Theological education for everyone. Explore issues that matter to your faith and community with leading scholars and experienced practitioners. A variety of short courses, most or all available online.
Not Yet in the Now: Waiting for the Apocalypse
Eschatology is defined as the study of the last things. Traditionally, these “last things” have been defined as death, judgement, heaven, and hell; in truth, though, they include all that we imagine the “end” of our life and of history to be. In the Christian church, our eschatological expectation is our blessed hope: the resurrection …
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The Trinity and the Church Fathers
In this course we’ll explore the church fathers’ understanding of the Trinity and how and why they thought this model of God represented the biblical teaching of God faithfully and beautifully. Students will learn to read the Bible through patristic eyes and discern with the church fathers the problems presented by the relational complexity in …
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The Sermon on the Mount
No portion of Scripture has been more thoroughly studied, preached upon, or written about than the Sermon on the Mount. This famous and influential passage from the Gospel of Matthew has a bearing on many fundamental questions of Christian life: What is the nature of God’s kingdom? What does godliness look like? What ethical considerations …
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The Puritan Literary Imagination
Immerse yourself in two classics of the Christian imagination: Milton’s Paradise Lost (1667) and Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress (1678). Written just over a decade apart, these texts have profoundly shaped the modern literary and theological imagination–especially our concepts of God, Satan, sin, the fall, human nature, and paradise. Join us as we explore the artistry and …
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Chinese Christian Thought
Explore the historical development of Chinese Christian thought in mainland China and its growth in Asia and beyond. Examine existential debates about whether it is possible to be both Christian and Chinese, and explore theological queries related to distinctive understandings of Christ, the church, and the church’s mission in the world. Finally, consider how a …
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Partaking of the Divine Nature: Salvation, Holiness and the Doctrine of God
Christian salvation is a gift, but what is the nature of that gift? The doctrine of theosis suggests that God’s best gift in salvation is, quite simply, God’s self. Theosis–also called “divinization” or “deification”–teaches that God the Father sends the Son and the Spirit so that the saints may partake of the Trinity’s own divine …
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When Christians Disagree: Church Unity in an Age of Division
Survey the typologies of engagement by various Christian traditions (giving particular attention to the broad evangelical tradition) with the public square, along the spectrum of disengagement, cooperation, co-optation, and confrontation. Analyze the theological assumptions and perspectives on the gospel that inform such engagement or lack thereof. Dominant evangelical paradigms of Christian engagement in the public …
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Devotional Poetry: John Donne, George Herbert, and Anne Bradstreet
The devotional poetry of the seventeenth century is famous for its impeccable artistry and devotional power. Expand your heart and mind as you contemplate works from three of this era’s best-loved devotional poets: John Donne, George Herbert, and Anne Bradstreet. Explore Puritan piety, spiritual conflict, and divine love through Donne’s “Holy Sonnets,” Herbert’s “The Temple,” …
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The Early Church in Africa and Asia
Many studies of non-Western Christianity focus on the modern period, emphasizing the impact of Western missions and colonialism. But this approach neglects the rich traditions of African and Asian Christianity that were established long before the earliest Western colonial contact. Join us as we explore early history of the church in North and East Africa, …
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