Why Study Theology, Religion and Philosophy of Religion at Christ's?
Our College has an interesting history of theological study and engagement.
John Milton, who was a student here in the seventeenth century, later wrote Paradise Lost, which is not only one of the greatest pieces of English literature but also an epic exploration of the big questions about God and humanity. One Christ’s Fellow, William Paley, created an influential version of the 'teleological' argument for God's existence. Charles Darwin – one of our most famous alumni – wrestled with the implications that his theory of natural selection had for belief in God. And more recently a Master of Christ's, Charles Raven, had a major impact in the debate over science and religion and rose to be Regius Professor of Divinity.
Christ's theologians have included Rowan Williams (former Archbishop of Canterbury), Professor Christopher Rowland (Fellow of Queen's, Oxford), Dr John Day (Professor of Old Testament Studies, Oxford), and The Rev’d Robin Griffith-Jones (Master of the Temple, London). We offer you a chance to follow in those renowned footsteps and become part of a rich theological tradition.
Course content and structure
The Theology course (or ‘tripos’) is a three-year degree which allows you to specialise gradually, tailoring your academic pathway as your interests develop. You can choose from a range of religious traditions and explore them from a historical, philosophical, theological, sociological or comparative perspective.
Christ’s central location offers quick access to the University Library and the Faculty of Divinity where you'll find an extensive theological library, a welcoming community of undergraduates, graduates and lecturers – and free coffee.
As well as lectures organised by the University, you have weekly ‘supervisions’ here at College. These small-group tutorial sessions give you the advantage of personally-tailored tuition and are arranged by your Director of Studies, the Rev'd Dr Robert Evans. He is also Chaplain of the College. His own research is in early medieval history.
Visit How to Apply for full details and a timeline of the application process. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and school types, all over the world. If you're applying from outside the UK, please read our international students section.
Subjects: what do you need?
We welcome students from all kinds of academic background. An A-level, IB Higher or equivalent in Religious Studies is desirable but not compulsory. Most (but not all) of our applicants take essay subjects for A-level, IB Higher or equivalent. And while we welcome linguistic ability to at least GCSE level, again this isn’t compulsory.
Written work
After we receive your application, we ask you to send us two essays you feel accurately reflect your abilities and interests. These should be work written during the normal course of your studies and already marked by a teacher. We recommend you keep copies for your own reference, as we may discuss them at interview.
If we invite you for interviews, these usually take place in early December. Those invited for Cambridge interviews are normally interviewed for 35-50 minutes in total. At Christ’s, we usually split the time into two interviews with academics in Theology, Religion, and Philosophy of Religion. We may give you a short text to read before one of them, and then discuss during the subsequent interview.
During the interviews we may ask about your written work, discuss points from your UCAS personal statement and ask general questions related to theology and religious studies.
If we call you for interview in Cambridge, we ask you to take a written Admissions Assessment, usually on the same day. We arrange this automatically so you don’t need to register. You do the same assessment regardless of which college you apply to..
The Admissions Assessment looks at your comprehension and writing skills to show us your ability and potential to succeed on this course. It’s an opportunity to demonstrate how you’ve developed academically since your GCSEs, but you don’t need to do any special preparation.
Read more about the assessment, including sample papers and subject content, on the University Admissions website (available from March each year).
Offers
At Christ's we don’t have fixed quotas for places, so the number of students we admit in any year depends on the strengths of the applicants. In Theology we admit around two students each year. (A total of 39 students take this course across all 29 undergraduate Cambridge colleges.)
Our typical conditional offer is:
A*AA at A-level
42 points overall in the International Baccalaureate with 7,7,6 in relevant Higher Level subject
If you're taking another qualification, we expect you to be working at or close to the top of the mark range i.e.
Option Internationale du Baccalauréat: at least 17/20 overall, with 17 or 18 in relevant subjects
European Baccalaureate: at least 85% overall, with 9/10 in relevant subjects
Introducing the academic and information skills that you will need during your studies, as well as how and where you would be working
Come to an open day or online event
Our open days and events page advertises regular online opportunities as well as events you can attend in Cambridge. Note in particular that we run an annual Taster Day for students at state schools who are interested in Theology, Religion and Philosophy of Religion or English Literature - see info and register your interest. If you can, sign up for a College Open Day (our October, February and September events normally include a meeting with a subject specialist). Between February and August we run regular webinars:
Subject Matters: The importance of post-16 subject choices (this one is also run Sept - Nov)
Cambridge for Beginners
Christ's College: A look at the Grounds and Facilities
Personal Statements and preparing for an application
Further subject-specific opportunities you might wish to consider include Subject Masterclasses organised by Cambridge Admissions Office, and subject-specific talks in the July Cambridge Open Days. If you are a UK student from a background where there is little tradition of entry to Higher Education, you can apply to attend a Sutton Trust Summer School in Theology, Religion and Philosophy of Religion, or to shadow a current undergraduate studying Theology, Religion and Philosophy of Religion via the Cambridge SU Shadowing Scheme (do be aware that there's a high proportion of applicants to places for both of these last two opportunities so please don't be discouraged if you don't get a place).
If you can, come along to one of the Theology events at the Faculty of Divinity.
