Courses

What does it mean to be a missional church in an increasingly post-Christian, secular, and religiously plural culture? This course answers that question with a comprehensive overview of missional theology and examples of its practice, particularly in North American culture. Biblical foundations and historical approaches to embodying the Gospel in cultural context are considered with primary focus on the contemporary “missional” movement (e.g., Newbigin, Bosch, Guder, Frost, Hirsch, Fitch).

Knowing…

• Know key areas of missional theology and ways they relate to your doctoral research.
• Know and be familiar with the contributions of key figures in contemporary theology and their relevance for your research program.
• Begin to acquire specialist command of a specific area of theology related to your area of research.
• Deepen your understanding of the approaches/methods appropriate to your research program.

Being…

• Become a critical and constructive leader in practical theology.
• Appreciate the value of current theological movements for the church and your life.
• Be a respectable, respectful, and significant practical theologian.
• Appreciate that theology is a dynamic and contextual effort to discern appropriate ways to embody the redemption revealed in Jesus Christ.

Doing…

• Develop the ability to present informative presentations and facilitate student discussions.
• Research and present original research on a substantial topic in missional theology and its significance for your research topic.
• Hone critical reading skills in primary literature.
• Develop the ability to analyze secondary scholarship in light of primary texts.