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Mission Statement & Learning Outcomes

The theology department is solidly rooted in the Trinitarian faith of the Church throughout the ages.  We are committed to the authority of Holy Scripture as God’s Word and to the worldwide mission and ministry of Jesus Christ.  Our goal is to provide students with an intellectually challenging, academically rigorous, and spiritually enriching theological education that will equip them to serve in a wide variety of contexts.  The theology major focuses on the classical disciplines of biblical studies, church history, and Christian theology; as students move through the curriculum, we encourage them to discern Jesus Christ’s call on their lives and to respond in faithful obedience.
Students will develop strengths in the following areas:  

Understanding of the Bible

• A good working knowledge of the content, emphases, major theological themes, and central message of Scripture
• An awareness of various contextual considerations (historical, religious, political, geographic, socio-economic, linguistic, and literary) necessary for reading and understanding Scripture
• An ability to interpret Scripture Christo-centrically
• The development of a biblical theology with a focus on the gospel of Christ

Understanding of the history, theology, and mission of the Church

• An overview of the historical and cultural development of the church throughout the centuries
• An introduction to the major thinkers, texts, leaders, spiritual traditions and movements of the church
• An understanding of the history and development of Christian doctrine
• A commitment to the Church and its ministry throughout the world

The skills of critical thinking, reading, research, writing, and speaking

• A spirit of open inquiry
• An appreciation of excellent scholarship
• An introduction to the use of primary and secondary source texts
• The ability to think and communicate clearly and critically.
• The ability to understand and argue a point of view
• The ability to develop and formulate independent conclusions