Courses

An experience of Christian spiritual traditions through two primary ways of knowing: historical and archival as well as experiential and embodied. Students will investigate the history of Christian spiritual traditions in order to develop a foundational understanding of spirituality as practiced throughout Christian history, and will also learn to creatively apply their knowledge of spiritual practice to a life of “skillful Christian living.”

Examination of conceptions held by ancient cultures and the Bible of the origin, composition, and functioning of the cosmos, and the question of natural or supernatural causality. Students will critically evaluate current models of how Scripture relates to modern scientific knowledge. Using key biblical passages, students will construct a theological model that embraces not only the aspects of science and nature that support the idea of purpose (teleology) but also those aspects that do not readily align with teleology.

An introduction to the Fathers of the early Church. The course covers the Fathers from the latter half of the first century CE to the Orthodox writings of St. John of Damascene (ca. 750). Attention is paid to the historical and intellectual contexts within which the Fathers lived and taught, and special attention is given to each one’s unique theological contribution to the development of Christian Orthodoxy—both East and West.

How do Christians past and present relate to culture? Students are invited to examine some important aspects of Christianity's involvement in Western culture. Alternative models and historical examples of this involvement are considered as well as some specific current issues related to Christian cultural activity.

What is Worldview in relation to Theology? How does it influence us and others? Students are invited to investigate some of the salient moments in the history of Christian worldview thinking and its contemporary expressions as they relate to the discipline of theology. We will inquire into implications of this relationship in various spheres of life, including politics, art, science and the environment. Students will consider responses to the various expressions of Christian theology in contemporary pluralist society with a view understanding how it affects relationships in society and the world.

Investigates the theological implications of the historical development of the New Testament canon. Stress is laid upon the contextual reading of primary source evidence and its interpretation in important secondary source literature. New Testament canon development is explored as it relates to the Rule of Faith, the early councils, creeds, and the church fathers. These relationships are then investigated with a view toward how they influence our understanding of Scripture in the twenty-first century.