Biblical Studies and Greek

Biblical Studies and Greek is a degree that gives you direct access to one of the most influential bodies of text in human history, read in the original language of the New Testament and much of the Greek Jewish tradition. Biblical Studies examines the profound influence that the Christian and Jewish scriptures have had on Western civilisation, exploring the Old and New Testaments alongside a wide range of other Jewish and Christian writings from the period, including the Dead Sea Scrolls. Greek provides the linguistic key to that tradition, allowing you to engage with the New Testament and Greek Jewish texts in the language in which they were written and to understand nuances of meaning that translation inevitably obscures.

At the University of St Andrews, the MA (Hons) in Biblical Studies offers a wide range of options across arts subjects for students who want to give most of their attention to divinity while maintaining breadth in their academic formation. The combination with Greek is particularly powerful: reading biblical texts in their original language transforms the depth at which you can engage with them and opens up the extensive scholarly tradition of biblical criticism in a way that is otherwise inaccessible. Many students choose to take biblical studies alongside subjects such as ancient history or classical studies, and this degree makes a strong combination with such disciplines.

The programme runs over four years on a full-time basis and includes the option of a year abroad.

Graduates of this degree are well prepared for careers in ministry, theology, chaplaincy, academia, education, and religious organisations, as well as in the wider range of humanities careers where the analytical and linguistic skills of rigorous textual study are valued. Postgraduate study in theology, biblical studies, ancient Jewish and Christian studies, or classical studies is a natural progression for those who wish to pursue specialist academic or professional development.