David W. Brown

Research Opportunities

This page is intended to offer those contemplating a research degree with me at St Andrews some basic information that is not available elsewhere. Application forms and procedures, costs and so forth can of course all be accessed either through the University's general web site or else more specifically through the School of Divinity at St Mary's College.

Here I want to provide some details about how personally I approach the question of supervision and also some indication of the kind of research degree topics that interest me and/or have been completed under me.

Essentially, my philosophy in supervising students is that they should be given the space to develop their own ideas, and so no pressure whatsoever is exercised to move others towards my own particular theological position. Rather, I see my primary role as that of an enabler, someone who encourages the candidate to work through their own ideas while at the same time ensuring that potential objections are anticipated and an adequate response made. As someone well versed in the standard required for a doctorate, my main objective, as I see it, is thus to keep the candidate on track in fulfilling relevant criteria such as independence of judgment, continuity of argument and adequate scholarly reference. So, as well some who have strongly reflected my own interests and/or prejudices, past students have included both conservative and liberal Roman Catholics, as well as representatives from the opposing or different streams of contemporary American Lutheranism.

The School of Divinity at St Andrews is thoroughly ecumenical. Colleagues in related areas include not only other Anglicans but also Presbyterians, Roman Catholics and Baptists. More importantly, there is also ample opportunity to engage staff and fellow students in discussion and intellectual debate. There is a weekly seminar on theology and the arts and another (also weekly) on systematic theology and doctrine. There is also a splendid sixteenth century graduate building (known as the Roundel) reserved for theology research students and provided with computers and so forth.

I am always pleased to welcome inquiries from potential research students. Although I place my interest in the arts first, that should not be taken to imply any unwillingness to supervise in other areas. I enjoy doing so, and find such work continues to stimulate my writing in other areas, such as with my recently completed work on Kenotic Christology.

The title of my present professorship (theology, aesthetics and culture) reflects my strong interest in the arts and culture more widely, as do the two modules that I teach for the new one-year taught M.Litt. in Theology and the Arts: Christian Doctrine and the Arts and Religious Experience and Aesthetic Theory. The former explores how some key Christian doctrines have been represented both across Christian history and today, especially in the visual arts. The latter examines architecture, drama, dance, music (including pop) and certain types of painting (landscape, abstract, environmental, video), and the kind of aesthetic theory that lies behind various schools of interpretation. Further details about the content of the two courses can be found on the School of Divinity's website.

Some indication of the range of possible topics that I am willing to supervise can be gathered from the following selective list of candidates who have either successfully submitted or are currently under supervision. An asterisk (*) indicates that the thesis was subsequently published as a book.

On the arts:

• Calvin and the visual arts*
• The theology of early Christian architecture
• The implications of postmodern art for theology
• Luther and the theology of music*
• The Song of Songs and 17th c English religious poetry
• David Jones' Kensington Mass
• Blake's Illustrations for the Book of Job
• The Sacramentality of Preaching
• Contemporary Church Patronage of the Arts
• Religious Imagery in the Lyrics of Bob Dylan
• Spiritual Formation and the Paintings of Makoto Fujimura and Peter Howson
• Contemporary Music as Parables of the Kingdom of God

On philosophy:

• Collingwood and hermeneutics
• Creation and possible worlds*
• Transcendental arguments in quantum physics and in theology
• Kant's system of perspectives
• Karl Rahner's notion of the Vorgriff
• Paul Ricouer's philosophy of the will*
• Rudolf Otto and religious education
• Unity of self in Augustine and modern psychology*

On theology:

• Trinity and experience*
• The doctrine of the Ascension
• Individualism in Thielicke's sermons,
• Bonhoeffer and the theology of friendship
• Mystery in first millennium approaches to the Eucharist
• Baptism and modern anthropology
• Modern psychiatry and the two Wesleys
• The theology of the laity*
• The Virgin Mary in contemporary thought
• Eschatology and scientific understandings of the end of the world*
• Angelology
• Trinity and inter-faith dialogue*
• Narrative theology and personal identity
• Sanctity in the Catholic and Pentecostal traditions

On Anglicanism:

• Lancelot Andrewes and Catholicism
• Epistemology of Austin Farrer
• Theology and the role of English cathedrals in the 20th century
• Liturgical change and the General Synod

On a lighter note, God and Grace of Body is dedicated to two bishops, Carilef and Tunstall. Both were bishops of Durham. Here are their namesakes not long after they arrived: