This course represents an opportunity to take a journey through the books of Genesis to Deuteronomy. Along the way we encounter the texts and traditions which have shaped biblical faith down to the present-day stories of heroes and villains, of creation and destruction, and of promise and deceit. Later interpretations of the Pentateuch are explored in an attempt to discover how subsequent traditions have come to view the way of the Torah.
Course also offered by Distance Learning

This course consists of a close study of central themes and passages in the letters of the apostle Paul, an introduction to Paul’s theology, a survey of recent discussions on Paul’s use of the Old Testament, his critique of Judaism, and his ethics. Students are challenged to explore and discuss how Paul’s thought can guide the contemporary church as it deals with a range of issues including church leadership, gender and sexuality, the work of the Spirit, the nature of discipleship, and the role of the Law for the Christian. This is a New Testament core course.

This foundational course surveys the task, function, methods, and breadth of systematic theology from the perspective of a biblical doctrine of God and his lordship over creation. Attention to the meaning of the fatherhood of God prepares the way for a doctrine of the Trinity that illuminates how he is related to creation, and how humans created in God’s own image are meant to serve his eternal purposes.

Writing in his journal following his conversion in 1738, John Wesley recorded, “I felt my heart strangely warmed.” Many hearts were “strangely warmed” in the eighteenth century, and the Evangelical Revival had a profound impact upon the Protestant community in the North Atlantic triangle and beyond. Beginning with the Wesleys and George Whitefield in Britain and Jonathan Edwards in the United States, this course explores prominent themes, issues, and personalities in the history of the early modern and modern evangelical movements.

This course explores the central place of growing intimacy with Christ as the basis for effective life and ministry. Designed to be experienced early in the programs of all students preparing for vocational ministry, it provides a pathway toward spiritual refreshment, deeper commitment, and disciplined living. The course is a blend of classroom and practical experiences in the spiritual disciplines, culminating in a 24-hour personal spiritual retreat.

An orientation of the modern study of the Gospels and recent quests for the “historical Jesus,” this course surveys various critical approaches (source criticism and redaction criticism) and debates (the genre and historicity of the Gospels), and provides an opportunity to compare the theological contributions of two or more evangelists. Studies in selected passages explore the significance of the story of Jesus for the modern church. This is a New Testament core course.

Those engaged in pastoral ministry would hardly downplay the need for preaching and pastoral care in church ministry, but few have clearly articulated theologically why the church must continue to engage in these practices and what it is that is accomplished through them. This course explores classical theologies of preaching and pastoral care that could serve as alternatives and correctives to the modern emphasis upon homiletic and therapeutic techniques. Thinking through the problems of preaching and pastoral care in a media-saturated culture is also a major component of the class.

Luke, the New Testament historian, sought to write an orderly account of the early church so that he might instruct Theophilus in the historical reliability of the Christian faith. This course begins where Luke left off and provides an introduction to some of the key issues, events, and personalities of the early church up to the Council of Chalcedon (451 CE), including formative issues in biblical interpretation, the development of an orthodox faith, church-state relations, and the seminal work of the early church fathers.
Course also offered by Distance Learning

This course assists students in responding, according to sound scriptural principles, to a rapidly changing culture and often confounding church scene. Attention is given to the biblical foundations of ministry, the development of mission, vision, and cultural responsiveness, the identification of calling, and the formation of core values. Students are guided through the process of developing a well-articulated philosophy of ministry.

Ministry in the twenty-first century faces trends and issues that are unique compared to any other time in history. The content of this course includes an analysis of major current trends and application for ministry in today’s church. Specific issues related to the emergence of a postmodern culture are discussed and critiqued with the goal of effective ministry for today and well into the future.

This practical course explores a theology of preaching, as well as the preparation and delivery of biblical sermons from the epistles and poetic texts. Students are guided through the foundational disciplines of choosing, exegeting, and preaching a biblical passage.

Contemporary ideas of worship include: an event that happens on Sunday mornings; the musical part of the gathering; or a whole lifestyle. All three approaches are a part of biblical worship, but none are complete in themselves. During this course we focus on what the Bible teaches on worship. By the end of the course work, students have a clear and substantive understanding of the theology and practice of biblical worship.

This course explores the many dimensions of pastoral ministry from a biblical standpoint, with the goal of equipping students to function effectively as pastoral leaders within the contemporary culture. This course covers issues such as planning, scheduling, dealing with the expectations of others, administering the sacraments, performing weddings and funerals, functioning effectively with church staff (paid and volunteer), handling conflict and criticism, avoiding burnout, and other day-to-day aspects of the ministry.

Students in this course investigate recent sermon development models in order to add variety and creativity to their biblical preaching ministries. Students are able to develop and practice a basic philosophy of creativity, especially in relation to preaching.

In this course, a careful look is taken at how people come together in organizations and how our administrative processes, structures, and cultures can influence our work together in these contexts. This course explores organization in churches, non-profits, and general organizations, with the goal of exploring how we can improve our effectiveness in areas such as our meetings, our alignment for function, and our reporting relationships.

This course thoroughly surveys theological and biblical concepts, family systems, and psychodynamic ideas, and integrates these ideas into the groundwork for a narrative approach to entering into helping conversations. Issues covered include: the debate around the integration of biblical and psychological ideas; an understanding of human psychological nature; the development of behavioural, relational, and emotional “problems” from a systemic perspective; the goals of counselling; and the use of narrative ideas to guide the nature of therapeutic conversations.

M.Div. students are required to complete four months of full-time mentored Experiential Integration (EI). Students should carefully plan for their Experiential Integration requirements with the faculty supervisor. EI is generally four to twelve months in duration, depending upon the number of hours per week students are able to devote to the ministry. The minimum requirement is four months (17 weeks) full-time and a minimum of 680 hours. Some students choose to complete EI over a longer period while working or studying part-time. Though EI is non-credit, there is a one-time fee of $150 for processing, registration, and supervision.

This course consists of an advanced study of an issue or topic that is significant in light of the student’s anticipated ministry/vocation and his/her major of study.

BT 717 The Former Prophets: Encountering Elijah and Elisha
This course involves a close reading and discussion of 1 Kings 17 - 2 Kings 10 and explores the phenomenon of prophecy as it is represented in the Former Prophets. Particular attention is devoted to the ways in which prophets and prophecy are presented and represented and the ways in which a canonical understanding of prophecy may be shaped by an encounter with Elijah, Elisha, and the other prophetic figures in these narratives.

BT 719 The Latter Prophets: Isaiah Amidst the Witnesses to the Word
This course allows students to gain a fuller understanding of the Latter Prophets through an encounter with the book of Isaiah. Issues explored include the ways in which Isaiah is (and is not) representative of both contemporary approaches to the Latter Prophets and the concerns, contents, and contexts of these writings. The course also affords an opportunity to explore the ways in which the reading of the Latter Prophets has informed ongoing traditions of “witnessing to the Word.”

BT 653 Theology of Christ and Reconciliation
Scripture teaches that God made Jesus Christ, the One who knew no sin, to be sin for fallen humans, making reconciliation to God possible (2 Cor 5:20-1). This course examines the person and work of “Christ the Centre” (Bonhoeffer), showing how through his birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension, Jesus Christ stood with humanity and gained victory over principalities and powers to provide atonement for sin and justification of sinners. The course also surveys current problems in Christology, such as the significance of “historical Jesus” research and the uniqueness of Christ in a world of religions.

BT 654 Theology of the Holy Spirit and Redemption
This course examines the identity and redeeming work of the third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. The course explores the Spirit’s relationship to the Father and Son, as well as his saving work in sustaining creation, inspiring Scripture, sanctifying and gifting the church, and resurrecting all peoples for the life that is to come (i.e. eschatology). An assessment of current pneumatological debates from evangelical and ecumenical perspectives is also included.