Qualifying Examinations should they be judged finally to have failed.
In the case of Qualifying Examinations of exceptional quality, the Examination Committee may recommend to the professors conduction the Oral Qualifying Examination that, so far as the written Qualifying Examinations are concerned, a grade of "pass with distinction" would be in order. (See "Results of the Oral Qualifying Examination," section 4.2.4.)
Once qualifying examination results have been determined, the examination committee shall appoint appropriate faculty members to contact students as soon as possible by email or telephone. Official written notification, copied to relevant parties including the Chair of the Theology Faculty, shall be made by the STH Registrar for ThD students and by the DRTS Administrator for PhD students on the basis of information provided to them by the examination committee.
3.3.6. Criteria and Standards for the Written Qualifying Examinations
At the most basic level, passing examinations are expected to exhibit accuracy and nuance in the description of positions; clear and fluent writing; logical and forceful construction of arguments; and a depth and breadth of knowledge commensurate with doctoral studies. This is a minimal statement of criteria; the nature of the qualifying examinations, and the guidelines for breadth and depth included in their descriptions, are further indications of passing standards.
PhD and ThD Majors in theology take the same written qualifying examinations and are held to identical standards, except that requirements differ slightly among the various degree programs.
ThD Minors in theology take only one of the three written qualifying examinations (by default the examination on the Contemporary Period). They are held to the same standards as the PhD candidates and ThD Majors as regards accuracy and argumentation on that one examination. However, expectations of ThD Minors in Theology with regard to overall theological insight are commensurate with their limited investment of time and energy in the study of theology as compared with PhD and ThD Majors in Theology.
3.4. Preparing for the Written Qualifying Examinations
There are a number of ways for candidates to form their expectations of, and to prepare for, qualifying examinations in theology.
Candidates should discuss with their advisors the best courses to take in preparation for the qualifying examinations in theology. Specific suggestions are made for each primary tradition, later in this Prospectus (for example, if Christianity is tradition of interest, see "Preparing for Qualifying Examinations through Courses," section 5.1.4).
The Theology Faculty maintains a bibliography intended to indicate some of the major figures and works covered in the written qualifying examinations (see, for example, "Examinations and Bibliographies: Christianity Track," section 5). The scope of a given written qualifying examination will not correspond to the that of the bibliography, but the bibliography provides a basic guide to the content of, and preparation for, written qualifying examinations in theology. The purpose of the bibliographies is described in detail when they are introduced.
Questions from past examinations are stored on this web site here. Candidates may consult these past examinations to gain an idea of what to expect, but examiners are not obliged to maintain the same format on every occasion.
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