This course will explore the theology and philosophy of Christian worship, particularly from a Reformational perspective, with an eye toward practical implications for worship in the twenty-first century. Its aim is to provide existing and future pastors, worship leaders, and other church leaders with the necessary foundational anchors for future biblical reflection and application in their own local worship context.

This course equips students with the hermeneutical and homiletical skills to preach Christ from the Law, Prophets, and Psalms in a manner that is faithful to the divinely intended message of the Old and New Testaments. The course stands upon two theological convictions about the Old Testament that arise primarily from Luke 24: 1) that the Old Testament is Christian Scripture, and 2) that the Old Testament speaks of Christ. For the capstone project, students will prepare five Christocentric sermons from selected Old Testament texts, thereby demonstrating the ability to communicate the “Christ centered, gospel driven, mission focused” message of Scripture.

By its nature, the Old Testament is difficult to preach and teach in a contemporary twenty-first century Christian context. While filled with exciting stories, profound poems, pithy wisdom, and scintillating prophecies, it is often hard to know how to bridge the horizon from the ancient world to the modern world. But it is especially problematic when it comes to certain difficult topics, such as those that deal with (among other topics) slavery, patriarchy, sexuality, creation/evolution, and divine violence. Through lecture and reading we will address the continuing relevance of the Old Testament for the church in the twenty-first century with a particular focus on these particularly difficult issues.

Comedies are about transformations and this course itself is meant to be a transformative journey through the comic literary genre in Western literature. Together, we will explore the key motifs and themes in classic comic literature spanning the period from the ancient world up to modern times. In this class, we will learn how to define a comedy, learn how to identify key works of literature as comedies, and study the main themes present in comic works of literature. Along the way we will see how the gospel narratives of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration can be witnessed in comedies ranging from the ancient Greek comedian Aristophanes' The Clouds to the modern cultural satirist Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five. All of this will be studied with a view to seeing how the gospel of Jesus Christ has transformed and continues to transform literature, society, and culture.

In this course students will study the origins and development of Western civilization from the ancient Greeks to the early Middle Ages. They will be introduced to the contributions made by the Greeks, the Romans, the Jews and the early Christians, all of whom contributed to the synthesis that was in place by AD 600 and that continues to form the basis of our culture today. Particular attention will be paid to features that distinguished each of these traditions and whose interaction (and conflict) transformed the ancient world into a Christian society. The Enlightenment and Scientific Revolution, and the rise and developments of modern attitudes about the self, society, and culture will also be explored.

This is the first of two courses introducing the literature and theology of the Old Testament. We will cover the Pentateuch and the Historical books (Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, Ezra-Nehemiah). This course provides a detailed study of the text, history, and secondary matter in an effort to aid the reader/interpreter in their understanding of both the world from which the Old Testament comes to us as well as its present shape. Students will gain familiarity with the world of the Old Testament through a combination of course lectures, historical surveys, as well as reading the text itself. We will also interact with select ancient and modern readings of the Old Testament. 

This is the first of two courses examining the history of the Christian church.  Beginning with the Acts of the Apostles, this course provides a detailed study of key figures and their role in the development of Christian orthodoxy with specific attention paid to various issues including: orthodoxy and heresy; the social, political and theological context of the early church; doctrinal developments such as that of the Trinity and Christology; and church practice.  Students gain familiarity with these eras through a combination of video lectures, historical surveys and primary source texts from a wide array of early church fathers

This course provides an introduction to the area of Christian apologetics. Attention will be given to epistemological foundations, history of apologetics, and topics in apologetics. Special emphasis will be placed upon Presuppositional Apologetics as it relates to other approaches. Finally, students will focus on objections, which might be encountered in the course of personal evangelism or other church work.

But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.
I Peter 3:15-16

In this course, students will examine the application of the gospel to individuals and to the whole earth. We will focus on the application of salvation (ordo salutis), the means of grace, and the kingdom of God. The students will be introduced to pertinent biblical texts and themes, theological terms, key figures, and the importance of culture and history in framing various debates. As the last of three courses in systematic theology, particular attention will be given to the eschatological shape of all Christian theology. 

Exegesis and Theology of Paul’s 1^st Letter to the Corinthians exposes students to a detailed, close reading of the letter with careful attention to its literary structure and features and its theological and pastoral implications.  This course uses these exegetical and theological insights as a foundation for considering the practical ministry implications of the book in contemporary culture.