Ethical issues play a significant role in the history and present of the Christian faith. Systematic Theology studies both the Christian faith’s content (that is, dogmatics) and theological ethics together with the philosophy of religion. These themes comprise several areas that are studied from the historical and contemporary perspectives. During your studies in dogmatics, you can deepen your knowledge of Christian faith in different periods and environments, the early church and its relevance today, and issues arising from encounters between Christianity and other religions or between Christian churches and denominations.  Studies in theological ethics and the philosophy of religion, on the other hand, introduce you to the history of ethics, Christian ethics in different aspects of life, philosophical interpretations of religion and its relationship to knowledge, as well as religious language.

The subject area of Systematic Theology is one of the specialisation alternatives that students earning their Bachelor’s degree in Theology may choose at the Master’s level. The studies comprise multifaceted themes. The common courses provide you with a good overview of systematic theology, but you may also choose courses in accordance with your own interests. Moreover, you will take courses according to your intended career profile (for example, a priest, teacher or researcher). If you choose to study to become a priest, you will not have a minor subject, but will instead have several elective courses in Theology and practical training. If your career profile is teacher, you will study Education and one other teaching subject as your minor subjects, whereas the social specialisation line will allow you to freely choose between various thematic modules and minor subjects within Åbo Akademi University. Your personal strengths will help you to find the right combination of subjects.