Course Catalogue 2024-2025

What is educational ministry? How can we reshape Christian Education in our congregation in order to revitalize the church and society? Exploring the structure of educational theory, reflecting one's educational experience in the church, engaging in dialogue with theorists in Christian Education, we will attempt to refashion Christian Education for today's church, and create a vision of Christian education in order to revitalize the congregation.

This course is Part One of a two-part introductory survey. It aims to acquaint students with issues that scholars have found significant in New Testament interpretation, including textual criticism and the world of the New Testament, with special focus on the canonical Gospels—the most well-known stories of Jesus. It also aims to help students understand the relevance of this kind of study for their ministry.

Exploration of the content of New Testament writings, especially the canonical gospels and Pauline corpus. Emphasis will be placed upon understanding these writings in their original socio-historical contexts, and on methods of interpretation.

The focus of this course is on the various methodologies for reading and analyzing the New Testament rather than theology and spirituality. The sad events of our own world illustrate some of the dangers of superficial and overly literal readings of religious writings. Biblical literacy should not be the privilege or duty of a select few, but the right and responsibility of all Christians. The purpose of our study is to provide the tools necessary for an in-depth reading of the New Testament utilizing a variety of methodologies. No one methodology is definitive or exhaustive; each one examines the text from a different perspective and reveals another aspect or layer of the passage in question. Although the material might seem technical and esoteric at times, providing the people of God with a biblical message that is rich, life-giving, and based on a sound understanding of the text is an eminently pastoral undertaking.

The focus of this course is on the various methodologies for reading and analyzing the New Testament rather than theology and spirituality. The sad events of our own world illustrate some of the dangers of superficial and overly literal readings of religious writings. Biblical literacy should not be the privilege or duty of a select few, but the right and responsibility of all Christians. The purpose of our study is to provide the tools necessary for an in-depth reading of the New Testament utilizing a variety of methodologies. No one methodology is definitive or exhaustive; each one examines the text from a different perspective and reveals another aspect or layer of the passage in question. Although the material might seem technical and esoteric at times, providing the people of God with a biblical message that is rich, life-giving, and based on a sound understanding of the text is an eminently pastoral undertaking.

The focus of this course is on the various methodologies for reading and analyzing the New Testament rather than theology and spirituality. The sad events of our own world illustrate some of the dangers of superficial and overly literal readings of religious writings. Biblical literacy should not be the privilege or duty of a select few, but the right and responsibility of all Christians. The purpose of our study is to provide the tools necessary for an in-depth reading of the New Testament utilizing a variety of methodologies. No one methodology is definitive or exhaustive; each one examines the text from a different perspective and reveals another aspect or layer of the passage in question. Although the material might seem technical and esoteric at times, providing the people of God with a biblical message that is rich, life-giving, and based on a sound understanding of the text is an eminently pastoral undertaking.

A historical and theological introduction to the four Gospels. We will study the Gospels from a multi-dimensional perspective as a fourfold witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. We will ask historical questions: about the origin of the Gospels in Jesus’ ministry and the women’s Easter experience, the setting of the Gospels in early Judaism and in the Roman Empire, and the process by which the Gospels emerged as a fourfold proclamation of Jesus Christ. We will ask literary and source-critical questions, about the literary origins and narrative shape of the Gospels. And we will ask canonical and theological questions, considering the Gospels in their character as a fourfold and scriptural witness, reading them in relation to each other and to the OT scriptures on which they draw.

A historical and theological introduction to the four Gospels. We will study the Gospels from a multi-dimensional perspective as a fourfold witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. We will ask historical questions: about the origin of the Gospels in Jesus’ ministry and the women’s Easter experience, the setting of the Gospels in early Judaism and in the Roman Empire, and the process by which the Gospels emerged as a fourfold proclamation of Jesus Christ. We will ask literary and source-critical questions, about the literary origins and narrative shape of the Gospels. And we will ask canonical and theological questions, considering the Gospels in their character as a fourfold and scriptural witness, reading them in relation to each other and to the OT scriptures on which they draw.

A historical and theological introduction to the four Gospels. We will study the Gospels from a multi-dimensional perspective as a fourfold witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. We will ask historical questions: about the origin of the Gospels in Jesus’ ministry and the women’s Easter experience, the setting of the Gospels in early Judaism and in the Roman Empire, and the process by which the Gospels emerged as a fourfold proclamation of Jesus Christ. We will ask literary and source-critical questions, about the literary origins and narrative shape of the Gospels. And we will ask canonical and theological questions, considering the Gospels in their character as a fourfold and scriptural witness, reading them in relation to each other and to the OT scriptures on which they draw.

This course is Part Two of a two-part introductory survey course. It aims to acquaint students with the literary structure, rhetorical argument, and certain social issues in the Pauline Corpus, General Writings, and Revelation and help students understand the relevance of these issues for their ministry. Emphasis is placed on acquiring familiarity with the texts and ability to converse critically about the particular problems that these texts both seek to solve and have created.

Strong and effective communication and counseling skills are crucial for all helping professionals
{therapists, spiritual care practitioners, congregational pastors). This course will combine lectures with experiential learning to provide helping professionals with the foundational skills of building rapport, empathic listening, effective questioning, interviewing and responding skills, structuring a session, and spiritual care giving. The students will practice the skills of building the therapeutic relationship based on Person-Centered, Humanist-Existential and Family Systems theories. We will explore how our own values and beliefs impact the helping relationship. The sensitive integration of spiritually-oriented questions into the therapeutic conversation will be discussed as well as spiritually oriented interventions and practices that promote healing and wholeness. The principles of documentation in a variety of settings {congregational, private practice, healthcare) will be discussed.
Solution-Focused Brief Therapy {a goal-directed collaborative approach to psychotherapeutic change), a Constructivist theory, will be explored and the skills of solution-focused therapy will be applied in small groups. And finally, students will develop the skills of ending well. The

Care and Community explores the role of care expected of religious practitioners and faith communities in an intercultural context. The pastoral care capacity of a beginning religious practitioner (pastor, chaplain, minister of music, education or lay leader) requires self knowledge, spiritual formation, theory and skill. Narrative theories of care will provide the basis for the assumptions and skill development of the course. Role plays, class discussions and short practical theology papers will provide opportunity to assess a student's self ability to think theologically about pastoral care situations.