The Certificate in Theology and Health Care (THC) is a one-year course of study designed to equip Christian health care practitioners with the training to embrace that calling and live into it with theological clarity and spiritual joy. The certificate combines foundational courses in Christian theology, scripture, and church history with courses engaging the practical issues that health care practitioners encounter in contemporary culture. The program was developed for individuals with vocations in health care (e.g., trainees or practitioners of medicine, nursing, and other health care professions) who seek theological formation and further confidence engaging questions of suffering, illness, and the place of health care in a faithful life.
The Fellowship in Theology, Medicine, and Culture
Certificate applicants are welcomed to apply for the Fellowship in Theology, Medicine, and Culture. The fellowship is open to students and practitioners in any of the health professions, as well as to others whose vocations and aspirations involve full-time work in health-related contexts. It offers scholarship support for theological study and formation at Duke Divinity School.
Program Overview
Curriculum
The THC Certificate is structured to provide robust theological and practical engagement with contemporary practices in medicine and health care in order to allow participants to reengage their vocations with clarity, faith, and joy. The certificate requires six courses total: four core courses, two of which build a foundation in Scripture, Christian theology, and church history; and two that study the relation of Christian tradition to suffering, illness, and disability, as well as to the institutions and practices of health care and bioethics. There are also two electives—students may pick a course designated as a TMC area requirement and one additional elective, allowing students to engage with courses of interest from other areas of the Divinity School.
In addition to coursework, the certificate also allows students to pursue additional service opportunities through participation in local ministry involved in health and health care-based practicums. These extracurricular opportunities allow students to have hands-on experience applying what they are learning in the classroom in the local community.
Please contact the institution for dates and fees.