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Theological and Religious Studies Tripos, Part I (New Regulations), 2001

The Faculty Board of Divinity give notice that the form of the examination for Part I of the Theological and Religious Studies Tripos (New Regulations), which will be held for the first time in 2001, will be as follows.

Paper A1. Scriptural languages and texts

Paper A1.A. Hebrew

This paper will contain (a) questions on Hebrew grammar, and (b) passages for translation, linguistic comment, pointing, and retranslation from a portion or portions of the Old Testament prescribed by the Faculty Board. Candidates will be required to translate two out of three passages from Hebrew, giving linguistic comment where instructed, to point one passage from Genesis 37, 40, and 41, to answer two grammatical questions and to translate five sentences from English into Hebrew. The grammatical questions will consist of (i) six words for parsing; (ii) a question requiring candidates to write out certain forms of (a) a verb and (b) a noun. The sentences for translation will be designed to test knowledge of common grammatical constructions and will be based on the prescribed text. The translation from Hebrew will carry 50 per cent of the marks, the translation into Hebrew 20 per cent, and the remaining questions 10 per cent each.

Paper A1.B. New Testament Greek

The examination for this paper will contain:

(i) Several passages for translation and for exegetical comment from the prescribed chapters. Candidates will be asked to justify their translation, with reference to grammatical form and function, wherever they feel this to be necessary;
(ii) An unseen passage for translation;
(iii) A question asking candidates to assess alternative translations of several short passages taken from the prescribed chapters.

Candidates will be required to answer all three questions.

Paper A1.C. Sanskrit

This paper will contain passages for translation from Hindu and/or Buddhist texts prescribed by the Board, together with questions on the language and content of those texts. Candidates will be required to translate three passages from the prescribed texts from Sanskrit into English and to answer questions on their language and content, to translate sentences from English to Sanskrit, and to translate one unseen passage from Sanskrit to English.

Paper A1.D. Qur'anic Arabic

This paper will contain (a) questions on Arabic grammar and (b) passages for translation, linguistic and exegetical comment, and vocalization from a portion or portions of the Qur'an, Hadith, and early Islamic theological literature prescribed by the Faculty Board. Candidates will be required to translate four passages from Arabic, giving linguistic comment where instructed, and to translate four sentences from English into Arabic. The sentences for translation will be designed to test knowledge of common grammatical forms.

Paper A2. One God? Hearing the Old Testament

The examination will consist of a three-hour written examination. The paper will contain passages for comment from the prescribed texts and essay-questions. Candidates will be required to comment on seven passages from a choice of twelve and to answer two essay questions from a choice of about ten. NRSV Bibles will be available for use in the examination, but candidates are not expected to show greater precision in biblical references as a result of the availability of these Bibles.

Paper A3. The birth of Christianity

The examination for this paper will consist of a three-hour written examination. Candidates will be required to comment on one passage from the prescribed texts and to answer three essay questions from a choice of at least twelve. NRSV Bibles will be available for use in the examination, but candidates are not expected to show greater precision in biblical references as a result of their availability.

Paper A4. Christianity and the transformation of culture

The examination will consist of a three-hour written examination. The paper will be divided into four Sections, A-D, corresponding to the prescribed subjects. At least four questions will be set in each section, at least one of which will relate directly to the prescribed texts. Candidates will be required to answer four questions, one from each section.

Paper A5. The shaping of modern theology

The examination will consist of the submission of two essays, each of not more than 3,000 words in length, on topics chosen by the candidates from a list approved by the Board, in accordance with the provision of Regulation 19.

Paper A6. The study of religion

The examination will consist of a three-hour written examination. The paper will contain questions on issues relating to the study of religion derived from such disciplines as anthropology and sociology, psychology, philosophy, and history of religions. Candidates will be required to answer three questions out of at least twelve.

Paper A7. World religions in comparative perspective

The examination will consist of the submission of two essays, each of not more than 3,000 words in length, on topics chosen by the candidates from a list approved by the Board, in accordance with the provision of Regulation 19.

Paper A8. Philosophy of religion and ethics

The examination will consist of a three-hour written examination. The paper will consist of three Sections, A, B, and C. Section A will contain eight questions on the four set texts in the philosophy of religion; Section B will contain eight questions on the four set texts in ethics; Section C will contain six general questions on the philosophy of religion and ethics. Candidates will be required to answer four questions, at least one from each section.


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Cambridge University Reporter, 22 November 2000
Copyright © 2000 The Chancellor, Masters and Scholars of the University of Cambridge.