Directed Reading and Research (DRR) courses allow students to study in a specific area of interest not addressed by the scheduled course offerings. Permission required.

See the Thesis Handbook for details.

Equips students to use the tools of systematic theology to understand, proclaim, and live the Christian faith today. We will address such questions as: How can we know God, and how do we adjudicate truth claims about God? How can God be both one and three? How can Jesus be both divine and human? Who is the Holy Spirit and how does the Spirit’s work relate to that of the Father and Son? How does theological knowledge impact our day-to-day lives in the church and in the world? Prerequisites: HIST 0561 or HIST 0562.

Designed to introduce students to the field of Christian apologetics. Attention will be given to the rationale for apologetics and its place in contemporary society. Students will be introduced to different methodologies in defense of the faith, and there will be attention to the central issues in apologetics. Classical issues in apologetics are addressed: the existence of God, the problem of pain, the authority of the Bible, the supremacy of Christ, creation, evolution and other religions. Students are also introduced to the impact of postmodernism in our culture.

Equips students to navigate the complexities of following Jesus with faithfulness, integrity, and wisdom in our contemporary post-Christian world. While the course addresses classical and contemporary ethical issues and questions, its primary focus is on forming Christian character. Central questions include: How do we become the kind of people who reflexively think, and act, and engage others as Jesus did? How do differing and changing worldviews and cultural narratives impact the way we approach and address ethical questions? What theological and spiritual commitments, disciplines, and practices are necessary to ground and sustain authentic Christian life and witness in the world?

Exposes students to important shifts and trends in contemporary Christian thought and provides an enriching context for discussion and theological reflection. The central theme of the course is doing theology contextually. We will be examining the relationship between context and theology, both observing how context inevitably (and rightly) shapes the practice of theology and probing the limitations of context for faithful theological reflection. Four themes will serve as test cases for analyzing the relationship between context and theology: missional ecclesiology, science and Christian faith, liberation theology, and sex and gender. Prerequisite: THEO 0531.

Guides and equips students to reflect critically and constructively on the practice of theology as an academic, pastoral, and missional discipline. Specifically, it explores and addresses the fundamental ideas, social/cultural influences, and personal commitments that necessarily motivate and shape theological reflection and communication. The overarching goal is to help students become more theologically formed and informed interpreters of Scripture, for the sake of the church and its mission in the world.

Directed Reading and Research (DRR) courses allow students to study in a specific area of interest not addressed by the scheduled course offerings. Permission required.

Same as MISS 0603.

Evaluates contemporary models of forgiveness and reconciliation from biblical, theological and pastoral perspectives. A Gospel-centered model of forgiveness and reconciliation will be presented out of which practices of forgiveness and reconciliation can be explored. Issues to be considered may include, but are not limited to: the semantics of forgiveness and reconciliation; systemic and corporate dynamics of forgiveness and reconciliation; the problem of unrepentance; forgiveness and memory; forgiveness and reconciliation in non-ecclesial/non-Christian contexts; and the role of the local church in fostering forgiveness and reconciliation.

Focuses on the recurring phenomenon of renewal in the Church as a key aspect of a biblical and contemporary ecclesiology. Church renewal will be explored through an examination of a variety of renewal movements and an engagement with the theological and missional questions raised by the persistent presence of such movements in Church history. Implications will be drawn for Church life and mission today. Same as MISS 0623.

An examination of the life and thought of John Wesley, and of early Methodism as a movement of evangelism, renewal and mission within the larger Christian Church. Students will explore major aspects of Wesley’s theology and the dynamics of early Methodism as a movement, with attention to how Wesley’s theology can help inform a holistic understanding of Christian life and mission in the contemporary context.

A seminar in systematic theology in which one major Christian doctrine, such as the doctrine of the Trinity, Christ, salvation, etc., is studied. Prerequisite: THEO 0531.

Examines closely Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion. Topics such as the knowledge of God, Trinity, Scriptures, providence, the three-fold office of Christ, justification, faith sanctification, predestination, church, sacraments and the Christian life are addressed. Prerequisite: THEO 0531.

Examines the work of the most significant theologian since the Reformation. Attention is directed to expositions of major doctrines; e.g. Word of God, Trinity, Perfections of God, Election, Creation and Covenant, Evil Justification and Sanctification. Barth’s theology is compared to that of his predecessors and his contemporaries. Prerequisite: THEO 0531.

Acquaints students with the theology of the human person. It focuses on biblical and doctrinal issues that bear upon such questions as, “What does it mean to be a human being?”, “What is meant by the ‘image of God’?” and, “How is the Person of God related to the personhood of human being?” Prerequisite: THEO 0531.

Studies the theology of salvation, particularly as it relates to the place of the created order in God’s redemptive plan and the meaning of “the restoration of all things” in the new creation by the Spirit through the work of Jesus Christ. Draws on biblical, historical and systematic theology to construct a theological approach to creation stewardship as an aspect of Christian mission.

An exploration of the Christian calling to be holy as God is holy. Examines holiness through engagement with some of the most important sources from theological tradition (e.g., Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, John Wesley), as well as lesser-known voices, past and present. Focuses on the development of a theologically-grounded understanding of holiness and on the integration of theology and spirituality in Christian life. Prerequisite: THEO 0531.

Same as MISS 0586.

Examination of specific topics in theology.

Same as MISS 0785.

See the Thesis Handbook for details.

Surveys the history, development and characteristics of the Chinese culture in comparison to the Christian faith (theology, anthropology and world view). Explores the possibility of a dialogue between the two traditions. Building on an interplay of diachronical (historical) and synchronical (thematic) approaches, explores the relationship and integration of Christianity and Chinese culture. Special emphasis is put on the application on apologetic evangelism, pastoral ministries, missiological considerations and theological contextualization. Offered in Mandarin.

An introduction to Christian ethics, including the biblical bases, the historical development, and the application of Christian ethics to different personal and social issues. Offered in Mandarin.