Course List

The culture around us is changing bringing new opportunities for us to teach faith. The church must find ways to be the church in these changing times. In this course we will examine three cultural shifts: digital age, the rise of the SBNR/Nones, and religious pluralism. We will conclude by reconsidering faith formation in light of these cultural shifts. Prerequisite: None

This course must be completed before taking any other courses.  There is no charge for this course. 

This class will meet via Zoom on 2/12, 2/26, 3/11, 3/25, 4/8, 4/22 from 7-8:30 pm EST.

You must have completed all work in the IB and LC areas before registering for this course.

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact Dr. Clayville and Dr. Coble to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IB and LF areas before registering for this course.

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact Dr. Clayville and Dr. McFayden to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IB and LM areas before registering for this course.

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact Dr. Clayville and Dr. Newton to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IB and LW areas before registering for this course.

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact Dr. Clayville and Dr. Schade to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IF and LC areas before registering for this course.

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact Dr. Askew and Dr. Coble to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IF and LF areas before registering for this course.

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact Dr. Askew and Dr. McFayden to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IF and LM areas before registering for this course.

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact Dr. Askew and Dr. Newton to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IF and LW areas before registering for this course.

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact Dr. Askew and Dr. Schade to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IP and LC areas before registering for this course.

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact Professor Breeding and Dr. Coble to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IP and LF areas before registering for this course.

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact Professor Breeding and Dr. McFayden to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IP and LM areas before registering for this course.

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact Professor Breeding and Dr. Newton to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IP and LW areas before registering for this course.

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact Professor Breeding and Dr. Schade to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IS and LC areas before registering for this course.

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact TBA and Dr. Coble to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IS and LF areas before registering for this course.

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact TBA and Dr. McFayden to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IS and LM areas before registering for this course.

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact TBA and Dr. Newton to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IS and LW areas before registering for this course.

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact TBA and Dr. Schade to make arrangements for the exercise.

 Please contact the registrar notify her of which areas you are matching up.

This course must be completed before taking any other courses.  There is no charge for this course. 

The course introduces students to basic assumptions, practices, and theological reflections of pastoral care, with special emphasis on individual encounters between a care-giver and care receiver. The class will also ask students to explore pastoral care experiences in their own lives and the ways their personal history, identity, and context impact their understanding of care. 2/17-2/29 Prerequisite: None Credit: 0.5

2/3-2/29 This course discusses the meaning of Lent and the meaning of the Lectionary texts for the particular year in which the course is taught. It gives attention to the meaning of these texts in their literary and historical settings and their meanings as texts read within the season of Lent. Prerequisite: IS 520 and IS 560

2/3-2/29 Students can feel alternately surprised, overwhelmed, disillusioned, and delighted by theological education. While each student’s experience is different, this course is designed to prepare you for the impact that working on an M.Div. often has on the life of faith (prayer) and approach to ministry (praxis) so that you can flourish spiritually and practically throughout and beyond your educational program. In other words, this course will name aspects of the seminary experience that can transform students’ approach to prayer and Christian praxis within the community of faith. Prerequisite: *Required within the First 8 Hours* Credit: 1.0

2/17-2/29 This course is a very basic overview of the role Christianity played in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Prerequisite: None Credit: 0.5 Instructor: Prof. Bruce Breeding

2/3-2/29 This course will examine the Gospels carefully. The course enables students to discern what kinds of writings are found in the Gospels and what we should expect to find in them. Reflection upon how the Gospels are related to one another and how they are used in recent discussions of the historical Jesus will be included. The course will also examine each Gospel in some detail, looking for what the writer of each wanted readers to think about Jesus, God, and the world. This will help us think about what they say to the church today. Prerequisite: IS 520 Credit: 1.0

2/3-2/29 This course is the prerequisite for all other theology courses. In this course students will be introduced to the basic vocabulary, concepts, paradigms and figures central to studying and practicing theology

3/2-3/14 This course rests on the premise that one of the crucial tasks of those called to be pastors and/or educators is to teach in the church. In this course, we seek an understanding of the teaching ministry as we explore the purpose, context, content, and process of teaching, drawing on biblical and vocational foundations of teaching. Prerequisite: None Credit: 0.5 Instructor: Dr. Narola McFayden

This course will meet via Zoom 7:00-8:30 pm EST 3/9, 3/23, 4/6, 4/20, 5/4, 5/11

3/16-3/28

3/2-3/28

You must have completed all work in the IB and LC areas before registering for this course.

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact Dr. Clayville and Dr. Coble to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IB and LF areas before registering for this course.

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact Dr. Clayville and Dr. McFayden to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IB and LM areas before registering for this course.

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact Dr. Clayville and Dr. Newton to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IB and LW areas before registering for this course.

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact Dr. Clayville and Dr. Schade to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IF and LC areas before registering for this course.

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact Dr. Askew and Dr. Coble to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IF and LF areas before registering for this course.

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact Dr. Askew and Dr. McFayden to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IF and LM areas before registering for this course.

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact Dr. Askew and Dr. Newton to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IF and LW areas before registering for this course.

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact Dr. Askew and Dr. Schade to make arrangements for the exercise.

3/2-3/28

This is a four-week (1 credit) course that is a prerequisite for all other courses in the LW area (Leading the Church in Worship). Students will master basic concepts and theological issues that will provide the foundation for consequent LW courses. In this course students will learn the following: A basic understanding of ritual, symbol, and worship A broad overview of the biblical and historical foundations of Christian worship, including marking liturgical time A beginning theology of Christian worship and proclamation Issues related to leadership in worship, including structuring the liturgical year and designing a basic worship service The origins and use of lectionaries The office of daily prayer An introduction to leading public prayer An introduction to choosing music for the liturgy NOTE: This course includes two required assignments in your current congregation. One is to write and lead the opening prayer (called a “collect”) for the Sunday service midway through the course. You should begin to make arrangements for this as soon as you have registered for the course. In the other congregational assignment, you will lead the prayers of the people during the worship service immediately following the last day of the course. Note: If leading the prayers during these worship services would conflict with the schedule of your church and cannot be accommodated, please contact the instructor immediately to discuss alternatives. This course also includes an assignment that requires you to designing a worship bulletin and choose hymns for an upcoming service sometime within the next three months. Note: You are just designing the service as an exercise; it does not have to actually happen in the congregation (although that would be the ideal.) The point is to give you practice in designing a worship service and preparing a bulletin (a requirement for MDiv students as part of the competency exam). Prerequisite: None Credit: 1.0 Instructor: Dr. Leah Schade

You must have completed all work in the IP and LC areas before registering for this course.

 

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact Professor Breeding and Dr. Coble to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IP and LF areas before registering for this course.

 

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact Professor Breeding and Dr. McFayden to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IP and LM areas before registering for this course.

 

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact Professor Breeding and Dr. Newton to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IP and LW areas before registering for this course.

 

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact Professor Breeding and Dr. Schade to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IS and LC areas before registering for this course.

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact TBA and Dr. Coble to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IS and LF areas before registering for this course.

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact TBA and Dr. McFayden to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IS and LM areas before registering for this course.

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact TBA and Dr. Newton to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IS and LW areas before registering for this course.

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact TBA and Dr. Schade to make arrangements for the exercise.

3/2-3/28 Theological anthropology is the study of the human person as created by God. In this module, we will study the central questions with which theologians wrestle when working the theological nature of the human being. We will read and discuss historical and contemporary accounts of sin and what it means to be made in the image of God (Imago Dei). Along the way, we will consider the ethical consequences of particular answers to these questions. Prerequisite: IF 550 Credit: 1.0 Instructor: Dr. Emily Askew

3/2-3/28

 Please contact the registrar notify her of which areas you are matching up.

3/2-3/28 This is a four-week (1 credit) course that offers students an introduction to the history, theology, and leadership of Christian rites of passage and sacraments/ordinances. In this course students will become familiar with the following: Socio-religious theoretical perspectives on the function of rites of passage and worship rituals. Biblical, historical and theological foundations for sacraments/ordinances and Christian rites of passage. Detailed understanding of the major rituals of baptism, communion, weddings and funerals, including biblical, historical and theological background, as well as practical considerations. Prerequisite: LW 550 Credit: 1.0 Instructor: Dr. Leah Schade

This course must be completed before taking any other courses.  There is no charge for this course. 

3/2-3/28 This course will set each Pauline letter in its original setting, noticing how each is a pastoral and theological response to the social, spiritual, and theological questions and problems that had arisen in the church to which he writes. It will examine how he interprets the gospels in ways that address that church’s concerns and shows them how to be faithful to God and the gospel in the pluralistic society of the first century. The course also explores ways to appropriate these texts for the church today, as we think about how our spiritual and religious concerns have some analogies with theirs, and how Paul’s responses to these questions do and do not give us guidance in today’s church. Prerequisite: IS 520 Credit: 1.0

3/2-5/2 The work of transforming individual beliefs and values, actions and behaviors—along with institutional structures and systems, traditions and conventions—is hard work. Creating social change in a world that values the status quo and status symbols can be back-breaking, spirit-straining work. And yet, this is the work the church is called to be about. It is the work of the spiritual life. Still, too often, this important work of social transformation gets relegated to the politicos and policy wonks. And people of faith are brushed aside or willingly take a comfortable seat on the sidelines. However, without a spiritual foundation undergirding the work of social change, it can be shallow, empty, short-lived. Real social change requires spiritual transformation. It requires changing beliefs, behaviors, institutions, and systems from the inside out. This course not only examines the spiritual importance of social change; it also proposes spiritual practices capable of sustaining those engaged in the intensity of the work. Through readings, multimedia presentations and videos, discussion forums, and a writing project, we will consider the relationship between spirituality and social change, engage in a variety of spiritual practices, and critically reflect on the value of those practices in the process of working for social change. Prerequisite: Successfully completed one competency exercise and a minimum of 60% of IB 500 level work Credit: 2.0 Instructor: Dr. Christy Newton

3/2-3/28 This course aims to assist students in improving their capacity to do three things: research the existing conversation on a topic of interest, to read that conversation analytically, and to write their own views clearly and cogently. These are critical skills for success in seminary. They are also critical skills for ministry in the church during and after seminary. Today many students who are preparing for ministry are coming back to school after an absence from formal academic work and academic writing. Many students come from careers where expectations about writing are different than for graduate work and ministry. The Three R’s course is designed to assist you in becoming better readers, writers, and researchers in those contexts. Prerequisite: *Required within the First 8 Hours* Credit: 1.0

In this course we will pay attention to the curious institution that is the church. Most of the time we take church for granted, but when we think about its call, to be both relevant and prophetic, to be grounded in the world with eyes toward the Kingdom of God, it looks not only odd, but maybe impossible. Yet, this is the community Christ called, so we continue to do the best we can in faith that our work will be made right by God. To think about the church, we will study the ways theologians have dealt with difficult questions of how to “be” church and we will apply those theological glimmers to a focused study of our own congregations. Prerequisite: IF 550 Credit: 1.0 Instructor: Dr. Christopher Rodkey

3/30-5/30 (off 4/6-4/12 for Holy Week) This course helps students build the capacity to reframe ministerial and larger contexts in light of theological and biblical traditions. Students will come to understand the way in which our own theological understandings are situated within wider cultural contexts. They will practice interpreting their surrounding culture through biblical and theological lenses. Finally, they will explore ways that theological and biblical interpretation can serve as practices that shape ministerial contexts.

“Faith formation is nurtured by the whole life of a congregation, the gathered community of faithful people… Everything that happens in a congregation is part of the process of faith formation” (Diane E. Shallue, p. 4). This course draws upon materials from the field of congregational studies to prepare students to understand the context, culture, and theology of a particular congregation in light of driving forces affecting faith formation in congregations in the United States. Prerequisite: None Credit: 0.5 Instructor: Dr. Narola McFayden

Creating a Congregational Culture of Care During this course, we will seek together to develop your role as a pastoral caregiver within the congregational context and to cultivate your gifts in equipping the entire congregation to be a community of care. To achieve this, we’ll investigate theories, methods and practices of pastoral care and counseling, and will explore the role of theological reflection within the contexts of congregational care. We will consider how our embedded and operative theologies impact our approach and role in care giving. We will also engage a diverse selection of scholars in theology, systems theory and organizational dynamics. All these areas will be examined through the varying lenses of gender, cultural, national, racial, ethnic, ability, class and sexual difference. Prerequisite: LC 520 Credit: 1.0 Instructor: Dr. Richard Coble

You must have completed all work in the IB and LC areas before registering for this course.

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact Dr. Clayville and Dr. Coble to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IB and LF areas before registering for this course.

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact Dr. Clayville and Dr. McFayden to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IB and LM areas before registering for this course.

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact Dr. Clayville and Dr. Newton to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IB and LW areas before registering for this course.

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact Dr. Clayville and Dr. Schade to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IF and LC areas before registering for this course.

 

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact Dr. Askew and Dr. Coble to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IF and LF areas before registering for this course.

 

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact Dr. Askew and Dr. McFayden to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IF and LM areas before registering for this course.

 

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact Dr. Askew and Dr. Newton to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IF and LW areas before registering for this course.

 

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact Dr. Askew and Dr. Schade to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IP and LC areas before registering for this course.

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact Professor Breeding and Dr. Coble to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IP and LF areas before registering for this course.

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact Professor Breeding and Dr. McFayden to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IP and LM areas before registering for this course.

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact Professor Breeding and Dr. Newton to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IP and LW areas before registering for this course.

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact Professor Breeding and Dr. Schade to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IS and LC areas before registering for this course.

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact TBA and Dr. Coble to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IS and LF areas before registering for this course.

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact TBA and Dr. McFayden to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IS and LM areas before registering for this course.

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact TBA and Dr. Newton to make arrangements for the exercise.

You must have completed all work in the IS and LW areas before registering for this course.

 

 

Once you have registered you should contact TBA and Dr. Schade to make arrangements for the exercise.

 Please contact the registrar notify her of which areas you are matching up.

This course must be completed before taking any other courses.  There is no charge for this course. 

This course will meet 4/2, 4/16, 4/23, 4/30 7:00-8:30 pm EST This course is designed to allow students the opportunity to practice and improve on the range of skills learned in Sermon Preparation (LW554) while giving focused attention to one homiletical issue. The course is limited to eight students, each of whom will preach, record and upload one sermon to be watched individually and discussed in weekly synchronous video conferences. Sermons must have been preached within one month of the start of the course. Because of its synchronous structure, the course lasts for a month; but because of the student work load expected, the course receives .5 credits. Prerequisites: LW 550, LW 554 Credit: 0.5 Instructor: Dr. Leah Schade

A congregation’s ministry programs are the most prominent outward signs of its purpose and identity. Planning them with clarity and evaluating them with care will not necessarily save or transform a congregation, but good planning and evaluation ensure that congregations offer programs that matter to people and to God. By taking this course, students will learn how to lead others into effective processes of program planning and evaluation in their congregations. In the last week of the course, students will apply the same processes to the completion of their LTS degree/certificate and thus learn one way of discerning their vocation. Prerequisite: None Credit: 1.0

This course provides a broad overview of the prophetic books of the Hebrew Bible, with a particular focus on the book of Isaiah. The course examines literary genres or forms that appear in prophetic texts; sets these books in their ancient social, economic, political, literary, and religious contexts; and asks how their messages are relevant to the life and witness of the church today. Prerequisite: IS 520 Credit: 1.0

This course will provide a basic Biblical, theological, and practical introduction into the spiritual discipline of stewardship and provide best practice principles for guiding the financial and fiduciary responsibilities of the pastor as church leader. Prerequisite: None Credit: 1.0 Instructor: Prof. Bruce Barkhauer

This course introduces the theory and method of Social Ethics and considers how the issues and applications of social ethics influence both the local church and the wider society. Using case studies to examine specific theoretical and practical issues, we will exercise our own ideas and applications of social ethics. The aim, of course, is neither to answer every question nor to justify particular stances but, rather, to learn to ask relevant questions, to understand how ethical decisions correspond to theological belief, to communicate clearly one’s own ethical values, and to expand understandings of diverse worldviews. Students will be encouraged to develop their analytical and critical thinking skills, to reflect on their own processes of ethical reflection, and to communicate their ideas in articulate ways Prerequisite: None Credit: 1.0 Instructor: Dr. Christy Newton

According to Rev. Cynthia Breen, “Sexuality is simply too important, too beautiful and too potentially dangerous to be ignored in a religious community.” (Gibb, 1999) At no time has this sentiment been more accurate than it is today. Families, churches and denominations have split over issues related to homosexuality and the will of God. It is imperative that in order to address the divides that presently exist and help to heal all those who live in pain because of these divides, that those who lead the church must become literate about all aspects of the conversation. This is what we will do in this course. You will leave this course supplied with information to help lead your congregations in dialogue around issues related to the church and homosexuality. Prerequisite: IF 550

There is no easy answer to the question “Why?” when a child dies, or a house burns or cancer is diagnosed. As preachers, teachers and care-givers, it is our responsibility to learn when and how to respond and when and how to stay silent. In this course we will think about God’s role in suffering and in hope. We will think about ways that we can help people (including ourselves) reflect on struggle and on the cultivation of hope. We will by-pass any answers that only serve to make us, the care-givers, feel better and focus instead on the deep theological resource that can be brought to bear as we negotiate life. Prerequisite: IF 550 Credit: 1.0 Instructor: Dr. Wilson Dickinson

This course aims to foster students’ capacity to reflect on and respond to traumatic injuries and trauma survivors as pastoral care provider. The historical background of such reflection will be studied through the reading material and various practical issues that a religious responder needs to know about in caring for trauma survivors will be examined and practiced. Based on such knowledge students will foster pastoral sensitivity through theological reflections on experiences of trauma. Prerequisite: LC 520 Credit: 1.0 Instructor: Dr. Peter Capretto