Jewish Theology
Source: https://english.spbu.ru/admission/programms/graduate/jewish-theology Parent: https://english.spbu.ru/admission/programms/graduate
48.04.01 In Russian
Level of education Master
Type of instruction Full-time
Duration 4 years
With additional qualifications 'Specialist in National and Religious Relations'/' Social Science Teacher'
Programme description
The programme focuses on the intellectual and spiritual dimensions of Jewish civilisation throughout its historical development. Jewish culture and spiritual ideology evolved across various historical periods and regions through continuous interaction with surrounding cultures and belief systems. The history of Jewish thought represents a persistent endeavour to interpret and reinterpret core Judaic concepts through the lens of diverse philosophical and theological doctrines, as well as to adapt frameworks originating from external cultural contexts to theologically substantiate Judaism. This distinctive characteristic ensures the programme’s contemporary relevance, as it enables students to trace the dynamics of cultural and intellectual exchange between Jewish and neighbouring spiritual traditions, while examining the interplay of socio-political, ideological, and specifically theological and philosophical factors that shaped the emergence and evolution of various strands of Jewish theology.
Main courses
- Theology and Ideology of the Qumran Community
- Worldview of the Sages of the Mishnah and Talmud
- Theological Analysis of the Book of Genesis
- Religious Movements in Contemporary Judaism
- Biblical Exegesis in Jewish Tradition
- Jewish Mysticism and Kabbalah
- Hasidism: History and Ideology
- Theological Analysis of the Book of Daniel
- Medieval Jewish Theology and Philosophy (9th–12th Centuries)
- Jewish Theology and Philosophy of the Modern Era
- Jewish-Christian Polemics
- Development of Hermeneutics and Its Impact on Classical Jewish Text Studies
- Contemporary Jewish Thought: Theology and Philosophy
Elective Courses
- Adaptation and Study Skills at the University (Distance Learning)
- Chinese Language (Online Course)
- Intellectual Property Law in the Digital Age (Online Course)
- University Life: Fundamentals of Corporate Ethics (Online Course)
- Hindi for Beginners (Online Course)
Teaching staff
- Professor I. Tantlevsky — Doctor of Philosophy, serves as Director of the International Centre for Biblical and Hebraic Studies at SPbU (a joint initiative with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem) and Co-Chair of the Academic Board of the International Association for Jewish Studies and Culture. I. Tantlevsky is an expert of the Russian Academy of Sciences, member of the Expert Council for Theology of the Higher Attestation Commission under the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, and the Expert Scientific Council on Education under the Chief Rabbi of Russia. As the lead Russian co-editor of the internationally peer-reviewed journals ’Judaica Petropolitana’ and ’The Jewish Speech’, he contributes to the editorial boards of ’Issues of Theology’,’ὉΜΙΛΗΤΙΚΉ. Ideology and Society’, and the ’International Journal of Philosophy’. Professor Tantlevsky is a recipient of the Scopus Awards Russia 2018 for his contributions to Arts & Humanities. He has authored 24 monographs and annotated translations of classical Hebrew and Aramaic texts supported by scholarly research, alongside over 200 articles and chapters in multi-authored books and textbooks in Russian and English
- Professor R. Svetlov — Doctor of Philosophy, Honoured Educator of the Russian Federation (2012). He was awarded the third-class Diocesan Medal of the Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian (2021). He serves as Chairman of the Central Board of the Interregional Public Organisation ’Platonic Philosophical Society’ and is a member of the Expert Council for Theology of the Higher Attestation Commission under the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation. Additionally, Professor Svetlov is a member of the editorial boards of several academic journals: ’State, Religion, Church in Russia and Worldwide’; ’Platonic Studies’; Journal of Siberian Federal University. Humanities & Social Sciences’; ’Bulletin of the Russian Christian Humanitarian Academy’; and ’Christian Reading’. He has authored over 250 scholarly works on the history of philosophy (encompassing Ancient, Western European, and Russian traditions), the development of Platonism and Neoplatonism, historical and contemporary religious traditions, the study of political discourses, and the history of education and military affairs • D. Fedchuk — Doctor of Philosophy, Associate Professor. He research interests include the history of medieval philosophy and theology, with particular focus on scholasticism, patristics, and Jewish philosophy and theology, alongside transcendental idealism and phenomenology (Edmund Husserl and Martin Heidegger)
Our advantages
- The programme offers students foundational knowledge in the theology of Abrahamic religions — primarily Jewish theology — within its historical context. Students will acquire methodological skills to analyse the dynamics of theological systems, master techniques of scholarly argumentation and research methods, and develop pedagogical competencies essential for teaching in higher education institutions and engaging in intercultural and interreligious dialogue
- Graduates of the programme will be able to apply the knowledge and competencies acquired during their studies to careers in academic research in humanities, and education. They will possess expert-level skills in both Jewish theology and intercultural/interreligious dialogue, alongside analytical capabilities in the development of humanities knowledge and the interaction between religion and human sciences. The programme employs contemporary interactive teaching methods, ensuring a combination of robust theoretical foundations with a distinctly practical orientation
Career opportunities
- Graduates of this programme will be equipped to apply the acquired knowledge in both academic research within the humanities and pedagogical practice. They will possess expert-level skills in both Jewish theology and intercultural/interreligious dialogue, alongside analytical capabilities in the development of humanities knowledge and the interaction between religion and human sciences
- The awarding of additional qualifications of a ’Specialist in National and Religious Relations’ and ’ Social Science Teacher’ significantly broadens the graduate’s professional competencies and enhances their employability in the labour market