Welcome to the Divinity Divulged podcast! The first podcast series from the Faculty of Divinity at the University of Cambridge. In each episode we’ll be taking a look at one of the fascinating research projects happening within the Faculty through conversations with the researcher and an expert guest working in their field. With dialogue aimed at all of those studying or exploring religious studies across all levels, you can find details on how this episode relates to A Level and Scottish Highers Specifications as well as a glossary below.

For this episode we are joined by Rob Trenckmann, PhD student in the Faculty of Divinity here in Cambridge, as we explore Rob’s research into knowledge and ‘illumination’ in the writings of St Augustine, thinking about what this means for the soul and forms of theological education. Providing their expertise is Professor Simeon Zahl, Professor of Christian Theology also in the Faculty of Divinity.

This time round, Rob takes us through Jesus’ use of parables, distinctions between the mind, the body and the soul, and what Rob describes as ‘educational romanticism’.

We dearly hope you enjoy!

Researcher: Rob Trenckmann
Expert Guest: Professor Simeon Zahl
Host: Dr Joseph Powell

Glossary –

Anthropology – In Christianity, the study of how humans relate to God

Apologetic – A defence of a faith of a particular aspect of a faith

Biblical heart – How the Bible explains the heart as the centre for physical as well as emotional, moral and spiritual faculties

Disequilibration – Being off balance, in Christianity referring to the moment before a realisation or awakening of consciousness

Dualism – A philosophical concept which sees the mind and body as separate and distinct from each other

Ethnography - An anthropological research method often involving immersive fieldwork that seeks to understand human cultures from the perspective of research participants.

Falleness – In Christianity, referring to the ‘fall’ of humanity through the sins of Adam and Eve and a subsequent rupturing in the relationship between humanity and God

Fideist/Fideism – The view that faith is more important than intellect or reasoning in assessing religious truths

Hamartyology – A branch of Christian study that relates to sin

Neoplatonist/Neoplatonism – A school of philosophy with Greek origins which has within it ideas including monism, the notion that all reality can be traced back to a single principal or thing

Pelagianism – A Christian idea which suggests the Fall did not flaw human nature and that humans can achieve human perfection through the will of God

Sanctification – The act of making something holy

A Level Specifications –

AQA

2B Christianity:

Sources of wisdom and authority
God
Self, death and afterlife
Good conduct and key moral principals
Expressions of religious identity
Christianity and science
The dialogue between Christianity and philosophy
The dialogue between Christianity and ethics

Pearson Edexcel

3 Problems of evil and suffering

Problem of evil and suffering
Theodicies and solutions to the problem of suffering

6 Influences of developments in religious belief
Points for discussion about life after death

OCR
Philosophy of religion

Ancient philosophical influences
The nature of the soul, mind and body
Arguments about the existence or non-existence of God
The challenge for religious belief of the problem of evil
Ideas about the nature of God

Developments in religious thought

Sources of religious wisdom and authority
Practices which shape and express religious identity, and how these vary within a tradition

Scottish Highers Specifications

SQA

Christianity
Beliefs

Beliefs about God
Nature of human beings: free will; sin; stewards
Beliefs about Jesus
Judgement; Heaven and Hell

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