Duke Initiatives in Theology and the Arts offers rigorous programs of study in theology and the arts at Duke Divinity School. Our academic programs are designed to form our students’ imaginations and vocations at both the master’s and doctoral levels, and together with Duke Divinity School, DITA has developed academic programs that are robustly theological and academically unique.
The Certificate in Theology and the Arts (CTA) offers M.Div., M.T.S., and Th.M. students firm grounding in the key theological loci and practices relevant to a lifetime’s engagement with the arts in the church, the university, and beyond.
To complete this certificate, students must complete the core course and two other courses from an approved list (normally one of these will be a course offered outside the Divinity School). In addition, all students must complete a research or service learning project. Finally, participants are required to participate in events sponsored by Duke Initiatives in Theology and the Arts, as well as bimonthly CTA colloquies.
Discovering the Certificate in Theology and the Arts at Duke Divinity felt like discovering a unicorn. Here was a rigorous, theological education that also took the arts and creativity seriously. Duke’s definition of Christian ministry was expansive enough to include the vagaries of my own calling while the option to pursue the M.Div. … meant that I could continue lay ministry and writing while growing in my ability to do both.”
—Hannah Anderson, hybrid M.Div. ’26
Duke Divinity’s Doctor of Theology (Th.D.) program provides students with academically rigorous training informed by an understanding of theology as critical reflection on Christian practice and belief in the light of holy scripture.Entering students work within theological disciplines such as Bible, church history, theology, ethics, homiletics, and Christian formation, and also at the intersection of these disciplines with fields such as political science, peacemaking and reconciliation, medicine, and the arts.
The program is intentionally interdisciplinary, and students have access to the resources of both the wider university and partner institutions (including UNC-Chapel Hill, NC Central University, and NC State University).
DITA is proud to partner with some of the top faculty in the field of theology in the arts from Duke Divinity School and beyond. Our affiliated faculty represent a variety of expertise in the field and provide unique perspectives on the intersection of theology and the arts. Their backgrounds and specialties are extensive and when compiled form a robust body of artistic and theological knowledge ranging from Romantic literature to philosophical theology to Black Church studies.
