School of Ministry - Course Descriptions

2 tracts

1. Biblical Studies:

1. Through the Bible: each student will be expected to read through the entire Bible and outline each book individually. The course instructor will provide historical and linguist context for each book of the Bible and will instruct the students in the major themes of the Scriptures.

2. Book Studies: Students will receive in-depth instruction chapter by chapter, verse by verse through various theologically significant books of the Bible. The books studied in this class will include:

   1. Genesis
   2. Isaiah
   3. A Harmony of the Gospels:
      
      • This class will differ slightly from the others in that it will not be as much of an in-depth study, but will summarize Christ’s teachings and works as a whole, drawing from each of the gospel accounts.
   4. Acts
   5. Romans
   6. Ephesians
   7. Pastoral Epistles
   8. The Letter to the Hebrews
   9. The Revelation

3. Theology: In this course students will study the basic components of Theology, focusing on the attributes of God and his dealings with man. Although the Bible will be the principle text for this class, there will be a few outline texts to help provide guidance for the student’s independent study. This course will be taught using a dialectical method in which the instructor introduces a theological problem, presents different theologians’ responses to said problem, and then examines what the Scriptures have to say about the matter. Some of the topics outlined in this class include:

   1. The Attributes of God: the students will focus on the nature and the character of the Triune God including his essential attributes and characteristics such as omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, omni beneficence, eternality and tri-unity.
      

   2. Bibliology: In this section, students will study the nature of the Bible as God’s revealed word to man. Here we will examine the nature of the Bible’s authority, inerrancy, and infallibility, as well as its origin.

   3. Anthropology: This section will be devoted to a study of man’s role in the divine order. We will look at the nature of man as it was in paradise and compare and contrast it to his nature as it is now. Furthermore, we will talk about man’s roll in the world that God created and how he is being redeemed from the curse. In doing this we will study the law and the effect that the law has had on people throughout history, paying special attention to Paul’s teachings concerning its purpose. We will also look at the nature and the extent of man’s depravity.

   4. Soteriology: Here we will look at the nature of God’s work in salvation, focusing on the tension that exists between God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility. Students will learn about Calvinism and Arminianism as well as the more moderate competing views.

   5. Ecclesiology: This section will be devoted to a study of God’s covenant people. Here students will be instructed regarding the distinction between national Israel and the Church, and will be taught how to recognize which promises, blessings, curses and prophecies apply to which. We will also compare and contrast the physical Church on earth with the spiritual assembly of all the faithful which make up the one true Church. We will also discuss the sacraments and church government in this section.

   6. Eschatology: This section of the class will be devoted to a study of apocalyptic literature and what the Scriptures say about the end times.

   7. Old Testament theology: We will provide in-depth discussion about the role of the Old Testament and the law in the life of the believer, and will address many of the difficult issues that present themselves in the Old Testament writings.

   8. Hard Sayings and apparent discrepancies in the Bible: We want to ensure that each student is equipped to deal with the difficult or “problem passages” in the Bible. The reconciliation of these passages is essential to establishing a truly “systematic” theology.

2. Communications and Hermeneutics:

1. Hermeneutics and Homiletics: this class has two primary goals: first, to teach the student how to correctly interpret and apply the Scriptures, and, secondly, to teach the student how to communicate the Scriptures to an audience. This class will involve each of the following components:

   1. Grammatical and literary analysis: In this section, students will be introduced to the fundamentals of English grammar and will be shown how the grammar and syntax of a sentence can affect the meaning of a particular text of Scripture. Also, students will learn why it is sometimes difficult to understand the author’s intended meaning through translation. In order to highlight these points, students will receive exposure to Biblical languages, as well as training in the use of Bible study resources (such as Strong’s concordance, Vines expository dictionary as well as Bible dictionaries and encyclopedias). Students will also learn about how idiomatic language and literary figures can affect the meaning of the Scriptures, and will learn as much as possible about Greek and Hebrew figures of speech.

   2. Writing: We will provide extensive, intensive training in writing to better prepare the students to communicate their thoughts more effectively.

   3. Logic: In this part of the course the students will learn the distinction between formal and informal logic as well as deductive and inductive logic. They will be exposed to fallacious ways of thinking and will have to work on their own to spot fallacies as they appear in newspapers, television shows, political debates and even commentaries (spoken and written) on the Scriptures. In doing this students will be well equipped to recognize faulty reasoning as it occurs in the process of Biblical interpretation. Students will also receive a little bit of instruction in formal logic so that they can begin to recognize the outline of an argument. Furthermore, much of this class will be devoted to helping Bible students recognize and reconcile seemingly contradictory teachings that appear in the Scriptures. By the end of the term, students will begin to apply the skills they have learned to the practice of apologetics, refuting worldviews opposing Christianity and finding arguments that support the truth of the faith revealed in the Scriptures.

   4. Sermon preparation and delivery: In this section of this class, students will be expected to put the skills they learned in earlier sections into practice, organizing and delivering their own speeches and sermons. They will also be given topics that they will have to research, and then defend their positions in an organized, mock debate.