Required Courses

TF100 The Church's Life and Witness (150-1536)

Kaiser

A study of the history of the church and its mission from 150-1536. Attention given to ways in which the church's life and faith have shaped and been shaped by its various contexts and experiences and by its various forms of worship, proclamation, discipleship, and governance.

TF101 The Church's Life and Witness (1536-Present)

Voskuil

A study of the history of the church and its missionary expansion from 1536 to the present. Attention given to the American church and to the student's denominational heritage and the ways its life and faith have been shaped by its various contexts, experiences, forms of worship, proclamation, discipleships, and governance.

TF104 Introduction to Theology and Worship

T. Brown, Stubbs, Van Dyk, Rienstra

This introductory course combines concerns that would usually be considered separately in courses in theology and worship, as a reflection of the deeply held Reformed and ecumenical conviction, lex orandi, lex credendi. Holding these two basic realities together, we will seek to deepen our understanding of the core aspects of the Christian faith, explore how theology and worship both shape and are shaped by the other, gain a growing capacity for thinking critically about our theology and worship, and develop skills for worship leadership.

TF111 Missional Church

Hunsberger

An introduction to missiology, ecclesiology, ecumenics, and eschatology that provides biblical-theological vision for the life and witness of the church in the contemporary world. Emphasis is given to the way social and cultural factors form the church in any time and place, the missional challenges facing the churches of North America at the present moment, and the unity in mission to which all the churches of the world are called. Prerequisite: TF104.

TF113 Systematic Theology I

Kaiser

This course explores the doctrine of God, the doctrine of Christ, and the doctrine of humanity. These three big headings include many other matters of theological importance, including Trinity doctrine, divine attributes, providence, atonement, resurrection, sin, and the image of God. Readings will range from early church to contemporary sources. Prerequisite: TF104.

TF114 Systematic Theology II

Billings

This theology course explores the doctrine of the Holy Spirit and all the implications of the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believing community, including justification and sanctification, predestination, freedom, forgiveness, sacramental theology, and an understanding of Scripture and divine revelation. Readings will range from early church to contemporary sources. Prerequisite: TF104.

TF121 Christian Ethics

Stubbs

Explores how the theological vision of the Christian community expresses itself in specific intentions, practices, virtues, and actions and how Christian communities can grow in moral discernment. Prerequisites: TF104, TF113.

TF124 Credo

Kaiser, Billings

This senior seminar will guide the student in the writing of a theologically comprehensive statement of Christian belief and vision of life and ministry.  Students must have completed or be concurrently registered for TF111, TF113, & TF114

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Advanced Courses, Systematic Theology

TF450 RCA Standards
A survey of the Heidelberg Catechism, The Belgic Confession and the Canons of Dort designed to highlight distinctive elements of the Reformed tradition and to prepare RCA candidates for their ordination examinations. 2.5 credits

TF525 Reformed Theologies: Calvin, Edwards, Schleiermacher, and Barth
Stubbs
Students will examine the historical context and primary texts of four major Reformed theologians: John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, Friedrich Schleiermacher, and Karl Barth. We will consider the cultural and theological pressures they faced and how they addressed the three main theological questions: providence and election, revelation and natural theology, and the roles of Christ and Church in redemption.

TF528 Theological Hermeneutics
Billings
While most academic approaches to scripture focus on the cultural-linguistic history of the text, this course examines exegetical and theological approaches for how scripture functions as "word of God" for the church.  Through classical and contemporary readings, we explore strategies from the history of exegesis and contemporary scholarship for reading difficult biblical texts in ways that nurture the love of God and neighbor.

TF568 Calvin's Theology and Its Critics
Billings
Calvin's theology is not only central to the Reformed tradition, but continues to be the subject of vigorous theological discussion for theologians and pastors of many Christian traditions.  After setting the context of Calvin's life and times, this course will examine select key theological ideas in Calvin's writings.  In addition, prominent criticisms of Calvin's theology will be explored.

TF574 Salvation and Deification
Billings
Theologies of salvation as deification begin at the end: when believers are united to God, participating in Christ's glorification and transfiguration. Instead of seeing salvation as primarily a matter of forgiveness of sin and guilt, these theologies emphasize how creation is fulfilled as believers are incorporated into the Triune life. We will critically evaluate theologies of deification from Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Protestant traditions, and assess their fruitfulness for the preaching and teaching of the church. 1.5 credits

TF576 Lesslie Newbigin's Theology for the Church in a Pluralist Society
Hunsberger
Explores the resources in the thought of missionary theologian Lesslie Newbigin for the life and witness of the church in our contemporary, pluralist society.  The course will develop a theology of cultural plurality necessary for the engagement of the gospel with human communities, a grasp of its relevance to the church's life today in North America, and practical strategies for cultivating the habits of witness to which the church is called in such a place.

TF577 Global Christianity and the Mission of the Church
Voskuil
Explores how Christianity has become a global faith.  Special attention is given to the developments in Asia and Africa where the Church has recently experienced explosive growth as well as tensions with Islamic cultures.

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Advanced Courses, Historical Theology

TF451 RCA History
Voskuil
Examines the development of the Reformed Church in the context of North America. Special attention will be devoted to the leaders, approaches, and philosophies of RCA missions. 2.5 credits.

TF526 Continuing Judaism as a Theological Partner in the Early Church
Kaiser
It is important for Christians to learn as much as possible about early Jewish literature, particularly as it relates to the New Testament and the developing rule of faith. We shall read some of the principal texts and discuss the development of ideas like the attributes of God (mercy and justice), and the supernatural light. In addition to reading these texts, students will create their own files of NT texts along with the Jewish texts that throw some light on them. 1.5 credits. Prerequisite: TF100.

TF529 Early High Christology
Kaiser
The task of this class is to find a thread that connects the Jewish charismatic from Nazareth to the divine Lord confessed by early Christians.  If it was so compelling, why was this early, Jewish Christology gradually lost in later generations of Christian theology?  Students are invited to join the professor in exploring these questions.  1.5 credits. Prereq: TF113

TF530 Ante-Nicene Theologians
Kaiser
Analysis and seminar-style discussion of the Apostolic Fathers and other primary sources from the second and third centuries. The class will develop a methodology for reconstructing the context of the authors' theologies from the texts themselves. Seven weeks. 1.5 credits. Prerequisite: TF100.

TF531 Nicene and Post-Nicene Theologians
Kaiser
Analysis and seminar discussion of the writings of Saint Athanasius and other theologians of the fourth century. Topics include the Trinity, creation, Christology, and the Atonement. 1.5 credits. Prerequisite: TF530.

TF532 Augustine of Hippo
Kaiser
Analysis and seminar discussion of the Confessions and other writings of Saint Augustine. The class will develop a methodology for reconstructing the context of the author's theologies from the texts. Seven weeks. 1.5 credits. Prerequisite: TF526.

TF537 The Church in the Age of Reason (1648-1800)
Kaiser
The development of modern theology is traced from the rise of classical mechanics to the Industrial Revolution.

TF540 Reformed Church in America (1628 - )
The history, liturgy, polity, missiology, and theology of the RCA.

TF544 Currents in 20th Century Theology
Stubbs
Close readings of some of the "classic" works of 20th century theology by theologians such as Barth, Bonhoeffer, Gutiérrez, Lindbeck, Rahner, Russell, Schmemann, and Moltmann. We will highlight the place of these works in larger theological and cultural currents.

TF570 American Theologies: Culture and Religious Thought in the U.S.
Voskuil
Employing H. Richard Niebuhr's classic Christ and Culture typology, we will examine the interplay between religious thought and American culture during the last century, exploring how movements such as Evangelicalism, Pentecostalism, Fundamentalism, Protestant Liberalism, Neo-Orthodoxy, New Thought, Liberation Theologies, the death of God and New Age have developed in a culture that has nurtured individualism, freedom, competition, consumerism, pluralism, activism and optimism. The principal goal is to identify and understand the cultural forces which affect Christian thought during the 21st century.

TF578 Hezekiah's Wall: The African American Experience
Throughout America's history, people of African descent have worked tirelessly with their fellow citizens to overcome the pernicious legacies of slavery, Jim Crow segregation, racism, and broad-based political and socioeconomic marginalization.  This course will examine the struggles, challenges, and triumphs that African Americans have experienced, from before the nation's Founding down into the early 21st century in their efforts to achieve justice and the blessings of full citizenship in the United States.

TF596 Roots and Routes of Modern Black Theology 
Williams
Explores the historical roots of African-American moral thinking and the numerous ways in which religious belief and spiritual practices continue to shape African-Americans' moral thinking, political aspirations and social engagement.  Attention will be given to James Cone as founding patriarch and principal architect of Modern Black Theology.  Serious attention will be given to theological trajectories abounding within the broader African-American theological tradition (e.g. Womanism, Black Philosophical theologies, the Black Humanist tradition, Afro-Pentecostal thought, Black pastoral/practical theologies and human sciences approaches)

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Advanced Course, Ethics

TF546 War and Peace
Stubbs
We will consider Christian views on war, peace, and peacemaking. We will survey some of the key theological and biblical perspectives on war from both a historical and a theoretical perspective, and then look more carefully at various Christian responses to select wars and Christian movements of peace and reconciliation.

TF566 God and Mammon
Stubbs
In this course, we will wrestle with biblical and theological foundations for thinking about economics and politics, engage with three primary traditions of economic and political thinking within Christianity, read selections from the most important economic thinkers in modernity, and examine some concrete examples of individuals, communities and organizations that are self-consciously engaged in these matters. The main goal is to equip students to lead the church in thinking through matters of economic justice and possible concrete church practices. 1.5 credits

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