Come to Sarum College for a week of deep exploration of a specific text as it relates to the Christian Tradition.

The text will be either a particular biblical text(s) (e.g. The Gospel of Mark, The Sermon on the Mount, or the Genesis matriarchal narratives) and/or a classic text from the Christian spiritual tradition (e.g. The Rule of St Benedict, The Interior Castle, The Cloud of Unknowing), with a different text chosen for each iteration of the module. The module will allow students to critically engage with the text using particular lenses with enable deeper consideration of its meaning, significance, impact and longevity for the Christian spiritual tradition, its adherents, and/or the wider cultural context.

In 2024, the text was The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, with sessions by:
Dr Jayme Reaves, Director of Academic Development at Sarum College, who led a session on the Bible and Atwood’s writing, the short stories of Atwood, and an introduction to Atwood’s writing and the genre of The Handmaid’s Tale.
Prof Graeme Smith, who taught on political theology and the use of rhetoric in totalitarian regimes, and leading our discussion of the film adaptation.
Dr Michael Hahn, Leader of Postgraduate Programmes in Christian Spirituality at Sarum College, who taught an introduction to Atwood’s writing, on the study of women’s lives and experiences in historical documents (including how this is portrayed in the epilogues), and leading our discussion of the TV adaptation.
Prof Rhiannon Graybill, Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Richmond, and Prof Peter Sabo, Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies and Theology at Huron University, who together edited the book, “Who Knows What We’d Make of It, If We Ever Got Our Hands on It?”: The Bible and Margaret Atwood, will be teaching on the Margaret Atwood’s writing and the Bible.
Sarah Meyrick editor of the Church Times, journalist and novelist will be leading two sessions on creative writing.

This is an opportunity to have a week study break in the beautiful Salisbury Cathedral Close, where residential participants enjoy full board, access to the library and to the pattern of liturgy at Salisbury Cathedral. During the week, you will engage critically with the text using particular lenses to enable deeper consideration of its meaning, significance, impact and longevity for the Christian spiritual tradition, its adherents, and/or the wider cultural context.

We welcome auditors are participants who learn alongside postgraduate students but are not required to complete an essay or earn academic credit.

What does it mean to audit a course? 

Joining this course is an opportunity to have a study break in the beautiful Salisbury Cathedral Close, where residential participants enjoy full board, access to the library and to the pattern of liturgy at Salisbury Cathedral.

Whether it’s cultural events, sightseeing (Stonehenge is nearby for example) or shopping — there’s plenty to do if you’d like to extend your stay the weekend before and after the course. For ideas, visit Salisbury Cathedral Close attraction websites to see what’s on Sarum’s doorstep. Visit the Wiltshire Creative website to view events at nearby Salisbury Playhouse and the Salisbury Arts Centre. The Experience Salisbury website has an excellent city-wide listing of forthcoming events around the city.

Need financial assistance? View our list of grantmaking trusts

Learn more about postgraduate study in Christian Spirituality 

Learn more about postgraduate study in Theology, Imagination and Culture

Enrolled students also may attend teaching weeks for modules in addition to the modules which they are studying for credit, by permission of the Programme Leader.  The audit fee and hospitality prices are reviewed annually with any changes effective from 1 July.