Ph. D. in Practical Theology
Bryan T. Froehle, Director
bfroehle@stu.edu
Thanks for taking a look at our Ph.D. program in practical theology! St. Thomas University’s School of Theology and Ministry initiated this innovative program of studies as a way of responding to the “joys and hopes, the grief and anxieties of the people of our time.” We hope you find this program to be intellectually, personally and spiritually fresh and exciting. Our goal is to collectively and personally engage each doctoral cohort and student in the emerging conversation around practical theology, understood as both the advanced study of the traditional practices of ministry and the dynamic underpinnings of the theological enterprise itself.
The Ph.D. in practical theology is a unique opportunity for scholarly formation that is deeply rooted in Scripture and Tradition and which critically engages:
- Contemporary experience and pastoral reality
- Prophetic and liberating activity
- Cultural diversity and contextual sensitivity
- Critical and constructive approaches
- Imaginative and artistic spiritual engagement
St. Thomas University’s unique location enables students to draw on the rich cultural resources of Miami as a meeting point of the Northern and Southern hemispheres. The program is designed for students seeking professional and theological skills to serve church and community through teaching and research, organizational leadership, social action and advocacy. We strive to foster creative and critical correlation between the Christian faith tradition and the “signs of the times” in contemporary society and culture.
This program is situated within a School of Theology and Ministry that is dedicated to practical theology at all levels of study, including undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degrees. That very integration of teaching and learning is a great asset, we believe, to our doctoral students. We are convinced that our location within a Catholic university has something to offer the wider field of practical theology and therefore welcome those from a variety of traditions to study with us. We find that many from a wide variety of faith traditions specifically seek us out. As a Catholic institution, we offer unique perspectives and approaches that sharpen the doctoral study of practical theology. Our doctoral program is immensely enriched by confessional diversity—as it is by racial, ethnic, language, cultural, and all other forms of diversity represented by our students. We welcome all to our Catholic university and to a “catholic” approach to advanced, cross-disciplinary theological study within the School of Theology and Ministry of St. Thomas University.