This course addresses sermon preparation and delivery principles for pastors with an emphasis on textual exposition, sermon structures and delivery styles that are consistent with an understanding of the infallible truth and divine inspiration of all Scripture. A particular emphasis will be the way in which the grace that pervades Scripture and culminates in Christ affects textual interpretation and sermonic application.

This course examines basic philosophical topics and historical philosophical thought in order to prepare students to understand current theological issues and interpret historical theology.

The course is designed to help the student prepare for the future use of the skills in the ministry of the Word.  Doing sound exegesis is more a way of thinking about the actual text of the Bible than it is a simple method of Bible study.  It involves learning how to ask the right questions in the process of interpreting the text and answering them within the proper guidelines of what the language, the context, and the theology provide. The method will include the study of syntax, words, poetics, textual criticism, biblical theology, and practical exegetical exposition of the different parts of the Old Testament.

 The course is not a course in reading Hebrew and parsing the verb forms, although it will include both.  It is a course in developing the various skills needed to do a thorough job of Old Testament exegesis.  This course builds on the first year Hebrew courses and it is not a remedial Hebrew course, but in the process of analyzing the text it will afford the student the opportunity to review points of morphology and grammar. 

This course explores the theme of Christian leadership for the kingdom. We will survey the biblical foundations of leadership, historical and theological perspectives, as well as personal evaluations for leadership. The goal is for students to exhibit practical skills and a capacity for theological reflection necessary for leadership in the service of Christ.

Scripture is central to ministry, and yet questions concerning the formation of the canon of scripture and its legitimacy are becoming more and more common. As Christians who are called to declare and demonstrate the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it is imperative that we understand how the church received the various texts of scripture in the first place. This course examines the history and theology behind the early stages of the development of the canon of scripture by means of a detailed study of the formation of the canon (especially the NT texts) within the context of the development of orthodoxy in the early church. Central focal points of this course include key texts, figures, historical events, and the role each played in the discussions and development of textual authority. Specific attention is paid to the issues of textual and manuscript concerns and questions, orthodoxy and heresy, extra-canonical literature, and questions of inter-textual compatibility and biblical interpretation. The aim of this course is to provide students with an informed perspective from which they may engage in ministerial and cultural questions about the history, theology, and authority of scripture. In addition to course lectures students will engage with historical surveys, and primary source texts from an array of early ‘orthodox’ and ‘heretical’ writers.

This course is divided into two parts, each occupying 4 Modules. Part 1 will look at modern estimations of the formation of the canon and competing documents that were not included. Part 2 will look at the integrity, formation, and manuscript issues relating to the canon in the early church.

In this course students will study the argument of the Pastoral Epistles (1 and 2 Timothy and Titus) are constructed and what they mean for the life of the church today. Special attention will be paid to the critical questions that have dominated modern research, but we will especially focus on the theological themes of the epistles. The purpose of this course is to develop a theologically focused approach to exegesis, through a sustained analysis of the Pastoral Epistles, and provide a strong basis for good communication of their message in a teaching ministry.

Works of lyric literature are timeless; they are elegiac; they are poetic. This course itself is meant to be a timeless journey through some of the best pieces of poetic literature within the lyric literary genre in Western literature. Together, we will explore the key motifs and themes in classic lyric literature spanning the period from the ancient world up to modern times. In this class, we will learn how to define a lyric piece of literature, learn how to identify key works of literature as lyric, and study the main themes present in lyric works of literature. Along the way we will see how gospel themes of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration can be seen in lyric literature ranging the ancient Greeks up to the present time.  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.

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 and theology of the Christian church. This course provides a detailed study of key movements and figures, and the roles of each in the development, clarification, and preservation of Christian orthodoxy. Students gain familiarity with the ancient and medieval eras through a combination of course lectures, modern historical surveys, and primary source readings throughout the first fifteen-hundred years of the Church.

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.