Department of Theology
DEPARTMENT OF THEOLOGY
Degrees Offered:
Bachelor of Theology (B.Th.)
A place for all people to learn about God
Theology is not just for pastors and seminary students. The concept of the “priesthood of all believers” means that everyone can come directly to God and seek him, that everyone can and should seek to know God. Theology is the pathway toward the knowledge of God, and that knowledge impacts on all other spheres of life. Christian theology should never be shrouded in mystery or kept in the hands of a few. Rather, it should be open to all those who search for God and for God’s wisdom.
The Department of Theology was established to pursue these goals. It aims to reach a hand out to the churches, and to include all people in the search for the knowledge of God and for God’s kingdom. Whether we are experienced faculty, ministry candidates, pastoral students, academic scholars or people curious about the life of faith, we all share a desire to know God and God’s will more deeply and more accurately. By coming together in our studies, all students can help to enrich each other in our mutual walk with God, and can use our differing skills to develop greater theological perspectives together. The Department of Theology not only aims to heighten the ministerial abilities of lay Christians, but also to encourage students to engage with their theological studies by drawing on personal experiences from social life, work, and ministry. Theology must always grow out of real life, be realized on earth, and be contextually located.
While the college, church, and society represent three different spheres of life, theology breaks through these divisions and integrates these parts of our lives. Each student of theology is a part of society, lives in society, and moves within a network of social relationships at school, work or home. In the same way, each student of theology also interacts with the church as the community of faith, perhaps as an elder or deacon, a Sunday-school teacher, or as a disciple at different stages on the long road of faith. Each student of theology, whether full-time or part-time, is by nature a seeker on the path to God’s truth and God’s kingdom. Thus in each student’s life we see the concerns of seminary, church, and society woven together. The Department of Theology offers a valuable opportunity for people to begin a deeper journey into their faith, and to discover ways that their faith will impact not only on their own lives but on the world around them.