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REGULATIONS FOR EXAMINATIONS: NOTICE BY THE GENERAL BOARD

The General Board give notice that, on the recommendation of the Faculty Board or other authority concerned, they have approved amendments of the regulations for certain University examinations, as follows:

Theological and Religious Studies Tripos

The regulations for the Theological and Religious Studies Tripos (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 382), have been amended, with effect from 1 October 2000, as set out below. The purpose of these amendments is to retitle and regroup the papers in Groups A and B, which are set in the examination for Part I of the Tripos. The Faculty Board of Divinity intends to introduce amendments to the titles of the papers in Groups C and D, which are set in the examination for Part II of the Tripos, at a later stage. The regulations have been amended as follows:

Regulation 17.

By amending the list of papers in Groups A and B so as to read:

Group A

Paper  1. Scriptural languages and texts.

Group B

Paper  2. One God? Hearing the Old Testament.
Paper  3. The birth of Christianity.
Paper  4. Christianity and the transformation of culture.
Paper  5. The shaping of modern theology.
Paper  6. The study of religion.
Paper  7. World religions in comparative perspective.
Paper  8. Philosophy of religion and ethics.

Regulation 18.

By replacing the words 'of Groups B-D' by the word 'group'.

Regulation 21.

By amending the regulation so as to read:

21. A candidate for Part I shall offer:

(1) one language from Paper 1;
(2) either Paper 2 or Paper 3;
(3) three other papers chosen from Group B;

provided that a candidate who has previously obtained honours in the Classical Tripos or the Oriental Studies Tripos may not offer in Paper 1 a language in which he or she has previously offered a paper in an Honours Examination.

Regulation 22

By amending sub-paragraph (b)(iii) so as to read:

(iii) a candidate who so wishes may offer a total of seven papers (or six papers and a dissertation), to include a second scriptural language from Paper 1 other than the one he or she has offered in Part I.

Regulation 23.

By replacing the wording 'one paper chosen from Group A' in sub-paragraph (a) with the wording 'one language chosen from Paper 1'.

By replacing sub-paragraph (c)(iv) so as to read:

(iv) a candidate who has been exempted from the requirement to offer a scriptural language from Paper 1 under the provisions of Regulation 25 may, if he or she so wishes, offer a total of seven papers (or six papers and a dissertation), choosing one additional scriptural language from Paper 1 other than the one from which exemption has been granted;

Regulation 24.

By replacing the first line in sub-paragraph (c) so as to read:

(c) one scriptural language from Paper 1 and three papers chosen from Groups C and D;

By replacing sub-paragraph (c)(iii) so as to read:

(iii) a candidate who has previously obtained honours in the Classical Tripos or Oriental Studies Tripos may not offer a language from Paper 1 which he or she has previously offered in another Honours Examination;

Regulation 25.

By replacing the wording 'one paper chosen from Group A any candidate for Part II under Regulation 23 who either has taken a paper from Group A' with the wording 'a scriptural language from Paper 1 any candidate for Part II who has either offered a language from Paper 1'.

The supplementary regulations have been amended, with effect from the same date, so as to read:

Paper 1. Scriptural languages and texts

This paper will comprise four sections, Section A, Hebrew, Section B, New Testament Greek, Section C, Sanskrit, and Section D, Qur'anic Arabic; candidates will be required to confine their answers to a single section. Section A will contain (i) questions on Hebrew grammar, and (ii) passages for translation, linguistic comment, pointing, and retranslation from a portion or portions of the Old Testament prescribed by the Faculty Board. Section B will contain passages for translation, and for exegetical and grammatical comment, from one or more portions of the New Testament which the Board shall from time to time prescribe. Copies of a Greek lexicon will be available in the examination for those who wish to make use of them. Section C will contain (i) questions on Sanskrit grammar, and (ii) passages for translation, linguistic and exegetical comment, from a portion or portions of the Hindu and Buddhist scriptures prescribed by the Faculty Board. Section D will contain (i) questions on Arabic grammar, and (ii) passages for translation, linguistic and exegetical comment from a portion or portions of the Qur'an, the Hadith, and early Islamic theological literature prescribed by the Faculty Board.

Paper 2. One God? Hearing the Old Testament

This paper will provide an introduction to critical study of Old Testament literature and religion, focusing on the development of monotheism in a predominantly polytheistic setting. Texts for special study will be prescribed by the Board.

Paper 3. The birth of Christianity

This paper will provide an introduction to some of the major historical, literary, and theological themes of the New Testament, with special reference to set texts which the Board may prescribe from time to time.

Paper 4. Christianity and the transformation of culture

This paper will consider key periods and issues in the establishment and expansion of Christianity and its interaction with non-Christian cultures. The paper will be based around four topics, announced annually by the Board.

Paper 5. The shaping of modern theology

This paper will introduce some of the central concerns of theology in the light of the impact of modernity. The texts studied will include novels, poems, critiques of religion, and theological texts relating to statements of the Christian creeds.

Paper 6. The study of religion

This paper will offer an introduction to the conceptualization and explanation of religion; classic theories of religion; sociological, psychological, and anthropological approaches; and current topics, such as fundamentalism, nationalism, and gender.

Paper 7. World religions in comparative perspective

This paper will approach at least two religions through the study of a topic or topics specified annually by the Faculty Board, in the context of the history, beliefs, and practices of the main religions of the world.

Paper 8. Philosophy of religion and ethics

This paper will introduce students to the philosophy of religion and to ethics, both philosophical and religious. Questions will be set on such topics as the nature of metaphysics, arguments for the existence of God, the world and God, faith and scepticism, the objectivity of morals, deontology and consequentialism, conscience and virtue, and the teleological suspension of the ethical. The Board may from time to time prescribe texts for special study.

The supplementary regulations for Papers 9 to 13 are deleted.


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Cambridge University Reporter, 17 November 1999
Copyright © 1999 The Chancellor, Masters and Scholars of the University of Cambridge.