Theology and divinity are two fields that are often used interchangeably in the Christian Studies field, but they actually have some distinct differences. However, the good news is both are suitable categories of qualifications for people desiring to work as church pastors, in vocation ministry, mission and humanitarian work, as evangelists, as well as for people with goals to one day work in academia, particularly in the area of Christian studies.
The most obvious difference between the Australian College of Theology’s theology and divinity qualifications on offer at Malyon, is the Australian Qualification Framework level. With the exception of the Master of Theology course, many of the qualifications Malyon offers with ‘theology’ in the course name are undergraduate-level courses. Whereas most qualifications with divinity in the course name are postgraduate level courses that require you to already have a bachelor degree qualification (or equivalent) to be eligible to enrol.
The overlap in the two fields is around many of the topics covered, such as biblical overview and interpretation, systematic theology, biblical Greek language, and church history. Furthermore, both fields do provide the capacity for students to undertake some elective subjects that could be chosen from practical ministry areas. The number of electives required is usually dependent on the total length and level of the qualification. It is recommended to speak with our Malyon Registrar to discuss the detail of the Australian College of Theology’s courses and what would suit your goals best.
For a full list of the qualifications available here at Malyon Theological College, head to the browse courses section on our website: HERE
Malyon Theological College is an affiliated college of the Australian College of Theology – An Australian University College
