Core Courses

BIBL 510 Biblical Hermeneutics

This course contains three areas of concern that overlap:  (1) it will familiarize the student with the history of interpretation of scripture in the Christian church; (2) it will introduce the student to hermeneutical questions such as how language conveys meaning, what we mean by “meaning” and whose meaning, what “history” is and how it impacts interpretation, hermeneutical assumptions behind major methods of criticism practiced today, etc.; (3) the student will be introduced to critical methodologies and have opportunity to practice a variety of exegetical methods ranging from very basic to more sophisticated.

THEL 505 Constructive Theology

A comprehensive and integrated analysis of the major theological topoi of the Christian faith.  The course assumes previous familiarity with theological issues.

THEL 502 Church History

This course offers a comprehensive examination of the ancient, medieval, modern, and contemporary periods of  the Christian Church.  The development of Christianity will be studied in its various historical contexts. Particular attention will be paid to the life, thought, and writings of prominent Christians of each era.   The theology, institutions, and practices of the Christian Church will be studied from its documentary sources, with special attention to practical application.

THEL 507 Missional Ecclesiology

The course seeks to define the nature and practice of the Church in the light of the missio Dei.  A biblically and theologically informed ecclesiology will shape the traditional concerns for the leadership of the Church and her pastoral vocation.

THEL 509 The Christian Spiritual Life

A study of the Christian understanding and practice of the spiritual life from the perspectives of tradition, ascetical theology, and contemporary scholarship in spirituality.  Students will investigate the history and traditions of the church with regards to teachings on the spiritual life, examine a variety of methods and practices (from antiquity to the present) aimed at personal and corporate spiritual formation, and craft rationales and strategies for integrating spiritual practices into their personal and vocational lives.

THEL 511 Theology, Faith, and Culture

An examination of the nexus of theology, faith and culture.  This course explores questions of the order: how does contemporary culture impact Christian theology and faith, and how in turn do Christian theology and faith provide the means to interpret and respond to contemporary culture?  We will explore ways of using theology as a means to interpret a wide array of cultural phenomena (e.g., television, internet, music, literature, sport, architecture) with a view to discerning broadly religious and particularly theological subtexts and themes.