BIBLICAL FIELD

BL521-DL
Ruth and Esther
Bechtel
This course offers a literary and theological exposition of Ruth and Esther—two small books that offer large insights for today. Emphasis is on becoming more careful and responsible readers of Scripture. This course offers examples of how to engage an Old Testament book via in-depth exegesis, using a variety of critical tools. 3 cr

BL525-IR
The Art of the Sabbath
West
In this course we will explore the biblical and theological context of the Sabbath and its historical development throughout the Old and New Testaments as well as in Jewish and Christian practice up until today, with a view toward how Sabbath practice can inform and shape Christian living and ministry. Topics will include Sabbath time, Sabbath practices and spiritual formation, Sabbath-keeping and Christian identity, the social, economic, and ecological dimensions of the Sabbath, Sabbath and Sunday, and more. 3 cr

BL526-DL
Psalms and Wisdom Literature
Bechtel
An exegetical study of selected psalms in the context of both the Old Testament and the larger canon of Scripture. Attention is given to the role of the psalms in the liturgical, devotional, and theological life of the church. The Wisdom Literature of the Bible explores the forms, vocabulary, and concepts of wisdom in the Bible, emphasizing Proverbs, Job, Song of Solomon, and Ecclesiastes. 3 cr

BL535-DL
Interpreting the Parables
Brownson
A survey of recent approaches to interpreting the parables of Jesus provides the context for considering hermeneutical issues in preaching and teaching the parables. 3 cr

MN577-DL
Imagining a New Future: Biographies of Resistance and Hope
Bruce
Enjoying the biographies of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Dorothy Day, and Fannie Lou Hamer, we will delve into the lives of ordinary Christians living in extraordinary times, women and men who peered through a bleak reality and imagined God’s New Day.

BL618-IR
Advanced Hebrew
West, Bush
Advanced interactive learning in the language and theology of the Old Testament. Students develop a deeper understanding of grammar, syntax, translation and interpretation through hearing, speaking, and reading Hebrew, as well as memorization and enactment of scripture. This course is held off-site as a 10 ½ day overnight retreat experience. Pre-work includes grammar review, translation and creative exegetical project. Post-work involves a dramatic analysis paper. Prereq: BL110 & BL111 3 cr

CHRISTIAN MINISTRY FIELD

MN506-IR
By Christ, Washed and Well Fed
Rozeboom
Word and Sacrament are gifts by which Christ himself gives us life—his life. With these gifts, Christ refreshes and sustains us in that life, communally and personally. This course will be a robust theological, pastoral, missional and liturgical exploration of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We’ll listen for the Spirit to discover how we—each according to our calling and context—might set forth the gifts of God for the people of God faithfully and well. 3 cr

MN508-IR
Writing/Reading for the Pastoral Life
DeGroat
Ecclesiastes 12 says there is no end to the making of many books, and in the pastoral life there is no end to the writing and saying of many words. Words have enormous power—after all, it was with words that God spoke his creation into being. This course helps students choose and use words with care and thoughtfulness. We will work toward becoming better writers (and readers), and in the process become better preachers, teachers and pastors. 1.5 cr

MN517-DL
Faithful and Effective Response to Domestic Violence
Castillo Portugal
Explores the theories, resources, and strategies of pastoral and congregational care to respond faithfully and effectively to the issue of domestic violence based on theological understandings of God and human experience. This course draws upon the insights of psychology, sociology, and theology to guide pastoral and congregational care into a more faithful and effective praxis. The course draws from scriptural, theological, socio-scientific, and experiential resources and invites students to engage those resources in ways that enhance their ability to offer care and to lead communities of care in response to the issue of domestic violence. 3 cr

MN534-DL
Preaching as Pastoral Care
Brown
This course is designed to provide the opportunity to think deeply, practically, and with complexity about the mysterious relationship between preaching and pastoral care. In this course, we’ll lean on the wisdom of preacher/pastor Eugene Peterson. In his book, Five Smooth Stones of Pastoral Work, he says, “Pastoral work begins at Pulpit, the Font, the Table; it continues in the hospital room, the family room, the counseling room, the committee room. The pastor who leads people in worship is companion to those same people between acts of worship.” 3 cr

MN555-DL
Presbyterian Confessions/Polity
Stubbs
Study of the Confessions and Book of Order of the PC(USA) is intended to give students good knowledge of the confessional tradition, directory of worship and form of government of the PC(USA). This course will help students to prepare for ordination exams. 1.5 cr

MN558-DL
Worship Renewal in a Changing World
Rienstra
The renewal of God’s people—in scripture and in the church’s history—nearly always begins with a renewal of its worship. This course looks at some of the principles and practices that God, by the power of the Holy Spirit, is using to accomplish worship renewal in the body of Christ in our fast-changing world. Reading, discussion, and exercises will be guided by core convictions articulated by the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship (CICW). We will be especially attentive to this fraught cultural moment colored by the pandemic and an increasing awareness of racism in our country. Key learning will take place at the renowned CICW Symposium for Worship, which will be entirely online with panels, podcasts, livestream worship, webinars, etc offered throughout the month of January 2021. We will “attend” and process this event together, but because the events go to January 26, students should plan on work for this course extending into the first week of the Spring semester. 3 cr

MN562-DL
Liturgical Shenanigans: Ritual Theory and Christian Formation
Rienstra
Rituals are enacted everyday by humans in all cultures—at theaters and stadiums, libraries and marketplaces, bathrooms and fire pits, as well as places of worship. They are one of the most important ways we both express and shape our understanding of the meaning of life. The course will have three primary learning modes: 1) we will observe ritual activity in culture (our own and others’) that either fits or fights the gospel; 2) we will engage readings at the intersection of cultural anthropology and practical theology; and 3) we’ll experiment with liturgical shenanigans—attending to the work of the Spirit in and through our holy play in the neighborhood of symbol, performance, embodiment, and transcendence. 1.5 cr

MN580-DL
Healing Ministry of the Church
Thompson
What is healing? What does it mean to be healthy? What does Jesus’ life and ministry model for us about how God defines health and offers healing? How does one’s definition of health and healing influence one’s understanding of faithful ministry on the whole? Through dialogue around questions like these, students will be invited to: (1) gain an overview of how the Church has historically understood what it means to heal and be healed; (2) critically engage existing understandings of health and healing alongside a close reading of key biblical texts (with particular attention paid to the healing ministry of Jesus); and (3) construct their own practically actionable theology of healing. 3 cr

MN581-DL
Ministry & Margins: Amplifying Our Witness
Conner
Explores the boundary-crossing ministry of Jesus, in particular how he redefined the margin and the center with a Kingdom perspective. The class will consider ways in which ministry to and with those who are often marginalized in our society can amplify the witness of our congregations. People groups that are underserved include, but are not limited to, the elderly or homebound, people suffering from dementia, people in group homes, people struggling with literacy, people with disabilities, people living in poverty, immigrant communities, and people without homes. 3 cr

MN582-DL
Ministry, Aging and Dementia
McDonald
Aging presents us with both pastoral challenges and important gifts for individuals and the body of Christ. How do we walk well with and learn from those who are in the final stage of their earthly journeys? One increasingly common aspect of aging that acutely challenges the faith, hope, and love of all of us is dementia. Together we will explore theological and pastoral resources for dealing faithfully with those who suffer from dementia, and those who care for them. 3 cr

MN588-DL
Summer Institute on Theology and Disability
(Travel Seminar for GCDM)
Conner
The vision of the Summer Institute on Theology and Disability is to expand the depth and breadth of theological inquiry and resources that address and include the gifts, needs, and contributions of people with disabilities and their families to theological learning and religious practice. Attend this unique week-long gathering of theologians, academics, ministry leaders, people with disabilities, and others to explore the intersection of faith and disability. The 2021 location is Holland, MI. Event has included presenters such as Stanley Hauerwas, Hans Reinders, John Swinton, Amos Yong, and Candida Moss. Erik Carter, Bill Gaventa, and Ben Conner, who have taught in the Graduate Certificate in Disability and Ministry, are on the faculty of the SITD. 3 cr

MN614-IR
Discerning Congregations: Discovering God in the Neighborhood
Small
The congregation is a sign, instrument, and foretaste of the Kingdom of God, even with its imperfections, divisions, and difficulties. Students will read in the areas of ecclesiology and mission and will learn the skills of applied ethnographic fieldwork. Students will then work in pairs to adopt a local congregation and engage in conversation discerning God’s mission in local communities. Students can expect to understand how Christian leaders, pastors, and laity can form and lead congregations as participants in God’s mission. 3 cr

THEOLOGY FIELD

TH505-IR
Creation Calling
McDonald
Creation is loved into being and sustained by the Triune God, who also has a glorious eschatological future for it. Human beings are called to keep it in ways that are consonant with God’s purposes, but instead, creation calls out in protest at having to bear the consequences of our alienation from God. Through readings, film, guest speakers, and field trips, this course will help us to think with scriptural and theological wisdom about the doctrine of creation and ‘creation care’ issues, and will also help us to discover ways to act well towards the rest of creation in our various ministry settings. 1.5 cr

TH532-DL
Augustine of Hippo: His Life and Thought
Kantzer-Komline
Western philosophy, so the saying goes, consists of footnotes to Plato. Augustine has impacted western theology in a similarly profound way. In this course, students will engage this North African Christian living on the margins of the crumbling Roman Empire in his own words, reading both classics, like the Confessions, and lesser-known texts stemming from Augustine’s pastoral ministry, such as sermons and letters he wrote to colleagues, parishioners, and other inquisitive citizens of his late ancient world. 3 cr

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-DL = Distance Learning course
-IR = In-Residence course
Learn more about the elective courses and the faculty teaching them at Western Theological Seminary’s Online Electives Catalog located in CANVAS:
https://westernsem.instructure.com/courses/2881424

BL100 New Testament Greek I
An introduction to New Testament Greek vocabulary, grammatical forms, and sentence structure with a view to New Testament Greek as a resource for ministry.

BL101A New Testament Greek II
Continues BL100, with special emphasis upon syntax and translation. 1.5 cr

BL101B New Testament Interpretation
An introduction to the tools and principles required for the exegesis of the New Testament in its own linguistic, historical, and canonical context, as a foundation for interpreting the New Testament in a contemporary context. 1.5 cr Prereq: BL100, BL101A

BL102 New Testament Foundations
An introduction to the content, history, and theological dynamism of the writings of the New Testament, with a view to appropriating the message of the New Testament for today.

BL103 Old Testament Foundations
An introduction to the content, history, and theological dynamism of the writings of the Old Testament, with a view to appropriating the message of the Old Testament for today.

BL110 Biblical Hebrew I
An introduction to biblical Hebrew in its cultural context for those who seek to interpret the Bible faithfully and fully. Using multi-sensory and interactive approaches, students will learn the basic vocabulary, grammar, syntax and world view of the Old Testament.

BL111 Hebrew Translation and Interpretation
A continuation of BL110 which more fully engages interpretive and devotional approaches to Old Testament texts.
Prereq: BL110

BL120 Biblical Interpretation for Ministry
This course explores biblical interpretive methods and online study tools and their application towards ministry settings. No language prerequisite.

BL505 Set Afire or Set Free? Ecological Hermeneutics
This course explores the field of ecological hermeneutics and the application of ecological interpretive approaches in ministry settings. Biblical scholars interpret the Bible’s teachings concerning the relationship between humans and creation in a variety of ways. Different interpretive approaches result in different applications. Students will be challenged to develop their own ecological hermeneutical approach to Scripture and to seek ways to apply their interpretations in their own ministry and life settings.

BL508 Revelation
This course studies the book of Revelation within its historical, political, and literary contexts. Particular emphasis is placed on the apocalyptic nature of the work within the first century C.E. Additionally, it studies the impact this book has had on contemporary views on eschatology. Students will examine the variety of ways Revelation can be used in the church, including preaching, liturgy, and pastoral care.

BL509 Conflict in the Created Order
This course will explore how the conflict between the ordering word of God and the disordering waters of the deep in the creation story is recapitulated in the narrative, prophetic, and wisdom literature. We will explore why Western Christians have tended to overlook this conflict, and how a deeper understanding of it can revitalize Christian communities.

BL510 The Old Testament in the New
Many Christians, though at home in much of the New Testament, feel out of their depth in the Old. Yet, the New Testament is largely unintelligible outside of knowing the narratives, poems, apocalypses, wisdom sayings, and laws of the Old Testament. This course is bridges the canonical gap by exploring the Old Testament as it is used in the New. By canvassing how Paul, James, the Evangelists, and ultimately Jesus imaginatively use the Old Testament, we will discover fresh and faithful ways in which the Spirit is speaking to the Church through Scripture. 1.5 cr

BL513 Studies in Prophets
The role of prophets in Israelite society, their theology, and their impact on Western culture.

BL514 Seminar in Psalms
An exegetical study of selected psalms in the context of both the Old Testament and the larger canon of Scripture. Attention is also given to the role of the psalms in the liturgical, devotional, and theological life of the church. 1.5 cr

BL516 The Days of Elijah and Elisha
We will take a deep dive into the Elijah and Elisha cycles in I & II Kings and will consider them in the light of the larger historical context of the Israelite monarchy into which these early prophets enacted, embodied, and articulated the Word of the Lord. The course will explore the artistry, drama, and theology of Israelite storytelling generally but with focused attention on these prophetic narratives. We will consider the cultural, historical, and theological context out of which these dramatic stories arose and will discover their transforming power through performance.

BL517 Wisdom Literature of the Bible
Explores the forms, vocabulary, and concepts of wisdom in the Bible, emphasizing Proverbs, Job, Song of Solomon, and Ecclesiastes. 1.5 cr

BL518 The Trial of Galileo and Its Implications for Biblical Interpretation Today
Galileo (1564-1642) refined the telescope and turned it toward the heavens. Observing the movements of planets and moons, he saw that the sun was the center of the world and not the earth, as the theologians of his day taught. The Church put him on trial during which there was intense debate about the authority of the Scriptures and the relationship between general and special revelation. In the end, his books were banned, and he was put under house arrest. We will study the trial of Galileo and use it as a lens to look at similar controversies facing the Church today about the structure of the world. 1.5 cr

BL521 Ruth and Esther
This course offers a literary and theological exposition of Ruth and Esther—two small books that offer large insights for today. Emphasis is on becoming more careful and responsible readers of Scripture. This course offers examples of how to engage an Old Testament book via in-depth exegesis, using a variety of critical tools.

BL523 Joshua and the Paradox of Grace
Explore the book of Joshua as an entryway into the historical and theological issues surrounding Israel’s struggle to claim its God-given inheritance in the Land of Canaan. We’ll seek distinctive ways to read this book as the Church and discover ways to live into this biblical story of incorporation and exclusion, hopelessness and salvation, apostasy and grace.

BL525 The Art of the Sabbath
In this course we will explore the biblical and theological context of the Sabbath and its historical development throughout the Old and New Testaments as well as in Jewish and Christian practice up until today, with a view toward how Sabbath practice can inform and shape Christian living and ministry. Topics will include Sabbath time, Sabbath practices and spiritual formation, Sabbath-keeping and Christian identity, the social, economic, and ecological dimensions of the Sabbath, Sabbath and Sunday, and more.

BL520 Esther
A theological exposition of the book of Esther that looks to literary issues such as theme, character, and irony as guides for interpreting the book in the contexts of both the Old and the New Testaments. Originally intended as a model for life in the Jewish Diaspora, the book is a potentially important guide for Christians seeking to live faithful lives in a secular society. 1.5 cr

BL526 Psalms and Wisdom Literature
An exegetical study of selected psalms in the context of both the Old Testament and the larger canon of Scripture. Attention is given to the role of the psalms in the liturgical, devotional, and theological life of the church. The Wisdom Literature of the Bible explores the forms, vocabulary, and concepts of wisdom in the Bible, emphasizing Proverbs, Job, Song of Solomon, and Ecclesiastes.

BL529 The Gospel According to Matthew
An overview of the theology and narrative shaping of the first gospel, using close readings of selected texts. Particular attention is paid to Matthew’s vision for discipleship, the church, and Christian life and witness. Prereq: BL100, BL101A&B or equiv.

BL530 Letter to the Romans
Introduction and overview of the letter, together with exegetical study of selected portions in Greek. Prereq: BL100, BL101A&B, BL102 or equiv.

BL531 New Testament Theology: Issues and Themes
The course first introduces the student to the history, issues, and most significant practitioners and methodological models of the discipline of New Testament Theology. It then explores the theological presuppositions of the New Testament authors before introducing the student to a method of doing New Testament Theology that understands Christian Scripture as an epic story that runs from creation to new creation.

BL532 The Gospel According to John
Considers important historical, literary, hermeneutical, and theological issues in the Gospel of John, with exegesis of selected passages in Greek. Prereq: BL100, BL101A&B, BL102 or equiv.

BL533 Gospel of Mark
An exegetical exploration of the gospel of Mark which examines the structure of the gospel; the main lines of the story, places and times; the relationship of the characters; the function of the questions; and what the narrator really wants to say through his story. Key passages will be translated. Prerequisite: BL100, BL101 & BL102 or equivalent.

BL535 Interpreting the Parables
A survey of recent approaches to interpret¬ing the parables of Jesus provides the context for considering hermeneutical issues in preaching and teaching the parables.

BL540 The Corinthian Correspondence
An exploration of Paul’s First and Second letters to the Corinthians, with particular attention to the interaction between pasto¬ral engagement and theological reflection. Prereq: BL100, BL101A&B, BL102 or equiv.

BL544 Hebrews
One of the most energetic and enigmatic books of the New Testament, Hebrews vacillates between functioning as a letter or a sermon, refuses to identify the location of either its author or its recipients, expresses the most profound Hebrew religious concepts in the best of Greek language, explores deep theological ideas in engagingly simple pictures, and calls on Christians to die for their faith! Hebrews remains one of the greatest sources of Christian theology “proof-texting,” yet is rarely understood or read as a whole document. We will take the book apart, analyze it for clues, then read it as a whole, and develop a strong sense of both its original context and its continuing powerful message for the church.

BL550 Living and Active: The Doctrine of Scripture and Biblical Studies
In this course, we will be asking a cluster of interrelated questions: What is the Bible? How was the biblical canon formed, and what led to these particular books being chosen over others? Can God speak through multiple translations; are all the Word of God? How have technological innovations—the scroll, codex, printing press, digital media—changed how we interact with God’s Word? In arriving at answers, students will also refine statements on Scripture for their senior Credo. 1.5 cr

BL551 Disability, Bible and the Pastoral Imagination
What do people with disabilities find when they try to find themselves in our biblical texts? This course addresses some of the issues, hermeneutical and pastoral, that people with disabilities encounter when reading the Bible. The class will read interpretative texts written by persons with a variety of disabilities and consider how their insights can support our pastoral imagination. 1.5 cr

BL552 Scripture and Human Sexuality
This course explores a variety of ways of reading the Biblical text, particularly with a view to interpreting how Scripture speaks to the role and responsibilities of Christians with different sexual attractions in relation to the Church. Contrasting perspectives will be presented in the class (some via guest speakers), and students will be invited to deepen their capacity for constructive dialogue, discerning common ground amidst difference, and integrative thinking on these challenging questions. 1.5 cr

BL612 Greek Reading/Performance
Using memorization and movement as the primary tools of exegesis, students engage with one New Testament narrative deeply for 14 weeks. This course builds on BL100, BL101A and BL101B, deepening students’ engagement with the Bible. Pass/fail, 1.5 c

BL614 Hebrew Reading/Performance
Using memorization and movement as the primary tools of exegesis, students engage with one Old Testament narrative deeply for 14 weeks. This course builds on BL110 and BL111, deepening students’ engagement with the oral nature of the Hebrew Bible. Pass/fail, 1.5 c

BL616 Christianity and Literature
A study of the biblical and theological motifs in selected literature by both classical and contemporary authors. Emphasis is on the use/study of such works in ministry settings, as well as their relevance for those involved in leadership roles in the church.

BL617 Ordination of Women: Exploring Biblical Authority and Church Order
In-depth biblical exegesis and focused theological and hermeneutical reflection around the ordination of women—in an attempt both to assist students to clarify their understanding of this particular issue and to provide handles and tools for wrestling with the use of Scripture in the ordering of the church’s life more generally. A full range of views on the topic will be explored. 1.5 cr

BL618 Advanced Biblical Hebrew
Advanced interactive learning in the language and theology of the Old Testament. Students develop a deeper understanding of grammar, syntax, and interpretation through hearing, speaking, and reading Hebrew, as well as memorizing and enacting biblical stories. This course is held off-site as a 10 ½ day overnight retreat experience. Pre-work includes grammar review, translation and creative exegetical project. Post-work involves a dramatic analysis paper. Prereq: BL110 & BL111

TH100 Church History I
This course explores the life and witness of the church from the New Testament era to the Protestant Reformation.

TH101 Church History II
This course explores the life and witness of the church from the Protestant Reformation to the present.

TH102 Introduction to Theological Research
A study of research methodology, library use, and basic reference works for theo-logical research.

TH110 Theology for Ministry
Every believer is doing theology. We all reflect on who the Triune God is, how God relates to us and all that God has made, and how we relate to God and others in response. This course offers an overview of key Christian doctrines to deepen our thinking and help us to make richer connections between what we believe and how we go about out callings.

TH112 Gospel, Culture, and Church
An introduction to the church’s self-understanding as a missional and eschatological community formed by the good news of Jesus Christ and made to be its living witness. The course seeks to cultivate a biblical-theological rationale for the existence of the church and for its mission, an appreciation for the historical, cultural, and contextual rootedness of the church, an understanding of the dynamic interaction between the gospel and human cultures, and a vision for what missional faithfulness requires of any church in its own time and place.

TH113 Systematic Theology I
This first course of the two course Systematic Theology sequence explores four major Christian doctrines: the doctrines of God, creation, humanity, and Christ. These expansive headings include many other matters of theological importance, including Trinity doctrine, divine attributes, creation, humanity, the image of God, sin, providence, covenant, Israel and the significance of the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ. Readings will range from early church to contemporary sources.

TH114 Systematic Theology II
This course explores the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, salvation, church and sacraments. Exploring these expansive topics will include an examination of the work of the Spirit in the believing community, scripture and divine revelation, justification, sanctification, and the final judgment, as well as the theology of Word and Sacraments in the church. Readings will range from early church to contemporary sources.

TH121 Christian Ethics
This course explores how the theological vision of the Christian community ex-presses itself in specific intentions, prac-tices, virtues, and actions and how Christian communities can grow in moral discernment.

TH124 Credo
In this senior seminar, students will write a theologically comprehensive statement of their Christian belief in conversation with their respective theological traditions. 1.5 cr. Prereq: MN121, TH112, TH113, TH114.

TH126 Summative Examination
The task of the summative examination is to address a contemporary issue deeply and competently in a way that demonstrates integrated reflection on Scripture, theology and Christian practice. This course is only for the Master of Arts program.

TH505 Creation Calling
Creation is loved into being and sustained by the Triune God, who also has a glorious eschatological future for it. Human beings are called to keep it in ways that are consonant with God’s purposes, but instead, creation calls out in protest at having to bear the consequences of our alienation from God. Through readings, film, guest speakers, and field trips, this course will help us to think with scriptural and theological wisdom about the doctrine of creation and ‘creation care’ issues, and will also help us to discover ways to act well towards the rest of creation in our various ministry settings. 1.5 cr

TH518 Eschatology: Christian Hope and the Last Things
Eschatology (the study of the “last things”) concerns Christian hope for the future consummation of all of God’s promises and purposes and what this means for Christian living today. Drawing on biblical scholars and theologians past and present, as well as art, music, and literature, this course will explore scripturally-founded contours for thinking wisely about the “last things,” and help us to recognize the impact of our eschatological views on our discipleship now.

TH519 American Evangelicalism
Since Newsweek magazine declared 1976 the “year of the evangelical,” evangelicals have seemingly infiltrated all aspects of American culture, from politics to popular entertainment. This course surveys the history of the evangelical movement from its origins in the Great Awakening to its place in the contemporary church. Along the way we will examine issues including theology, race, gender, and social reform.

TH524 Theologies of Prayer: Petition, Contemplation, and the Triune God
How does the work of the Triune God relate to the praying life of Christians? This course explores two biblical and theological traditions of Christian prayer with an eye toward discerning how God is active in and through them: petitionary prayer and contemplative prayer. After a section focusing upon the New Testament and petitionary prayer (especially prayers for healing), the course explores the writings of two major theologians: Karl Barth on petitionary prayer, and Sarah Coakley on contemplative and charismatic approaches to prayer. 1.5 cr

TH526 Seminar in Contemporary Theology
In this seminar we will read, discuss, present on and write about an important work or works in contemporary theology. It is an opportunity to go deeper into important theological issues and tests in a small seminar setting. 1.5 cr. Prereq: TH114

TH532 Augustine of Hippo: His Life and Thought
Western philosophy, so the saying goes, consists of footnotes to Plato. Augustine has impacted western theology in a similarly profound way. In this course, students will engage this North African Christian living on the margins of the crumbling Roman Empire in his own words, reading both classics, like the Confessions, and lesser-known texts stemming from Augustine’s pastoral ministry, such as sermons and letters he wrote to colleagues, parishioners, and other inquisitive citizens of his late ancient world. 1.5 cr

TH533 From Africa to Anatolia: Mothers and Fathers of the Church
Parents and place of origin shape a person. It is the same with theology. This seminar on early Christian theology engages our mothers and fathers in the faith, whose perspectives, developing in diverse contexts from urban hubs such as Carthage and Alexandria to the high plain of Cappadocia, have so profoundly shaped our own.

TH535 History of Global Pentecostalism
This course will investigate the currents of the Spirit that have developed in the history of Pentecostalism, in its manifestations both positive and negative. This means that in studying Pentecostalism, the theology of the Holy Spirit will be given due consideration in the light of the historical context.

TH536 What Does It Mean to be Human? Help from the Early Church
In this course, we will explore early Christian conceptions of the human being, covering the topics of the nature of the soul, divisions of the human person, willing and thinking, gender, the nature and role of the passions, and death. We will focus on the fourth and fifth centuries and discuss how different models of ascetic life in this period involve anthropological assumptions. 1.5 cr

TH544 20th Century Theology: Major Figures and Theological Currents
Close readings of some of the “classic” works of 20th century theology by theologians such as Barth, Bonhoeffer, Cone, Gutiérrez, Lindbeck, Jones, deLubac, von Balthasar, Zizioulas and Hauerwas. We will highlight the place of these works in larger theological and cultural currents that shaped Christian thought in this tumultuous century.

TH546 War, Peace, and Peace-making
“Peace” is a central goal of God’s plan for all of creation, and yet throughout the history of the Church, there has been much disagreement concerning how best to understand the full witness of scripture regarding war and peace, how to integrate scripture’s vision of peace with justice, and what the implications of this vision are for Christian discipleship and practice. In this course those questions of war, peace, and peacemaking are explored in three movements: (1) Biblical/Theological Foundations (2) Peacemaking within and outside the Church, and (3) Restorative justice. 1.5 cr

TH549 Martin Luther: The Gospel and the Christian Life
Martin Luther’s writings have been extraordinarily influential as well as controversial for pastors and theologians since the sixteenth century. After setting the context of Luther’s life and times, this course will focus upon two areas of his work which continue to be particularly provocative and potent today: the meaning of the gospel, and the nature of the Christian life, including Christian freedom, prayer and worship, the suffering of Christians, and union with Christ. Throughout the course, we will seek to both assess Luther’s theology and retrieve insights that edify the church’s life and ministry in today’s context. 1.5 cr

TH552 Karl Barth: Life and Theology
It is difficult to overestimate the importance of Barth’s theology for contemporary Christian thought. Our course will include an overview of Barth’s life and the forces that shaped it and his theology, and close readings of selections from his theological works. The student will gain a good overview of Barth’s theological vision, his major contributions to theology and typical critiques of his thought.

TH557 Church and State in America
The wall of separation between church and state that Thomas Jefferson famously observed has served better as a landmark for one of America’s most vibrant debates than as a secure border. This course examines the relationship between church and state in America from the colonial era to the present, ranging from John Winthrop’s declaration aboard the Arabella in 1630 that America would be a “city on a hill” to present debates over White House sponsored Faith-Based Initiatives. Along the way we will treat such topics as marriage, medicine, education, and civil religion.

TH558 A Prophet Denied: Theology, Life and Work of W.E.B. DuBois
W.E.B. Du Bois was born during Reconstruction and died on the eve of the March on Washington. He was a scholar and activist who accurately identified racism as “the problem of the 20th Century” and became a foundational figure in fields such as sociology, criminology, and international relations. This course provides an overview of Du Bois’ life, his academic contributions, and his activism. It will focus on his spirituality, theology, and ecclesiology and will explore Du Bois’ continued relevance and implications for the contemporary church.

TH561 History of the Black Church
Galatians 3:28 beautifully asserts “there is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ.” Even so, early in the history of the United States, African Americans found it necessary to establish the Black Church. This course examines the events and conditions necessitating that development and how the legacies of slavery, Jim Crow segregation, and persistent racism impacted the theology and worship of the Black Church. Also explored is the extent to which those and related issues still prevent achieving full unity in the body of Christ and the strategies that can be employed to finally achieve the Lord’s vision.

TH565 Disability and Theology in the Christian Tradition
What is disability? How has disability been understood theologically in the Christian tradition? This course examines theologies of disability with the aim of helping students to comprehend and articulate their own working theology of disability. 1.5 cr

TH581 Women and Theology
This course explores the way in which the dismantling of patriarchy is inspired by and transforms the study of theology. In conversation with the Christian tradition, its primary areas of concern are the interpretation of the Bible, doctrines, rituals, and ethics. Since this theological work traverses boundaries of class, race, and nationality, we read a diverse collection of voices. Because feminist concerns also cross over religious boundaries, the study broadens to include women of Judaism and Islam, with special attention to how interreligious work might be conceived in a feminist perspective. The examination of women’s experience, both positive and negative, invites the development of a theologically informed practice that aims at the flourishing of all humanity. 1.5 cr

TH585 Christianity in China
Time magazine reporter David Aikman’s book Jesus in Beijing points to the importance of this topic in its subtitle: “How Christianity is transforming China and changing the global balance of power.” We will study Chinese Christianity from its earliest appearance to its contemporary expressions, learning about its history, theology, and impact. Along the way we will deal with issues such as enculturation, missions, politics, and gender. 1.5 cr

TH590 Reading the Bible with the Dead: Retrieving Pre-modern Biblical Interpretation
This course explores the way in which reading the Bible in the company of pre-modern interpreters can benefit the life and ministry of the church today. After considering the basic features of a pre-modern approach to scripture, the course will focus upon challenging biblical texts (e.g., Hagar, Psalms of cursing, etc.), exploring the new insights that patristic, medieval, and Reformation-era interpreters can bring in helping us proclaiming scripture as God’s word. 1.5 cr

TH593 God of the Gospel
Some of the most basic questions about God probe deeply into contemporary issues in the Christian life and ministry: Who is God? What are God’s attributes? How do we come to know God? Is the Triune God made known in Jesus Christ the same as the God known through creation and through the religious practices and cultures of non-Christians? This course explores how the biblical witness to God’s work in Israel and in Jesus Christ relates to these complex questions. Through the works of Herman Bavinck (1854-1921), Kwame Bediako (1945-2008) and Kate Sonderegger (1951-) we will explore how three theologians provide contrasting, yet overlapping, responses to these questions raised by the doctrine of God. Led by these three theologians that span three continents and three different cultures, we will explore how the God of the gospel in the Old and New Testaments relates to the most pressing questions about the identity of God in discipleship and witness today.

TH595 Post-Colonial Realities of the Hispanic American Experience
This reading seminar introduces students to postcolonial theology and the religious contexts of Hispanics living in the United States. We will discuss ways in which these communities appropriate Christian, Indigenous, and Afro-Caribbean religions in structured acts of piety and popular religion. Class readings and local site visits will examine Hispanic religious and spiritual practices as shaped by colonialism, race/ethnicity, class, gender, and migration. We will take seriously the missiological question posed by Brian McLaren as it may relate to Hispanic evangelism and ministry. “Is an imperial or dominating mindset inherent to Christian faith, for better or worse—or can there be a new and different kind of Christianity?”

TH618 Theological German
Inductive study of basic German grammar and syntax and of selected texts in contemporary German theology. (on request.)

TH619 Theological German II
A continuation of learning modern theological German for reading and research. 1.5 cr (on request)

TH632 Introduction to the World’s Religions
An introduction to the beliefs and practices of the major religions of the world, with a study of their scriptural traditions. New religious movements such as Baha’i, The Unification Church, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (“Mormons”) are also treated, paying special attention to their relationship to Christianity. The Christian theological response to other religions is also considered.

MN102 Practice of Discipleship
Jesus commanded his followers to make disciples. In this course, learners will explore how Christian practices have shaped them into disciples and learn how to use these practices in the making of 21st century disciples.

MN105 Pastor as Person
This course explores the ways in which a minister’s life history, spiritual growth, and vocation intersect and shape his/her personal and professional identity. Students will reflect on their own psychological and spiritual development and their opportunities for personal growth. They will develop their own particular plans for self-care. 1.5 cr

MN110 Foundations of Worship & Preaching
This course invites students to develop their theological understanding of both worship and preaching. It also gives them the basic tools to practice the crafts employed in these two of the Church’s most central tasks.

MN111 Missional Preaching
Public speaking is more than preaching, and preaching is more than public speaking. This class takes a deeper look at the theory and practice of preaching and communication in missional contexts. We will ask: what does the “fourth wall” mean and when/how should you break it? In what ways does preaching engage the heart? How do we develop and steward oratory skills for the sake of gospel transformation? How do we avoid abusing our hearers through our rhetorical style? How do we preach the gospel to diverse 21st century audiences? Participants will gain confidence in their ability to speak publicly, be equipped to understand how verbal and nonverbal communication works, and be given an opportunity to develop and deliver content.

MN112 Multiplying Churches
In today’s culture, technology has rendered our human experience “mobile.” We can sit in our homes and connect with the world. Work can happen near or far away. The early Christian movement was mobile, as well. As missionaries like Paul & Barnabas moved from city to city, the church moved with them. As early Christians met in homes, the church expanded rapidly from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. The church of today can do the same. The church is not relegated to a single building, congregation or city. The Holy Spirit is creating a movement of Christ-followers who are mobile, crossing geographical distance, and bridging cultural divides once thought impassable. Participants in this course will be introduced to the foundations of the church multiplication movement, the need for multiplying leadership, and, as a course project, will develop a new church plant vision map and plan for a model of their choice.

MN115 Practice of Counsel and Care
In this introductory course, students explore giving counsel and offering care as ministers of Word and sacrament. They develop an understanding of the fundamental principles of pastoral care and acquire basic skills required for giving counsel and offering care. Numerous pastoral themes are addressed in lectures, learning labs, and small group interaction. Students will be encouraged to develop their own pastoral presence in offering counsel and care.

MN116 Introduction to Disability and the Church
Introduces different conceptions, definitions, and expressions of disability in the United States. Gives general overview of the history of disability in the U.S. and introduces students to innovative practitioners who paved the way for today’s disability theology. Covers service systems and advocacy groups that support person with disabilities. Required for GCDM, elective for other programs.

MN120 Leadership
An introduction to the theory and practice of Christian leadership from a missional and theological perspective. For seniors.

MN121 Church Governance and Denominational Standards (required for RCA candidates)
Within the context of an overall theology of church governance, explores the candidate’s specific ecclesiastical tradition (including polity and standards) as a framework for mission.

MN127 Spiritual Formation from the Pulpit
This course focuses on the spiritual formation of the preacher outside the pulpit and the preacher’s responsibility to form listeners spiritually inside the pulpit. It commends practices and spiritual disciplines beyond one’s ministry responsibilities, the cultivation of a ‘preaching life’ that informs and guides sermon preparation, and the function of sermons as a catalyst for Christian discipleship. Students will learn six formational practices, practice spiritual formation experiments, preach sermons before their peers, and reflect on their own spiritual growth.

MN301 Practice of Preaching
Presuming a foundation in homiletics, this course will help students to further develop the skills they will need to prepare and deliver sermons that proclaim God’s good news, both in the pulpit and out of it.

MN331 Dual Track Cohort Group
Meets bi-weekly during the first year of the Dual Track degree program. 1.5 cr

MN332 Dual Track Cohort Group
Meets weekly during the second year of the Dual Track degree program. 1.5 cr

MN333 Dual Track Cohort Group
Meets online during the third year of the Dual Track degree program. 1.5 cr

MN334 Dual Track Cohort Group
Meets online during the fourth year of the Dual Track degree program. 1.5 cr

MN390 Worship Practicum I: Stewardship of Daily Chapel
Students taking this course will be part of a team that assists other students, staff, faculty, and guests in planning and leading daily worship. Course meets each week for 1.5 hours to plan and reflect on past services. Course 1 of 2. 1.5 cr

MN391 Worship Practicum II: Stewardship of Daily Chapel
Students taking this course will be part of a team that assists other students, staff, faculty, and guests in planning and leading daily worship. Course meets each week for 1.5 hours to plan and reflect on past services. Course 2 of 2. 1.5 cr

MN503 Leadership Summit
This course is in partnership with the Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit (GLS). The purpose of this course is to appreciatively and critically engage The Global Leadership Summit, seeking to explore, question, and develop the skills, practices, and habits for leading Christian communities. Participants work online July and August and attend the GLS at or a location near the student. Attendance is required. The West Michigan group will meet in person the evening before and the evening of the last day of the conference. Those outside West Michigan will meet virtually. Tuition covers entrance to the GLS.

MN506 By Christ, Washed and Well Fed
Word and Sacrament are gifts by which Christ himself gives us life—his life. With these gifts, Christ refreshes and sustains us in that life, communally and personally. This course will be a robust theological, pastoral, missional and liturgical exploration of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We’ll listen for the Spirit to discover how we—each according to our calling and context—might set forth the gifts of God for the people of God faithfully and well.

MN508 Writing (and Reading) for the Pastoral Life
Ecclesiastes 12 says there is no end to the making of many books, and in the pastoral life there is no end to the writing and saying of many words. Words have enormous power—after all, it was with words that God spoke his creation into being. This course helps students choose and use words with care and thoughtfulness. We will work toward becoming better writers (and readers), and in the process become better preachers, teachers and pastors. 1.5 cr

MN511 Spiritual Writing
An intensive creative workshop for those interested in writing, however tangentially, about matters of faith. We will focus our attention on nonfiction prose in which the writer’s own life experience or personal opinions are placed in the foreground. Students will consider the work of specific Christian authors. This course will suit those who enjoy literature, as well as those aspiring to publish or preach. No creative writing experience necessary. 1.5 cr

MN513 Basic Clinical Pastoral Education
A pastoral ministry practicum that integrates the theory and practice of ministry in a clinical setting with special attention given to the person in ministry. A basic practicum accredited by the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education. 6 cr

MN513N Basic Clinical Pastoral Education – non-accredited
A pastoral ministry practicum that integrates the theory and practice of ministry in a clinical setting with special attention given to the person in ministry. Ministry is not completed in an accredited CPE setting. 6 cr

MN517 Faithful and Effective Response to Domestic Violence
Explores the theories, resources, and strategies of pastoral and congregational care to respond faithfully and effectively to the issue of domestic violence based on theological understandings of God and human experience. This course draws upon the insights of psychology, sociology, and theology to guide pastoral and congregational care into a more faithful and effective praxis. The course draws from scriptural, theological, socio-scientific, and experiential resources and invites students to engage those resources in ways that enhance their ability to offer care and to lead communities of care in response to the issue of domestic violence.

MN518 Talking the Talk: Beyond and Behind Christian Clichés
This course will focus on Christian, denominational, and congregational discourses, and how the ways we speak of and address God, the Bible translations we choose, the words we import from other faith traditions, and our relationship to historic churches imbedded in class systems and their language cultures shape our practice of faith. 1.5 cr

MN524 Faith, Forgiveness, and Healing
In this course, students study the theory and methods relevant to integrating health and wellness, forgiveness and reconciliation into the life of the Christian public leader, the congregation, and the larger community. Physical, emotional, social, intellectual, vocational, and spiritual issues related to forgiveness and healing are explored. Special attention is given to how biblical, theological, and pastoral perspectives on forgiveness and healing inform the task of interpreting and confessing the gospel in situations of conflict and suffering. 1.5 cr

MN526 Ministering to the Toughest People to Love
The church is not immune to trauma, abuse, narcissism, conflict, and addictions of all kinds. Ministering to the so-called “difficult” people can be exhausting, confusing, and lead to burnout or an early exit from ministry. This course will explore stories and symptoms commonly seen across a range of ecclesial traditions. We will explore a theology that views every human, even difficult people, as image-bearers, yet elaborate on troubling relational and systemic dynamics of sin that lead to chaos and confusion in the church. We will discuss what pastors need to do for their own self-care, trauma resilience, and continued resourcing beyond their seminary education.

MN529 From Baptism to Burial: Pastoral Essentials
From baptism to burials, pastoral work is filled with opportunities to minister amidst the most glorious and difficult moments of congregational life. In this course, major pastoral responsibilities are covered in both content and practice, including baptism, pre-marital counseling, rehearsals and weddings, and funeral services/burials. Theological, biblical, psychological, and ethical foundations and frameworks will be explored. Best practices for issues such as policies, fees, and boundaries will also be covered. Special attention will be given to how these unique opportunities serve the mission of God. 1.5 cr

MN533 Justice, Discipleship,and the Church
This course explores how the church can form disciples with a vision of justice. It engages the biblical and theological roots of Christian commitments to justice and places contemporary interest in social justice within a larger biblical, theological, and historical context. Students will have the opportunity to articulate a biblical theology of justice and explore how the church can shape disciples with a life-long commitment to justice. 1.5 cr

MN534 Preaching as Pastoral Care
This course is designed to provide the opportunity to think deeply, practically, and with complexity about the mysterious relationship between preaching and pastoral care. In this course, we’ll lean on the wisdom of preacher/pastor Eugene Peterson. In his book, Five Smooth Stones of Pastoral Work, he says, “Pastoral work begins at Pulpit, the Font, the Table; it continues in the hospital room, the family room, the counseling room, the committee room. The pastor who leads people in worship is companion to those same people between acts of worship.”

MN538 Transforming Conflict from the Inside Out
This course explores multiple layers of conflict—intrapersonal, interpersonal, and communal—as opportunities for transformation. Students will develop a theology of compassion and learn the skills of compassionate communication as a means of connecting to God, self, and others in the midst of difference, disagreement, and conflict. The course seeks to enhance specific competencies in speaking honestly, listening empathetically, responding to criticism, staying in dialogue, dealing with guilt and grief, and using restorative circles for community-wide crises. Experientially based; includes case studies, role plays, journaling, and small group work.

MN539 Living the Christian Life According to Pop Christian Culture
Through generous and critical engagement with recent best-selling Christian books, this course will explore the different visions of living the Christian life that emerge. We will look at authors “people in the pews” are reading, like Francis Chan, Bob Goff, Sarah Young, Rob Bell, Shane Claiborne, and Ann Voskamp. We will engage with some theological, classical, and non-traditional Christian voices to explore their visions of the Christian life. Students will be invited to practice reading with discernment, to articulate their convictions about living the Christian life and to imagine how to encourage faithful living in their current and future ministry settings.

MN540 The Mindful Life
Recent developments in interpersonal neurobiology reveal more clearly than ever the relational nature of human beings. This conversation intersects with growing interest in Eastern forms of meditation, research on shame and wholeness, new therapeutic models for growth and change, and renewed Christian interest in contemplative practices. This course employs a biblical/ theological lens as it explores current developments theoretically and practically for Christians and skeptics alike who long to flourish in a broken world. 1.5 cr

MN542 Addictions
This course will provide a framework for engaging the dynamics of addictions. These addictive dynamics will be examined through a theological lens which honors the relational narratives that we all possess. Diagnosis, conceptualization, treatment and recovery will be engaged through this lens.

MN548 Preaching and the Missional Imagination
In recent years there has been an avalanche of literature about what it means to be a missional church. Curiously, so much of this literature is silent on the task of preaching. In many cases, preaching is even seen as a barrier to “going missional.” This course will explore the central but often neglected role of Word and Sacrament in leading a church that is seeking to be both missional and Reformed. 1.5 cr

MN549 Preaching in the Dark
We will consider a range of ways of thinking about the relationship between the gospel and our culture(s) and will practice ways of faithful and fruitful preaching from the Word on the cultural issues confronting the church in the early part of the 21st century. Special attention will be paid the growing number of “Millennials” who self-identify as “NONES” —whatever they believe and however they practice it, the local church is not necessary to them.

MN550 Keeping and Talking the Word
A course designed to both consider and practice the centuries-long spiritual discipline of scripture interiorization and pre-critical exegesis. With specific consideration to the nature and history of the oral transmission of the scriptures and building on specific training in contemplative exegesis, each participant will prepare and perform selected portions of the biblical witness and show sympathetic evidence of a capacity for pre-critical biblical interpretation.

MN553 The Church’s Common Chord: Music in Worship
This course—designed for non-musicians and musicians alike—will explore the place of music in worship, carefully considering its theological, liturgical, and pastoral func¬tions. Students will have the opportunity to consider music from an ever-increasing variety of sources: classical hymnody, gos¬pel and revival songs, indie folk, Catholic liturgical renewal, contemporary praise and worship, and songs from sisters and brothers around the globe.

MN555 Presbyterian Confessions/Polity
Study of the Confessions and Book of Order of the PC(USA) is intended to give students good knowledge of the confessional tradition, directory of worship and form of government of the PC(USA). This course will help students to prepare for ordination exams. 1.5 cr

MN556 Psychology and Christian Spirituality
There is a strong tradition of psychological wisdom with the contemplative Christian tradition. In fact, the contemplative tradition provides a kind of framework for self-reflection, for healthy intimacy, and for genuine spirituality. Looking at resources from Augustine and Calvin, Evagrius and Theresa, we’ll see that contemporary ministry, pastoral care, and mission can all be aided by a rich and deep understanding of Christian spirituality.

MN558 Worship Renewal in a Changing World
The renewal of God’s people—in scripture and in the church’s history—nearly always begins with a renewal of its worship. This course looks at some of the principles and practices that God, by the power of the Holy Spirit, is using to accomplish worship renewal in the body of Christ in our fast-changing world. Reading, discussion, and exercises will be guided by core convictions articulated by the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship (CICW). We will be especially attentive to this fraught cultural moment colored by the pandemic and an increasing awareness of racism in our country. Key learning will take place at the renowned CICW Symposium for Worship, which will be entirely online with panels, podcasts, livestream worship, webinars, etc offered throughout the month of January 2021. We will “attend” and process this event together, but because the events go to January 26, students should plan on work for this course extending into the first week of the Spring semester.

MN561 21st Century Spirituality for a Secular Age
This course explores spiritual resources for sustainable ministry in a secular age, including resources for both personal transformation and creative ways of engaging spiritual formation in the church amidst changing ecclesial realities. We’ll explore significant voices for contemporary spirituality in a secular age include Thomas Merton, Charles Taylor, Etty Hillesum, Elizabeth O’Connor, Richard Rohr, David Whyte, Henri Nouwen, Mary Oliver, Paulo Coelho, Thomas Keating, James Finley, Ilia Delio and more. Insights for wise and faithful Christian engagement in a re-enchanted secular world will be explored, and the practice of daily contemplative prayer encouraged.

MN562 Liturgical Shenanigans: Ritual Theory and Christian Formation
Rituals are enacted everyday by humans in all cultures—at theaters and stadiums, libraries and market¬places, bathrooms and fire pits, as well as places of worship. They are one of the most important ways we both express and shape our understanding of the meaning of life. The course will have three primary learning modes: 1) we will observe ritual activity in culture (our own and others’) that either fits or fights the gospel; 2) we will engage readings at the intersection of cultural anthropology and practical theology; and 3) we’ll experiment with liturgical shenanigans—attending to the work of the Spirit in and through our holy play in the neighborhood of symbol, performance, embodiment, and transcendence. 1.5 cr

MN564 Practice of Evangelism
The term “evangelism” is often perceived as a four-letter word, freighted with negative connotations in our society and even in church. In this course students will overview the biblical foundations of evangelism, consider different theologies and practices of evangelism across time periods, cultures, and Christian traditions. Students will also explore and evaluate theologies of conversion. Finally, students will develop and articulate a context-dependent theology of evangelism and will participate in the practice of evangelism. 1.5 cr

MN569 Christian Education and Dismantling Racism
This course analyzes institutionalized racism and proposes a series of frameworks for engaging and dismantling racism and for supporting multicultural congregational learning. We will explore the dynamics of human responses to differences. We will focus on developing “humble curiosity,” deepening our willingness to move toward rather than away from differences, and managing anxiety in the face of the unknown or unfamiliar. Our work together has the potential for tremendous impact on individuals, congregations, and communities, enabling us as Christian leaders to empower the disenfranchised and create environments characterized by grace, love, solidarity, peace, and justice. 1.5 cr

MN570 Worldview and Lifeview
We will read two significant recent reflections on culture and Christianity, discuss the implications of what they put forward, identify the implications for Christian formation, and express the outcomes for pastoral leadership.

MN573 The Practice of Youth Ministry
Students will be introduced to various models of youth ministry and will become familiar with the theological and social scientific resources that will aid them in evaluating and reforming the practice of congregational and para-church ministry. Students will consider theories of development, articulate a theological foundation for youth ministry, and develop an appreciation for the potential impact of peer-to-peer ministry. They will also explore some of the challenges faced by youth ministers and consider how technology factors into discipling networked youth.

MN574 Foundations of Youth Ministry
This course provides the foundational concepts and best practices to prepare the student for ministry to adolescents in both a church and non-church settings. The course will provide a basic understanding of adolescent development, contemporary culture, and incarnational witness. The course is designed to help the student to think and respond theologically to the needs and expectations of adolescents and provides practical tools enabling the student to design a theologically sound youth ministry program suitable in any context.

MN575 Theology and Philosophy of Youth Ministry
This course seeks to understand the philosophical theories as well as how Biblical principles have been examined and applied historically to Youth Ministry. Attention will be given to how to implement the discipleship process & cultivate faith development.

MN577 Imagining a New Future: Biographies of Resistance and Hope
Enjoying the biographies of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Dorothy Day, and Fannie Lou Hamer, we will delve into the lives of ordinary Christians living in extraordinary times, women and men who peered through a bleak reality and imagined God’s New Day.

MN580 Healing Ministry of the Church
What is healing? What does it mean to be healthy? What does Jesus’ life and ministry model for us about how God defines health and offers healing? How does one’s definition of health and healing influence one’s understanding of faithful ministry on the whole? Through dialogue around questions like these, students will be invited to: (1) gain an overview of how the Church has historically understood what it means to heal and be healed; (2) critically engage existing understandings of health and healing alongside a close reading of key biblical texts (with particular attention paid to the healing ministry of Jesus); and (3) construct their own practically actionable theology of healing.

MN581 Ministry and Margins
Explores the boundary-crossing ministry of Jesus, in particular how he redefined the margin and the center with a Kingdom perspective. The class will consider ways in which ministry to and with those who are often marginalized in our society can amplify the witness of our congregations. People groups that are underserved include, but are not limited to, the elderly or homebound, people suffering from dementia, people in group homes, people struggling with literacy, people with disabilities, people living in poverty, immigrant communities, and people without homes.

MN582 Ministry, Aging and Dementia
Aging presents us with both pastoral challenges and important gifts for individuals and the body of Christ. How do we walk well with and learn from those who are in the final stage of their earthly journeys? One increasingly common aspect of aging that acutely challenges the faith, hope, and love of all of us is dementia. Together we will explore theological and pastoral resources for dealing faithfully with those who suffer from dementia, and those who care for them.

MN583 We All Worship: Disability and Worship
Many people with disabilities have spiritual needs that are not being met and gifts that are not being exercised in the context of congregational worship. This course explores worship as the focal point of our shared Christian identity, the power center of our myriad gifts for building up the body of Christ, and the launching pad for our multifaceted witness in the world.

MN586 Disability and Community Supports
Inclusive faith communities have the power to touch the lives of people with disabilities and their families in multiple ways but often have a difficult time talking and working with “secular” agencies, providers and advocacy groups. This course explores the spiritual foundations in current issues in disability services and supports the potential roles of faith communities to address them, resources from other perspectives that congregations can use, and effective strategies for dialogue and partnership with non-faith based agencies and organizations.

MN587 Living into Community: Friendship House
In this course students will spend time critically reflecting upon what it means to live into community as an act of mutual discipleship. Students will engage questions such as: What is discipleship? What is a Christian community? What is the difference between a Christian community and a social group? And, what does it mean to belong to, rather than simply be included in, a Christian community? Intended for residents of Friendship House but is open to other interested students.

MN588 Summer Institute on Theology and Disability Travel Seminar
The vision of the Summer Institute on Theology and Disability is to expand the depth and breadth of theological inquiry and resources that address and include the gifts, needs, and contributions of people with disabilities and their families to theological learning and religious practice. Attend this unique week-long gathering of theologians, academics, ministry leaders, people with disabilities, and others to explore the intersection of faith and disability. The 2021 location is Holland, MI. Event has included presenters such as Stanley Hauerwas, Hans Reinders, John Swinton, Amos Yong, and Candida Moss. Erik Carter, Bill Gaventa, and Ben Conner, who have taught in the Graduate Certificate in Disability and Ministry, are on the faculty of the SITD.

MN590 Deaf Theology and Ministry
We will explore biblical narratives through Deaf perspectives to develop a Christian theology of ministry that is with, of, by and for the Deaf. Students will discern how to model a Deaf ministry that is focused not on the difference from being hearing, but upon being Deaf in the image of God.

MN591 Strategies for an Inclusive Church
This course addresses practical strategies and promising pathways for moving beyond proclamations of inclusiveness and toward practices of invitation, hospitality, and belonging. Students will learn about effective starting points, supports, and strategies for enabling people with disabilities and their families to participate deeply in congregational life and experience belonging within a church community.

MN595 Intellectual Disability and the Church
This course focuses on ministry in the context of what is commonly, but not exclusively, termed ‘intellectual disability’—although it is imperative that we acknowledge the broader, multi-faceted human experience of disability within which the experience associated with intellectual disability and the secular and theological scholarship that attaches to it to find expression. The course explores both the complexities of theological perceptions and practices in relation to intellectual disability, and the ensuing challenges for persons with intellectual disabilities and those who live in close relationship with them, within the contemporary Church. Theological assumptions about the nature of faith, participation and ministry will be examined in light of the lived experience of intellectual disability and of our understanding of God, His mission and engagement with human beings, leading to potential transformation of practice.

MN596 Trauma and Disability
This course provides a biblical, theological, and pastoral introduction to trauma and care of trauma survivors. We will particularly focus on contemporary intersections between the experiences of disability and trauma. Acknowledging the extensive experience of trauma across our society, we will also attend to practices of “trauma stewardship” in this course—navigating secondary traumatization in our vocational callings as well as negotiating any of our own trauma backgrounds as we are formed as pastors, teachers, and caregivers.

MN614 Discerning Congregations: Discovering God in the Neighborhood
The congregation is a sign, instrument, and foretaste of the Kingdom of God, even with its imperfections, divisions, and difficulties. Students will read in the areas of ecclesiology and mission and will learn the skills of applied ethnographic fieldwork. Students will then work in pairs to adopt a local congregation and engage in conversation discerning God’s mission in local communities. Students can expect to understand how Christian leaders, pastors, and laity can form and lead congregations as participants in God’s mission.

MN620 Generous Leadership
This course develops the habits, skills, and confidence to cultivate financial and relational resources as a practice of Christ-shaped ministry.

FR101 Retreat for Christian Formation
(J-Term)
A spiritual retreat using autobiography, peer engagement, and the spiritual disciplines to assist students in clarifying and embracing God’s call upon their lives. Also includes a module on personal and organizational finance. 1.5 cr

FR111 Intercultural Immersion Experience (J-Term)
Provides cognitive and experiential knowledge of the global character of the church’s witness and mission in North America and around the world, with concern for the problems and opportunities posed by cultural differences, secularism, social fragmentation, religious pluralism, and ecumenism.

FR116 Entering and Exploring Christian Ministry
This unit explores the elements of fruitful theological field education, the context for ministry is understood and the management of tasks and people for ministry is reviewed.

FR117 Engaging Christian Ministry I
FR118 Engaging Christian Ministry II
FR119 Engaging Christian Ministry III
DL Students are assigned to a teaching church setting and are introduced to the dimensions of theological field education (theological inquiry, social awareness, self-awareness, and leadership agility) through case study pedagogy. Students participate during the intensive exploring spiritual disciplines (116), anti-racism (117), hospitality (118), and wholeness (119). Each semester is 1.5 cr.

FR121 Entering Christian Ministry
Students are assigned to a teaching church setting and are introduced to the dimensions of theological field education (theological inquiry, social awareness, self-awareness, and leadership agility) through case study pedagogy. 1.5 cr

FR122 Exploring Christian Ministry
Continuing the journey in formation for ministry, students explore basic ministerial tasks centered in congregational life. (However, many of these are transferable to any ministry or social service agency.) Exploring aspects of ministry with the help of pastor(s) and lay leaders facilitates clarity around the student’s call to ministry. Students learn and grow to appreciate these service elements of ministry that are often unseen but essential for effective Christian ministry. There are three components: the Teaching Church (a supervised ministry setting), a peer group commitment, and course assignments. 1.5 cr

FR123 Engaging Christian Ministry
Students are given the opportunity to engage deeply in a ministry competency they are passionate about or have been longing to explore. After being sagely directed into the practice of Christian ministry in FR121 and 122; students em-brace their learning in this self-directed opportunity in a ministry setting. Each student designs a learning covenant with a mentor focusing on a ministry area such as: Preaching and Worship, Leadership and Administration, Evangelism, Social Justice/Advocacy, Education and Faith Formation, Pastoral Care or Cross-cultural Competency. Both FR123 and 124 are completed in one semester in an internship commitment of 100 hours. 1 cr

FR124 Leading Christian Ministry
Students write a learning covenant with a ministry focus that will further explore and deepen their sense of calling and under¬standing of pastoral leadership. 1.5 cr

FR125 Advanced Practice of Christian Ministry
This 400-hour full-time supervised ministry experience requires the student to exercise a wide range of ministerial skills at the highest personal, professional, and pastoral levels. This requirement may be satisfied in a number of settings including participation in Clinical Pastoral Education, parachurch ministries, cross-cultural ministries, and congregational ministry. Due to the significant level of ministerial and educational investment, it is highly recommended that the student invest time in a discernment process with the Formation for Ministry office before selecting a placement. This learning experience will be evaluated by the student, a supervising mentor, and a lay support committee.

DM850 Orientation Seminar
Gives an introduction to the major administrative and academic components of the program, as well as to the specialized track (theme) that identifies the particular focus of the cohort. Course descriptions vary depending on the faculty and cohort topic. The course description will be available in the syllabus. Includes a one-week in-person seminar (some professors may choose to combine the seminars into two consecutive weeks per year).

DM851 Orientation Seminar
A continuation of DM850. Students identify a challenge, opportunity, or topic that needs to be addressed in their ministry setting. Includes a one-week in-person seminar (some professors may choose to combine the seminars into two consecutive weeks per year).

DM860 Research Seminar
Provides tools and skills to develop and strengthen academic research and writing. Students learn to structure and format an academic professional paper, providing a model for their project proposal and guidance for their practicum. Students will critically reflect on the practices of ministry and learn to interpret those practices within an academic theological framework. Course descriptions vary depending on the faculty and cohort topic. The course description will be available in the syllabus. Includes a one-week in-person seminar (some professors may choose to combine the seminars into two consecutive weeks per year).

DM861 Research Seminar
A continuation of DM860. Students determine what needs to be changed or achieved in their ministry to address the challenge, opportunity or topic they have identified. Students design a thesis project proposal. Includes a one-week in-person seminar (some professors may choose to combine the seminars into two consecutive weeks per year).

DM870 Thesis Seminar
Equips students with tools required for the completion of their D.Min. thesis. Course descriptions vary depending on the faculty and topic. The course description will be available in the syllabus. Includes a one-week in-person seminar (some professors may choose to combine the seminars into two consecutive weeks per year).

DM871 Thesis Seminar
A continuation of DM860. Includes a one-week in-person seminar (some professors may choose to combine the seminars into two consecutive weeks per year).

DM940 Thesis Project
The student demonstrates his or her ability to design and conduct a project that is biblically and theologically grounded, supported by the literature, and relevant to the practice of ministry. Students write a five-chapter scholarly paper that introduces, develops, and assesses the effectiveness of the project. The various chapters focus on: the need and rationale for the project, the biblical and theological texts/ theories that undergird the project, the issue the project addresses, and the results of what they learned following completion of the project. The doctoral project phase of the D.Min. program takes an additional year to complete and concludes with the presentation and defense of the thesis project before the faculty advisor and project readers.

MT210 Orientation Seminar
This seminar orients incoming students to the Th.M. program, to life at Western Theological Seminary, and to the larger academic world of the theological disciplines. Forms a “community of scholars” in which scholarly reflection on intercultural issues is engaged. Creates new configurations of self-understanding for theological reflection in community and introduces the philosophy, format, and thesis requirements of the Th.M. program. Meets annually during the last two weeks in August. 1 cr

MT220 Research Design
Assists the Th.M. students in the preparation of a thesis proposal by introducing the basics of academic research and writing. By the end of the course the student 1) will be able to construct a well-designed research proposal; 2) will be familiar with basic strategies and tools for research and academic writing; and 3) will plan a research strategy for writing a Th.M. research paper or thesis. 1.5 cr

MT235 Seminar in Theological Method
What makes one statement, opinion, or argument better or wiser than another in the fields of theology, biblical studies, ethics or practical theology? How does one best understand how scripture, tradition, reason, experience, context, and future function as authorities or factor into our understandings? We take up these difficult methodological questions and come to provisional answers, drawing from both trusted traditional understandings and contemporary discussions.

MT250 Seminar in Intercultural Hermeneutics
Explores and applies methodologies for the interpretation of Scripture in intercultural contexts and addresses the interaction of gospel and culture in intercultural dialogue. Meets during the January-term. 1.5 cr

MT254 Preliminary Exam
A faculty advisor and a faculty colleague, in consultation with the candidate, assign discipline and research-related bibliographies which reflect major contributors, methodological issues and current questions within a particular discipline and research topic. This directed study culminates in the preliminary exam.

MT255 Independent Research
In the event that courses critical to a Th.M. candidate’s program are unavailable within current curriculum offerings, the candidate may request one independent study in a particular field of inquiry within the chosen focus area. It may be done only with the consent of a professor who provides guidance and evaluation and only with the approval of the Academic Dean. It may combine course materials from a required M.Div. course with additional independent work, at the professor’s discretion.

MT260 Thesis
A major research paper, which builds upon and extends in a focused area the knowledge and critical ability gained in the basic divinity degree and includes the Th.M. coursework. The topic and plan are subject to the approval of the Th.M. Committee. The candidate’s Faculty Advisor, in conjunction with a Second Reader, provides guidance for the research. 6 cr

MT261 Research Paper
A major research paper, which builds upon and extends in a focused area the knowledge and critical ability gained in the basic divinity degree and includes the Th.M. coursework. The topic and plan are subject to the approval of the Th.M. Committee. The candidate’s Faculty Advisor, in conjunction with a Second Reader, provides guidance for the research.

Courses offered in conjunction with Young Life

BL104-YL Introduction to Old Testament
An introduction to the content, history, and theological dynamism of the writings of the Old Testament, with a view to appropriating the message of the Old Testament for today.

BL105-YL Introduction to New Testament
An introduction and survey of the New Testament Gospels and Acts. The course will examine methodologies for the study of the Gospels (historical-critical and literary approaches), historical and cultural setting, the unique portrait of Jesus and narrative theology of the Gospels and Acts, and an introduction to the study of the historical Jesus.

FR110A-YL Leadership I
Course designed to equip individuals to lead an effective incarnational ministry with young people. Trainers in the field lead students through a curriculum in which action and reflection are emphasized.

FR110B-YL Leadership II
Building volunteer teams for ministry is an important element of the course. Focus is given to spiritual development of the student, the ministry of discipleship, and administration.

MN104-YL Minister as Person
This course provides an integrated overview of the process of human development in various social contexts with particular emphasis on implications for people in full time ministry.

MN514-YL Introduction to Youth Ministry
Course gives an overview of contemporary culture, especially as it affects youth ministry, and provides historical and theological youth ministry concepts and grounding.

MN535-YL Supervision and Organizational Leadership
Focus on the theory, reflection, and practice of effective supervision in ministry. Students will explore the philosophical foundations for effective organizational leadership, as well as practical guidance on issues such as personal leadership style, the emotional intelligence of the leader, team building, conflict resolution, interviewing, placement, delegation, supervision, and evaluation.

MN537-YL Youth Ministry/Community Development
This course grants credit for those who attend the Area Director Training for YL staff.

TH115-YL Systematic Theology I
Course designed to introduce Young Life staff to the discipline of theology. Its goal is to help students cultivate their capacity to think about Christianity, particularly as this relates to topics of method, God and Revelation, creation, and humankind and sin.

TH502-YL Kingdom of God and Cultural Intelligence
This course addresses cultural self-awareness and cross-cultural competence for building healthy relationships within diverse communities. Drawing upon biblical, anthropological, sociological and cross-cultural communication theories, students gain basic tools for researching and interacting among a variety of cultural, ethnic, and religious groups.

TH503-YL Christology, Soteriology and Pneumatology
Course designed to assist Young Life staff to think, pray, speak, and mentor as Trinitarian Christians conformed to the image of Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit.