Program Design & Objectives
The programs at Northeastern Seminary are designed to help students grow in particular competency areas. Each competency includes integrated coursework that forms attitudes, habits, and skills for faithful ministry. Each program has required competency blocks. Some programs also include the opportunity to create a competency block to fit the student's unique ministry context and calling.
The Great Conversation
(All Programs)
The goal of this block is to help students become gracious participants in the worldwide, multiethnic, multigenerational Christian communion as a reflection of God's good news to the world. Evidence of successful completion includes:
- commitment to the primacy of Scripture for Christian faith and life
- the ability to articulate the development of church doctrine over time and the contributions of particular Christian traditions and communities
- attentiveness to God's active presence in one's own life, the lives of others, and the world
- the ability to listen and learn from the whole church by critically engaging global voices in theology
- capacity for engagement in practices of solidarity and social justice through Gospel witness in the world
Biblical Interpretation
(Master of Divinity; elective option in Master of Arts Theological Studies)
The goal of this block is to help students become faithful interpreters and communicators of God's Word in the context of God's world. Evidence of successful completion includes:
- commitment to becoming an interpreter who is formed and sustained by hearing God's voice through Scripture
- understanding of the Bible within its cultural and historical contexts
- understanding of how the history of doctrinal formation informs biblical interpretation
- the ability to interpret and use Scripture in a variety of ministry contexts
- the ability to identify contemporary cultural and social concerns and the way they are illuminated and critiqued by the Gospel
- aptitude for preaching and teaching Scripture and a commitment to the education of new generations in the faith
Chaplaincy
Students will develop as compassionate chaplains, who attend to God's presence in a variety of ministry contexts. Evidence of successful completion includes:
- Ability to attend to God’s active presence in one’s own life, the lives of others, and the world
- Aptitude for theological reflection on matters of war, peace, dying, and other aspects of the human experience
- Ministerial identity and ethics for service in religiously plural contexts
Pastoral Ministry
(Master of Divinity)
The goal of this block is to help students become pastoral leaders who empower God's people toward active participation in God's mission of restoring wholeness to the world. Evidence of successful completion includes:
- the ability to use scriptural and theological reflection faithfully in contexts of pastoral ministry
- growing awareness of the work of God in one's life and the development of dispositional qualities that nurture sensitivity to God's active presence in one's own life, the lives of others, and the world
- a missional understanding of the church and the ability to discern the social and cultural trends that inform a congregation's vision and sense of purpose
- aptitude for shaping healthy worshiping communities that draw new people into participation
- the ability to design and persuasively implement strategic initiatives for congregational renewal and vitality in the exercise of church leadership
- the ability to cultivate and communicate a compelling vision for ministry
Christian Spiritual Formation
(Elective option in Master of Divinity and Master of Arts Theological Studies)
The goal of this block is to help students become wise guides who attend to God's activity in their own lives, the lives of others, and the world. Evidence of successful completion includes:
- a delight in the Scriptures
- growth in formative dispositions in imitation of Christ (such as trust in God, awe, gratitude, humility, attentiveness, respect, freedom, discernment, courage, peace, etc.)
- understanding of a variety of resources for and experiences of classic Christian spiritual practices (e.g., communal worship, scripture meditation, retreat, journaling, service, Sabbath, spiritual direction, etc.)
- ability to reflect theologically on and articulate the relationship between human and Christian spirituality
- skill in assessing the formational impact of personal and communal events, traditions, and dispositions in nurturing or hindering spiritual formation
- the ability to both appreciate distinctions between and see the unity in diverse forms of Christian spirituality across times and cultures
Spiritual Direction
The goal of this block is to deepen student's skills in offering spiritual guidance. Evidence of successful completion includes:
- Know the history and development of the practice of spiritual formation and direction
- Develop skills in personal spiritual direction through increased attentiveness and responsiveness to God’s active presence in one’s own life, and in the lives of others and in the world
- Understand and utilize resources around classic Christian spiritual practices (e.g. communal worship, scripture meditation, retreat, journaling, service, Sabbath, etc.)
Transformational Leadership
(Master of Arts in Transformational Leadership; elective option in Master of Divinity)
The goal of this block is to help students become Chistian leaders who champion transformation in organizations and communities. Evidence of successful completion includes:
- a philosphy of leadership grounded in well-developed biblical, theological, and leadership realities
- growth in one's personal relationship with God and the development of dispositional qualities necessary for effective ministry
- understanding the social and ethical demands of leadership and developing a life-long plan for personal and professional growth
- ability to interpret the rapidly changing culture and to design and implement strategic initiatives to meet today's challenges
- ability to provide effective leadership within an organizational context and commitment to and skill in leadership development
Theology and Social Justice
(Master of Arts in Theology and Social Justice; elective option in Master of Divinity)
The goal of this block is to help students become peacemakers who model Christ as agents of social justice in the church and in other organizations. Evidence of successful completion includes:
- understanding biblical texts in relation to God's call to justice and peacemaking
- ability to reflect on theological paradigms and theories of justice as they relate to present social concerns
- capacity for leadership in the church and society in promoting social justice
- ability to form appropriate strategies to respond to the effects of poverty, violence, war, sexism, and discrimination on families, societies, and the world