Master of Divinity
DESCRIPTION
The Master of Divinity provides students with a well-rounded biblical and theological foundation; equips them in ministry, leadership, contextualization and communication skills; and nurture spirituality and character necessary to lead fruitful, and dynamic Christian ministries in their respective contexts. It can also serve as a foundation for further advanced studies.
TARGET GROUP
This program is appropriate for pastors, evangelists, missionaries, teachers, and leaders in para-church staff, and Christian leaders in any organizations. The program equips students with the skills to be lifelong learners and leaders.
FOUNDATION COURSES
CORE COURSES
MAJORS /EMPHASES
ELECTIVE COURSES
FOUNDATION COURSES
| Integrative Introduction to Bible, Culture, and Theology | This course aids students in the development of a biblically rooted, theologically formed, and culturally competent approach to learning and life. In addition to offering a basic introduction to biblical interpretation, theological method, and contextualization, the course illuminates the way in which these disciplines work together, equipping students to develop and employ all three of these disciplines in an integrative manner. (1.5-lecture units-course; 1.5 hours per week) |
| Theology 1: God The Creator | This course introduces students to Christian teaching about God’s being (theology proper) and works (revelation, creation, humanity). Students gain a deeper understanding of historic Christian commitments in these areas and grow in their ability to assess and defend those commitments with biblical and theological reasoning, and with humility and charity. This course gives special attention to the spiritual and practical implications of God’s triunity, humanity’s creation in the image of God, and the Christian understanding of the spirit world. (1.5-lecture units-course; 1.5 hours per week) |
| Servant-Steward Leadership | This course equips students with the biblical, theoretical, and spiritual foundations for understanding servant-steward leadership. In this Christ-centered approach, a leader’s character, heart, and core values inform every aspect of their life, relationships, and work. Students explore their uniqueness and calling, personal life, and personal spiritual formation in the context of their own leadership story. Servant-steward leadership insights are applied to overcoming the sacred-secular divide, leading out of spiritual authority, evaluating leadership impact, and leading in light of culture and context. (3-lecture units-course; 3 hours per week) |
| Intro to Biblical Hermeneutics | This course equips students with the basic skills, tools, and methodologies for interpreting and applying the Bible. Deriving theologial principles from the intended meaning and apply them in a culturally relevant way. (3-lecture units-course; 3 hours per week |
| Building Disciples | This course equips students with the biblical foundation, core principles, and practical skills for contextualized disciple-making. Students develop as insightful practitioners, discerning how to use appropriate transferable tools for evangelism, follow-up, training, and multiplying disciples. Spiritual movement dynamics are explored and adapted for specific ministry contexts. (1.5-lecture units-course; 1.5 hours per week) |
| Critical Thinking and Writing | This course is designed to prepare students for effective basic research and writing as Christian leaders graduating with MA and MDiv degrees, or equivalent certificates. This course is the foundation for effective research and writing. It introduces students to the use of library and internet resources, and the mechanics of good writing, reading comprehension, note-taking, and paper formatting to help them produce quality assignments and ministry-related presentations. (1.5-lecture units-course; 1.5 hours per week) |
| Teaching for Life Change in Small Groups | This course presents an overview of education that is anchored in biblical principles and the example of Jesus Christ, the Master Teacher. Students apply principles of how God designed people to change using an educational process that focuses on and fosters life change. Students practice designing a plan and facilitating small group discussions of biblical passages. (1.5-lecture units-course; 1.5 hours per week) |
| Storyline of the Bible | Students will learn the history of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and be equipped to situate major people, events, and each biblical book into its appropriate place in the Bible’s storyline. (3-lecture units-course; 3 hours per week) |
| Theology 2: God The Redeemer | This course introduces students to Christian teaching about the person and work of Christ (Christology and soteriology). As students gain familiarity with Scriptural teaching and historic Christian commitments in these areas, they will be equipped to recognize and respond to contemporary challenges, and to bear witness to Christ’s Lordship over all creation. The course gives special attention to the implications of the person and work of Christ, including students’ personal identity in Christ, the implications of salvation in their own context, and the Spirit’s ongoing work of conforming disciples to the image of Christ. (3-lecture units-course; 3 hours per week) |
| Team-Based Leadership | This course equips students with biblical principles, contemporary scholarship, and practical skills related to achieving a common mission and vision through a team. Principles of healthy team dynamics spanning personal differences, gender, and culture are examined. Students explore their own strengths and giftings, interpersonal styles, and personal blind spots. They learn skills for understanding others, adapting to the team, resolving conflicts, and communicating effectively. Principles of team leadership, team planning, and team decision making are applied to work, ministry, and family contexts. (3-lecture units-course; 3 hours per week) |
| Contextualization: From Biblical Text to Cultural Context | The purpose of this course is to equip students to apply Scripture faithfully to all aspects of their cultural context on the one hand and, on the other hand, to evaluate cultural values, beliefs and practices from a scriptural perspective so that appropriate changes can be made. Students will be able to apply an interdisciplinary approach to contextualization that integrates theology, biblical studies and cultural anthropology, resulting in practical solutions to long-standing as well as contemporary questions about living and witnessing in diverse cultures. (3-lecture units-course; 3 hours per week) |
| Theology 3: God The Restorer | This course introduces students to Christian teaching about God the Spirit (pneumatology), the church (ecclesiology), Christian living (ethics), and the future (eschatology). As students gain familiarity with biblical teaching and historic Christian commitments in these areas, they will improve in their ability to recognize and respond to contemporary challenges. The course gives special attention to the development of contextually sensitive moral frameworks, the place of the church in God’s mission to the world, and the Christian hope in God’s renewal of all things. (1.5-lecture units-course; 1.5 hours per week) |
| World Missions | “Just before returning to heaven, Jesus gave his disciples what is known as The Great Commission, which says, “Go and make disciples. . .” (Matt. 28:19-20). This course engages the students to see how they can be personally engaged with the world through evangelism and discipleship, which is crucial to the completion of the Great Commission. This short course will explore three areas related to missions: the Biblical basis for missions, the history of missions, and the future of missions. This course will also provide students with an opportunity to practice evangelism through the creation of a gospel presentation.” (1.5-lecture units-course; 1.5 hours per week) |
| Applied Learning for Strategic Impact (Internship) | This program assists students in confirming their calling through an individual or team (two or more students) project to be completed over four weeks in the summer of the first academic year. Students develop skills in self and team leadership, ministry, and interpersonal relationships. It is a platform to help students start or expand a ministry through high impact trainings (HIT), apply their learning in a selected sector-driven ministry, or a combination of both. The internship is student-led, though faculty and/or external ministry practitioners supervise and mentor students, evaluating their progress and addressing character and relationship issues as they arise. (1.5-lecture units-course; 1.5 hours per week) |
CORE COURSES
| Designing and Teaching High Impact Trainings | This course aids students in the development of a biblically rooted, theologically formed, and culturally competent approach to learning and life. In addition to offering a basic introduction to biblical interpretation, theological method, and contextualization, the course illuminates the way in which these disciplines work together, equipping students to develop and employ all three of these disciplines in an integrative manner. (1.5-lecture units-course; 1.5 hours per week) |
| Biblical Preaching | This course helps Christian leaders develop exegetically sound messages from Scripture that sensitively and effectively bridge the gap between the original meaning of the text and the current realities of a contemporary audience. The goal is Christ-centered messages that bring about personal and corporate transformation. Students learn how to assess their own hearts in the preaching process as well as the hearts and minds of their audience. Students will learn to address the heart issues of their audience and prepare their own hearts during sermon preparation. (3-lecture units-course; 3 hours per week) |
| Bible Language: Greek 1 | This course introduces students to the basic elements of Greek language and grammar. Students learn to use tools designed to aid in the study of New Testament Greek texts. The course will also help students to discover basic exegetical insights by studying grammatical features, including an introduction to outlining a passage in Greek. (3-lecture units-course; 3 hours per week) |
| Bible Language: Greek 2 | Students will learn the exegetical process, developing expertise in exegeting a text with a primary focus on writing an exegetical outline and isolating exegetical ideas that enable them to address their home context. Students will also learn to use Greek to relate to theological issues and concepts. (3-lecture units-course; 3 hours per week) |
| Bible Language: Hebrew 1 |
This course introduces students to the orthography, phonology, grammar, and syntax of Biblical Hebrew. Students will gain facility in using appropriate tools to assist them in developing accurate and exegetically rich interpretations of Old Testament Hebrew texts so they can teach and preach with greater confidence. (3-lecture units-course; 3 hours per week) |
| Bible Language: Hebrew 2 |
This course aims to deepen students’ understanding of Old Testament Biblical Hebrew and introduce them to the tools and methods necessary for accurate exegesis of Old Testament texts. Students will start to develop the skills necessary to: do exegesis in select narrative texts; distill their messages; and communicate these in relevant ways in order to effect change in themselves and their audience. (3-lecture units-course; 3 hours per week) |
| Major Asian Religions | This course explores the history, beliefs, and practices of the major non-Christian religions in Asia. Special attention is given to understanding animistic perspectives, as well as the theological and practical similarities and differences of these faiths in relation to the Christian faith. The course introduces students to contextualized strategies of sharing the gospel so that they can develop their own approach to presenting the gospel effectively in their context. (3-lecture units-course; 3 hours per week) |
| Development of Christian Thought | This course exposes students to the progression of Christian thought during critical periods in the life of the church. By deepening students’ understanding of seminal theological issues as they have been shaped by individual theologians, creeds, confessions, and councils, it equips future leaders to engage the present world in light of the riches of the Christian tradition. (3-lecture units-course; 3 hours per week) |
| In the World: Christians and Current Issues | This course sharpens students’ critical theological skills through application of theological method to a variety of social, ethical, and ecclesiological concerns. Students gain familiarity with the contours of significant contemporary issues (e.g. LBGTQ + issues, poverty, the impact of internet and social media), and bring a variety of theological resources together in order to foster thoughtful Christian witness and discipleship in today’s world. (3-lecture units-course; 3 hours per week) |
| Lifelong Leader Formation | This course guides students through a deep exploration of their personal spiritual formation and leadership development for the sake of lifelong leadership impact and faithfulness. Students gain insight into how God develops leaders, leadership character, and spiritual authority over a lifetime, while gaining awareness of significant threats to their character and credibility. Students learn how to ground their character, development, and leadership influence in spiritual dependence and confidence in God’s presence and sovereignty. (3-lecture units-course; 3 hours per week) |
| Field Ministry | This course equips the students with the laboratory environment to train, contextualize and experience spiritual multiplication through a weekly off-campus, team-based field work. The course is the students’ platform to apply the learnings from the courses they are taking and reflect these in light of disciple-making, God’s faithfulness and their heart condition. |
| Iron Sharpening Group | The Iron-Sharpening Group (ISG) is an intentional community designed for students to participate in and experience spiritual transformation. Spiritual formation involves God reaching deeply into the spirit of each individual to accomplish His divine work. “The more we become like Christ in the way we live in relationship with people individually and corporately, the more those people will see the light of the glory of Christ in us and will be thereby transformed.” (Averbeck, 2008) The Apostle Paul summarizes well the process of spiritual transformation, “Rather speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up into Him who is the head, into Christ. From whom the whole body joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” (Ephesians 4:15-16) |
| Capstone | |
| Thesis (for thesis track) |
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| Portfolio (for non-thesis track) |
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| Comprehensive Examination |
MAJORS /EMPHASES
Leadership Studies Major
The leadership major of the Masters of Divinity degree offers an additional focus in equipping leaders for the unique challenges of leadership within the church and parachurch. It equips leaders to develop healthy ministries and mobilize followers of Christ to impact their spheres of influence in society. Leaders are equipped in areas of pastoral leadership and care, organizational change, leadership communication, and multiplying leaders.
| Caring and Counseling | This course prepares current or future ministers for the caregiving and counseling demands of ministry. Students learn how to come alongside people in a variety of significant life moments for the purpose of offering care, comfort, and timely guidance from God’s word. In particular, the course equips students to use God’s Word as they minister to those who in struggle, conflict, or pain, and to help others discover and apply the truths of Scripture to their own situations. |
| Advanced Preaching | This course builds on the Biblical Preaching course, offering deeper insight into and practice with the art and discipline of expository preaching. Students learn how to bring accurate interpretation of various biblical genres into their preaching with creativity and practical relevance to their specific contexts. Peer group interactive learning and individual mentoring help build the student’s preaching confidence and skills. |
| Leading Organizational Change | This course equips students to lead and sustain organizational change to better fulfill a mission and vision. Students learn how to work with teams to successfully implement new ideas or programs that support organizational values and goals in addition to developing new leaders who can sustain change. Students learn how to ground their change initiatives in biblical principles, spiritual dependence, and appropriate cultural or contextual factors. Students learn to wisely influence from anywhere in the organization and evaluate several models of change and contemporary tools for planning with their context in view. |
| Pastoral Leadership | This course equips current and emerging ministry leaders for the calling, demands, and functions of pastoral leadership of a local ministry in their context. Students learn how to wisely lead God’s people in ways that result in spiritually mature and healthy ministries. Students will be prepared to respond to common organizational, personnel, and community challenges, and to address contemporary issues that ministry leaders face in in mobilizing a church for disciple-making and Christian witness in the community. |
| Negotiation and Leadership | This course equips students to reach wise agreements across material and relational differences in ways that build trust, sustain partnerships, and decrease conflict while accomplishing personal, team, or organizational objectives. Students explore how identity, culture, and emotions impact negotiation, then examine their own values and motivations in the midst of difficult conversations. Students demonstrate thoughtful negotiation characterized by love when interests are in conflict. Students explore several approaches to negotiation and practice the requisite skills that result in forging agreements. |
Biblical Studies Major
Prepares students to preach and teach in a local church; or teach and train in Bible schools or para-church organizations.
| Bible Language: Greek 3 | This course assists students in further developing their exegetical skills by deepening their understanding of Greek grammar and syntax. It offers further practice for students to sharpen their Greek skills in the exegesis of biblical texts by reading extensively in Greek. |
| Bible Language: Hebrew 3 |
This course assists students in further developing their exegetical skills by deepening their understanding of Hebrew grammar and syntax. It offers further practice for students to sharpen their Hebrew skills in the exegesis of biblical texts by reading extensively in Hebrew. |
| Advanced Hermeneutics | This course assists students in deepening their exegetical skills through a discussion of current issues in biblical interpretation. This course will cover additional issues related to genre, the relationship between the testaments, and how theology impacts exegesis. An emphasis will be placed on the “hermeneutical spiral” in biblical interpretation. |
| Biblical Theology, Bible Lands, Bible Backgrounds | (Note: Pick 1 from the following courses if all are being offered) • Biblical Theology (1.5 units) This course helps students understand several approaches to biblical theology and its complementary function alongside systematic theology. Students will develop a theology of a particular book (e.g. the gospel of John) and trace the development of key themes across the canon (e.g. the land). (1.5-lecture units-course; 1.5 hours per week) • Bible Backgrounds (1.5 units) This course examines the cultural and historical backgrounds of both the Old and New Testaments. Old Testament backgrounds includes a study of the religion, literature, and culture of Israel as well as the nations around it in the ancient Near East. New Testament backgrounds examines Jewish and Greco-Roman religious beliefs and customs, folk belief, ethnic issues, the political situation and other cultural phenomena that form the background to the Gospels and early church. Through increased familiarity with the historical and cultural context of the biblical writings, students will improve their ability to interpret, apply, and contextualize the Bible in their own contexts. (1.5-lecture units-course; 1.5 hours per week) • Bible Lands (1.5 units) This course broadens and deepens the students’ understanding of Israel and its bordering nations, examining the land’s geography and climate and how these factors affected its history. This course enables students to step into the world of the biblical writers and understand the particular lands in which God has chosen to work out His plan for mankind. (1.5-lecture units-course; 1.5 hours per week) |
| Old Testament or New Testament Book | (Students required to take 3 credits of a class based on a book of the Bible. This could be one 3-credit class or two 1.5-credit classes) This course takes students through a selected book in the Old or New Testament with the goal of exegeting and understanding the book in its historical, literary, and canonical context. Students will focus on an individual book with an emphasis on interpretation according to genre of the book as well as the cultural context. This course will also give attention to the application of the book to life and ministry contexts. |
| Guided Elective Courses: (highly recommended elective courses) | The Gospels This class is an exposition of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John with an emphasis on the biblical theology of these books, their genre, and application. The Old Testament Prophets Understanding OT Prophets in Israel’s history, unique message to their original audience, and the structure and design of each text. Understanding of Hebrew poetry, prophetic speech forms, and OT biblical eschatology and messianic expectation. (3-lecture units-course; 3 hours per week) |
Intercultural Studies Major
The Intercultural Studies Major of the MDiv. equips students with the understanding and skills for effective ministry in the varied cultural, socio-economic, and religious contexts throughout the world. ICS majors will be enabled to integrate biblical, theological, and inter-cultural disciplines in order to interpret and appreciate cultures, to address worldview transformation, to plant indigenous churches, and to initiate appropriate community development ministries. This missiological approach gives students the ability to contextualize their Christian life and the communication of God’s Word in a more comprehensive manner.
| Cross Cultural Expansion | This course examines the world-changing, cross-cultural expansion of the church. Students will gain familiarity with the personalities, events, strategies, and movements that have shaped the church and its growth (and decline) over the centuries. |
| Poverty and Community Development | This course enables students to understand poverty in a holistic manner and equips them to engage in sustainable solutions with a biblical foundation. Students develop an understanding of poverty from a material, social, psychological and spiritual perspective. Students also develop a holistic understanding of development with the goal of establishing shalom. The course explores various community development efforts of churches, NGOs, INGOs, and short-term missionaries in responding to developmental opportunities in Asia. |
| Transforming Culture | This course provides students with an understanding of the basic aspects of culture and worldview, and their relationship to ministry in their own culture as well as in cross-cultural contexts. Future Christian workers will be able to serve, and communicate the Christian message, in a contextualized way with the goal of cultural transformation. The course will also provide students with an experience of doing sample research on a target culture and addressing relevant issues in it. |
| Principles of Church Planting | This course offers an overview of the process of starting churches and facilitating their maturation and growth. Students will learn to evaluate and utilize strategies for church planting in their own context as well as to address the special challenges associated with planting indigenous churches in cross-cultural contexts. The course will address significant theoretical issues related to church-planting before introducing approaches that support the establishment of indigenous churches. |
Theology Major
The Theology Major of the Master of Divinity equips leaders for uniquely Christian engagement (e.g. sermons, teaching, books, articles) with contemporary issues by grounding them in Scripture and Christian thought. This will enable church leaders, teachers, and missionaries to empower their local communities to bear faithful witness to the kingdom of God in their unique situation. Students will gain expertise in engaging Scripture wholistically, addressing contextual matters with theological discernment, and the wise appropriation of the Christian heritage.
| Theology and Scripture | This course offers students an advanced exploration of the doctrine of Scripture and gives them experience in exploring the mutually formative relationship between Scripture and Christian doctrine. Topics include the nature, inspiration, and inerrancy of Scripture, as well as the ways it has been interpreted by the Church. Students will grow in their appreciation for the authority of Scripture and in their confidence in interpreting and communicating God’s Word in their contemporary contexts. |
| Directions in Contemporary Theology | This course introduces students to theological developments from the 19th century to the present day, allowing them to develop an approach to theological reflection informed by key thinkers and systems in both Western and Asian Christian thought. Topics include both significant thinkers and key schools of thought (e.g. liberation theology, neo-orthodoxy, postmodern theologies). Familiarity with key theological developments of the recent past enables students to understand the formation of contemporary ecclesial perspectives and practices. Students will grow in their ability to evaluate current Asian and Western theological trends and to thoughtfully construct evangelical responses to the challenges of modernization, pluralism, and postmodern thought. |
Six (6) credits in Guided Electives in Advanced Theological Topics:
| Theology for Life and Worship | This course enables students to deepen their appreciation for the theological foundations of Christian life and worship, helping them to grasp how Christian practices and traditions fit into the grand narrative of redemption. Students gain deeper theological insight into the ways in which ordinances, weddings, funerals, child-dedications, worship services, and church ministries for all stages of life function as sacred occasions for our lives in communion with God. By equipping students for theological engagement with the practical aspects of pastoral ministry and life in the body, this course grows students’ capacity for fostering meaningful Christian practices with contextual creativity and biblical fidelity. |
| From Jerusalem to Manila: Constructing Contextual Theology | This course introduces students to the history, method, and application of contextual theological reflection. Students will gain facility in the development of Christian teaching that is fully engaged with Scripture, contextually rooted, and informed by the best resources of Christian tradition. This course builds on foundational courses (e.g., Intro to Christian Thought, Contextualization) to help students develop contextually formed approaches to traditional theological topics (e.g., explaining the atonement using metaphors rooted in specific Asian contexts) as well as theological topics of special interest in Asian contexts (e.g., the nature of the Christian’s relationship to ancestors, or the Christian perspective on suffering). |
ELECTIVE COURSES
To be determined