Duke Divinity School announces the creation of a new Certificate in Theology and the Arts (CTA). The certificate, which can be earned alongside the M.Div., M.T.S., and Th.M. degrees, aims to help students to better appreciate and articulate the mutual enrichment of theology and arts and to create opportunities for directly relating the arts to practical involvement in local churches and communities.

Dean Elaine Heath expressed her support for the program, which she said “will prepare students for diverse, creative, and collaborative ministries in the arts” and recognized the work of Duke Initiatives in Theology and the Arts (DITA) as pioneering “exciting new possibilities for the future of other forms of interdisciplinary theological education in one of the finest universities in our nation.”

By formally recognizing the growing student interest in the intersection of theology and cultivating relationships with other departments in the University, the CTA will offer students firm grounding in the key theological loci and practices relevant to a lifetime’s engagement with the arts in the church, the university, and beyond. Said Jeremy Begbie, Thomas A Langford Research Professor of Theology and director of the DITA, "This certificate marks a fresh start in Duke’s engagement with the arts by giving the theology and the arts interface a profile it has not enjoyed before. Within the Divinity School, it will not only validate the passion for the arts which many students bring; it will provide new opportunities to develop those passions and integrate them with a lively and robust theology. Moreover, it opens up the possibility of all sorts of fresh engagements with the university at large.” Learn about the requirements for the certificate.

“It’s gratifying to see DITA’s work find curricular embodiment in the form of this new certificate,” said Jeff Conklin-Miller, associate dean for academic programs. “Because diverse engagements with the arts already feature in so many Divinity classrooms, creating this official pathway for masters students made good sense. More importantly, the creation of the certificate offers students at Duke Divinity School another way to flourish in their theological studies.”

The certificate will go into full effect beginning in Fall 2017. Daniel Train, assistant director of DITA, will oversee the program.