Events
A Virtual Taste of Seminary
Summer 2021 Courses
CHRISTIAN HISTORY & THOUGHT
CH 740 450: Ancient Wisdom from Early Christianity
- Start date: May 27, 2021
This 5-week course will explore the lives and thought of the early church on such key topics as sexuality, slavery, spiritual formation, cosmic worldview and relations between Christians and the government. The ancient wisdom of early Christianity is sure to provide helpful insights as we grapple to understand how the Christian faith supplanted the mores, spirituality and basic cosmology of the Roman world. This study of the first Christians is sure to aid us in formulating answers to the perplexing questions of our own day as well.
Taught by Dr. Joe Thomas from Urbana Theological Seminary and Mark Draper from Evangelical Theological Seminary.
Class session dates: May 27, June 3, 17, 24 and July 8
- Time: Thursday, 6:00 - 9:00 pm
Credit: 2 hours
Location: Online
Instructors: Joe Thomas and Mark Draper
PRACTICAL MINISTRY
PM 530 100: Listening with Jesus in a Pluralistic Society
- Start date: June 22, 2021
Sharing the good news of Jesus is challenging in today’s pluralistic and contentious world. This experiential class will empower you to convey love and empathy through non-anxious listening, resulting in true reconciliation and sturdy friendship bridges.
For more information, please see Dr. Alexander’s blog post about the course.
Class session dates: June 22, 29; July 6, 13, 20, 27; August 3, 10.
- Time: Tuesday, 6:00 - 8:30 pm
Credit: 2 hours
Location: Online
Instructor: Anne Alexander
FM 740 105: Spiritual Discernment for Individuals and Groups
- Start date: June 7, 2021
A study of historical and practical approaches to Christian spiritual discernment for personal and group decision-making. Consideration of the definition, aim, models, and practices for discernment from the broad Christian tradition. Exploration of factors bearing on discernment including Scripture, theology, tradition, community, science, nature, experience, personal history, memory, reason, intuition, imagination, physical body, desires, spiritual affections, virtue, and spiritual practices. Special attention to holistic, integrative discernment approaches, Ignatian discernment, desire, community, and questions of vocational integrity.
For more information, please see Dr. Spychalla’s blog post about the course.
Class session dates: June 7, 14, 21, 28; July 5, 19, 26; Aug 2 (no class July 12)
- Time: Monday, 6:00 - 8:30 pm
Credit: 2 hours
Location: Online
Instructor: Peter Spychalla
Fall 2021 Courses
BIBLICAL STUDIES
BI 740 450: How should we live? The Jesus Movement in Ephesus
- Start date: August 26, 2021
A Clarity in Context Course
What was it like to follow Christ in an epicenter of secular power and false spirituality? Why was Ephesus a strategic center for the Gospel mission of the 1st century church? What can we learn from this for today?
This class offers an introduction to 1st century Ephesus as an early context for the faith of Jesus followers. The church in Ephesus provides a context for us today to think about how to live out our new life in Christ individually and in community. It also provides a paradigm for strategic mission and ministry today. Focusing on everything in the New Testament relating to the city of Ephesus as well as its cultural context, this class will begin by exploring how the church was established in the shadow of paganism and superstition (Acts), then will explore Paul’s letters to the church as a window into understanding our life in Christ (Ephesians, 1 Timothy, and 2 Timothy). From there, the class will examine John’s ministry and the letter to Ephesus in Revelation.
- Time: Thursday, 6:00 - 9:00 pm
Credit: 3 hours
Location: Online
Instructor: Ken Cuffey
BI 501 100: Old Testament Survey
- Start date: August 25, 2021
An introduction to the literature of the Old Testament/Hebrew bible within the context of the history of Israel and the ancient Near East. The course will consider the interpretation of varied genres and will provide a survey of the individual books, their backgrounds and messages, and the developing revelation of God’s saving work throughout history. Emphasis placed on pivotal themes such as creation, covenant, promise, and the coming Messiah.
- Time: Wednesday, 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Credit: 3 hours
Location: TBA
Instructor: Kenneth Cuffey
CHRISTIAN HISTORY & THOUGHT
CH 740 405: Understanding Evangelicalism: A History
- Start date: August 26, 2021
Course description coming soon!
- Time: Thursday, 6:00 - 9:00 pm
Credit: 3 hours
Location: Online
Instructor: Joe Thomas
CT 620 100: Christian Bioethics
- Start date: August 27, 2021
Our increasing technological powers over nature are continuing to reshape the discipline of medicine in ways that could scarcely have been foreseen a century ago. Christian Bioethics is concerned with addressing these, and related issues concerning medicine, the human body, and flourishing in light of the birth, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. In this course we will survey the history of medicine and the Christian contribution to it while learning to make biblically-informed, theologically sound judgments about medical and moral issues at the edges of life, human identity, justice, and well-being.
Class will meet as a modular on the following dates:
Aug 27-28
Sep 24-25
Oct 29-30
Dec 3-4
- Only meets four weekends:
Dates: Aug 27-28, Sep 24-25, Oct 29-30, Dec 3-4
Time: Friday, 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm; Saturday, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm
Credit: 3 hours
Location: Online
Instructor: Todd Daly
CT 740 355: What’s a Christian to Do with Harry Potter?
- Start date: August 25, 2021
Harry Potter has now been around for twenty years, and while some Christians condemn the books as evil, or even satanic, others praise them for their good Christian values. This class will look at the issues involved in this controversy, exploring the ways people come to these two different conclusions. Theology, history, even an exploration of how language works are all topics that will come into play. The class will require reading (or having read) all seven Harry Potter books, as well as other materials.
- Time: Wednesday, 6:00-9:00
Credit: 3 hours
Location: Online
Instructor: Melody Green
CT 502 100: Theology II
- Start date: August 23, 2021
An overview of the Christian doctrines of the Holy Spirit, the work of Christ and salvation, the church as the Body of Christ, and the end times.
- Time: Monday, 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Credit: 3 hours
Location: Online
Instructor: Todd Daly
PRACTICAL MINISTRY
PM 554 100: World Christian Movement: A Gateway to Mission
A survey of the global cause of Christ in Christian missions. Biblical, theological, and historical foundations for missions, crucial issues of cross-cultural ministry, recent developments in methods, application in the local church, and future trends. Consideration of personal relational evangelism. This course will use selected materials from Perspectives on the World Christian Movement courses of the U.S. Center for World Mission.
- Time: Monday, 6:00 - 9:00 pm
Credit: 3 hours
Location: Online
Instructor: Mike McQueen
FM 740 100: Reading and Praying Scripture for Spiritual Transformation
- Start date: August 24, 2021
Philosophy and technique in reading and praying Scripture for spiritual transformation rather than reading merely for information. Approaches and skills for meditating on Scripture, praying Scripture, applying Scripture, and encountering God through the reading and praying of the Scripture. Historic…
- Time: Tuesday, 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Credit: 2 hours
Location: Online
Instructor: Peter Spychalla
INTERDISCIPLINARY
GN 500 100: Introduction to Graduate Research
- Start date: August 23, 2021
An introduction to the nature of graduate research, the methods used in conducting research, strategies for writing, and resources and tools used in conducting graduate-level research. Required of all incoming students in all programs.
- Time: TBA
Credit: pass/fail
Location: University Baptist Church
Instructors: Ken Cuffey, Melody Green, other instructors TBA