The Certificate in Theology and the Arts (CTA) offers M.Div. (residential and hybrid), M.T.S., Th.M., and M.A. 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.

Jeremy Begbie wearing a dark suit, blue shirt, and wine colored tie in Goodson Chapel

"Within the Divinity School, the certificate 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."

Jeremy Begbie, Thomas A. Langford Distinguished Research Professor of Theology; The McDonald Agape Director of Duke Initiatives in Theology and the Arts

To complete this certificate, students must complete the core course and two other courses from an approved list (normally one of these will be a course offered outside the Divinity School). In addition, all students must complete a research or service learning project. Finally, participants are required to participate in events sponsored by Duke Initiatives in Theology and the Arts, as well as bimonthly CTA colloquies.

Program Details

The primary objectives of the certificate program are:

  • to help students recognize and put into practice the constructive possibilities of the mutual enrichment of theology and arts
  • to provide students with a 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
  • to offer students an appreciation of the current shape of the arts-theology conversation
  • to foster and support research and community-service projects which responsibly integrate the arts and theology
  • to increase the opportunities for field-education placements in the arts with community and church organizations
  • to encourage and facilitate a community of students with a particular interest in engaging the arts as they discern their particular vocations
  • to encourage interdisciplinary education and cross-departmental collaboration within Duke Divinity School and the university
Theology and the Arts

Duke Initiatives in Theology and the Arts

Through research, teaching, and arts programming, Duke Initiatives in Theology and the Arts promotes and supports the vibrant interplay between Christian theology and the arts by encouraging transformative leadership and enriching theological discussion in the Church, academy, and society.

Learn More about Duke Initiatives in Theology and the Arts

Requirements

Find detailed information about requirements and courses for current students (NetID required) »

For more information about the certificate contact:
Daniel Train
Associate Director of Duke Initiatives in Theology and the Arts

  • Completion of three courses in theology and the arts from approved list
    • (Students may may also petition for other Duke courses to count provided there is a significant opportunity to complete research at the intersection of theology and art.)
  • Completion of a research or service-learning project in theology and the arts. The project may be conducted in one of the following ways:
    • within a course (but not within any of the three courses that fulfill the previous requirement)
    • within a directed study or a thesis
    • as an internship with a director of music or arts pastor at a church
    • as an independent community-building project
    • within the context of a field education placement
  • Regular participation in bimonthly CTA colloquies and DITA-sponsored events

All M.A. certificates are subject to course availability.

  • Completion of two courses in theology and the arts from approved list
  • Completion of one assignment related to Theology and the Arts for a non-Theology and the Arts course, with permission from instructor
  • Completion of 500-word summary of how coursework integrates with current vocation, with specific reference to the certificate in Theology and the Arts
  • Regular participation, if feasible, in bimonthly CTA colloquies and DITA-sponsored events