This past term I applied to several PhD programs and after being offered places at Durham, Sheffield, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and St. Andrews, Katie and I have decided to go to the University of Edinburgh (Durham was quite tempting though). I will be working with Dr. Larry Hurtado, for whom I have a massive amount of respect, and focusing on the role of the Psalms in the development of NT Christology (obviously there is much more to this dissertation topic and it will be heavily revised and focused throughout my first year there). I am extremely excited (1) to be studying a subject that I am so fascinated with and (2) to be living in the UK, in Scotland more specifically, and in such a beautiful and historic city as Edinburgh (scroll through these pictures and be jealous of the city’s beauty). Here are a few details about the School of Divinity (which I will be part of).
- It is located in New College (see pic below) on the university’s campus, and is adjacent to the Edinburgh castle (basically I’ll be right next to Hogwarts) and is next to Edinburgh’s most famous street, Royal Mile.
- The school of divinity has about 27 academic staff members.
- There are about 150 postgraduate (masters and phd) students there.
- The Centre for the Study of Christian Origins.
- Larry Hurtado is there, and he is a brilliant scholar and noteworthy expert on Christology and early Christian origins.
- The New College library is the largest single site theological library in the UK.
Here are a few facts on the University of Edinburgh in general:
- Ranked as the top Scottish university by The Guardian in 2006.
- It was founded in 1583.
- The current student population is about 25,000 (including 5,800 international students from 137 countries).
- Famous alumni:Philosopher: David Hume; Chemist: Joseph Black; Novelists: Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson, Arthur Conan Doyle; Signatory of the American Declaration of Independence: John Witherspoon; Charles Darwin (briefly to study Medicine); Architect: Robert Adam; James Hutton: the father of modern Geology.
We will arrive in Edinburgh sometime in early September. Until then, I will continue to wrap up my studies here in Vancouver (including my German reading course), sell pretty much all that we own, and we will move home to Oregon for about a month before leaving for good. As promised, here are some pictures to make you drool:
New College
The city of Edinburgh
Arthur’s Seat
Edinburgh sunset
A shot down Royal Mile
