Bible, History, and Theology (BHT)
BHT 511NE (Core course)
The Biblical Worldview: Story, Theology, Ethics
Credits: 6.5
The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments embody a distinctive worldview or vision of life that communicates God’s intentions for humanity and the cosmos, stretching from creation to eschaton. This worldview is interwoven into the warp and woof of Scripture, but is especially communicated through the overarching story told in its pages, which provides the non-negotiable framework that should guide the church in living out its mission. This course explores the unity of the biblical worldview and helps students engage in theological reflection on key moments of its narrative unfolding, with implications for Christian living in the contemporary world. Our theological reflections will intentionally interact with counter-tendencies in the church and society that present challenges to embodying this worldview. This course will also explore how a solid grasp of the foundational biblical vision of reality helps equip church leaders to become better interpreters of Scripture, a skill central to the pastoral vocation.
[Corequisite: must be taken with PSF 511NE]
BHT 512NE (Core course)
The Formative Era: From Synagogue to Cathedral – Growth and Change in the Early and Medieval Church
Credits: 6.5
This course mines the rich resources of the patristic and medieval eras of the Church’s history. During the patristic era, the Church—working with the resources of the biblical era—clearly defined Christian doctrine in subjects such as: the nature of God and the Trinity, Jesus Christ, creation, human nature, and salvation (cf. Apostles’ Creed); the basic Christian pattern of living; and the structure of the church, worship, the ordained ministry, membership and church discipline. The medieval era saw additional developments in ecclesiastical policy and restatements of doctrine after recovery of Aristotle’s works.
[Prerequisite: successful completion of BHT/PSF 511NE and BIB 511NE]
[Corequisite: must be taken with PSF 512NE]
BHT 513NE (Core Course)
The Protestant Era: Reformation and Revival in the Church
Credits: 6.5
This course studies the Church in the tumultuous 16th—18th centuries, which led up to the modern era. During the Protestant Reformation and Great Awakening, the Christian Church experienced massive upheavals as it wrestled with the doctrine of salvation. Many new denominations and movements emerged as the contestants joined battle and reached differing views on such issues as: the way in which people become Christians; the manner in which Christians are to live; and the nature of the true Church in polity, the sacraments, public worship, and the ordained ministry and mission.
[Prerequisite: successful completion of BHT/PSF 511NE, BIB 511NE and, if your program requires it, BHT/PSF 512NE and BIB 512NE] [Corequisite: must be taken with PSF 513NE]
BHT 514NE (Core Course)
The Modern and Postmodern Era: The Church in an Age of Science, Technology, and Secularization
Credits: 6.5—9
This course surveys the history and theology of Christianity in the 19th and 20th centuries. Specific attention is given to the prominent theologians, theological movements, and the ecclesiastical developments of the modern and postmodern eras. This course exposes the student to contemporary theories of biblical interpretation, the impact of social location on theology, and problems of religious pluralism and secularization.
[Prerequisite: successful completion of BHT/PSF 511NE, BIB 511NE and, if your program requires it, BHT/PSF 512NE, BIB 512NE, BHT/PSF 513NE, and BIB 513NE] [Corequisite: must be taken with PSF 514NE]