I read Theology as my first degree many years ago and had always maintained my interest in relating my beliefs to contemporary problems. I started to feel strongly that I would like to study Theology again and looked for a course that would allow me to go more deeply into a variety of areas of relevance to Christian belief now.
The Bible and the Contemporary World more than fulfilled that aim as it offers a wide range of modules of relevance to contemporary life and society. I also particularly liked the study weeks before each module which gave me a chance to meet and get to know a wide variety of students from different backgrounds and countries. This contact was maintained during each module by use of posts in answer to questions for discussion on the bulletin board. This meant that although I was following a distance learning course I felt connected to other students and staff.
I particularly enjoyed the module on surveillance which was a completely new area for me and one I might not have ventured into.
I had also been attracted to the course by the opportunity to develop a dissertation on a topic of particular interest to me over 6 months. I found this a valuable and rewarding experience for which I was very well supported.
I had known that St Andrews had an excellent reputation for teaching and learning in Divinity and am very happy to have had the opportunity to experience this during the course, which was very well taught, run and organised. I am not quite sure yet where my MLitt will take me but am left with a feeling of achievement and of having completed something very worthwhile.