The Center for Textual, Historical and Systematic Studies of Judaism and Christianity (CTHS) researches Christian and Jewish traditions that have influenced society over the past 3000 years. By studying texts and history and through systematic research, the CTHS researchers offer insight into the history of society and its major issues.
Center for Textual, Historical, and Systematic Studies of Judaism and Christianity
Highlights
Main lines of research
- The formation of Jewish and Christian identities in antiquity, using textual, linguistic, and historiographic methods in conversation with fields such as archaeology, anthropology, trauma studies, postcolonial theory and empire studies, and critical social theory
- Christian identity and dissident traditions from late antiquity until the present, investigating topics such as women in church leadership, mysticism and monasticism, changes in Roman Catholic identity in response to different historical contexts, Orthodox Christian theology and practice, and the history of dialogue between faith and reason; and
- Christian identities in contemporary and global society, including public theology in a secular age, political theory, and feminist theology.
Mission and vision
The work of the CTHS focuses on religious texts and concepts, including philosophical, theological, and canonical reflections, as well as on religious commitments and identities, behaviour and ethics, and religious expressions in art and other media. CTHS studies the origins and later developments of Judaism and Christianity from antiquity to today, with one of its distinct concerns comprising the study of competing models of interpretation within the various Christian traditions—Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant.
Together, we promote research and teaching in two of the world’s major religious traditions, Judaism and Christianity, and to help our students critically engage with and understand an increasingly complex world by bringing current ideas, values, practices and sources of authority into conversation with historically, ecclesiastically, and culturally diverse traditions.