Explore faith, yourself and the world...
Why study Theology in Year 13?
Theology engages with the deepest questions of life. What can we say about God? What does it mean to be human? How should we live in this world? How has the Christian faith played itself out in human history? And where did it all begin?
Take on the challenge of a Theology paper in Year 13 and you’ll wrestle with these questions and many more. Not only that, you will gain points towards a degree and the confidence of knowing you can succeed at University. Each year many students from high schools around New Zealand meet this challenge. They stretch themselves; they grow.
What background do I need?
You don’t need to have done any theological study before, nor do you need to have a personal Christian faith. The Department of Theology and Religion assumes no particular denominational or theological perspective.
All you need is a sense of curiosity about the world and human experience, and a willingness to take on a new challenge.
Detailed information about Theology in Year 13, and how to apply.
Who is eligible?
It is recommended that students have at least 80 NCEA credits at Level 2 (or higher) with at least 16 credits in each of their best four subjects. Three subjects must be from the approved list. Account will be taken of the number of merit and excellence credits. Students must also satisfy the literacy and numeracy requirements.
The University has limits on the total numbers of students who may enrol. Most programmes are subject to the entry pathway system, and not all students who are granted Discretionary Entrance can necessarily proceed to enrolment (although most do).
Your school Principal must also be satisfied that you are capable of undertaking the tertiary study as well as your secondary school study.
International Year 13 students are not eligible to enrol.
What will I study?
You will complete one of two papers offered in alternate years:
- CHTH 102 The History of Christianity surveys the history of Christianity from around AD100 to the present day. That story is grounded in the early formation of Christian belief and practice. It then traces the development of Christianity through the Middle Ages, including the Crusades. It concludes with an overview of the modern world, briefly exploring such diverse contexts as Nazi Germany, Soviet Russia and North America.
- CHTH 131 God and Ethics in the Modern World explores the big ideas that have shaped the modern world. Notions such as Freedom, Equality, Justice and Law are examined, and consideration is given to how these ideas are conceived differently within Christian and secular paradigms. Through the course of this study, the distinctive character of Christian ethics is brought to light, and the Christian approach to ethical questions is compared with other systems of ethics that have been developed in Western thought.
