Reformed Focus

Reformed Theology and Worship
This course introduces the commitments, shape, history, and contexts of Reformed theology through the lens of worship. Where—past and present—do we find Reformed communities; what is the shape of their worship life; and what do these patterns tell us about the commitments of Reformed theology? 
 
Research Methods Seminar
This course explores the research methods necessary for the academic program. As part of the course, students will have an opportunity to explore a research question that might become the basis for a doctor of ministry project.   
 
Divine and Human Agency
Reformed theology has always emphasized the ways creaturely actions are embedded in divine presence and work. God’s sovereignty, providence, and election are said to carry and shape our lives. This course explores the ways Reformed traditions have conceptualized the interaction between divine and human agency and the impact these ways of thinking could or should have on the life and spirituality of Reformed communities. 

Science and Christian Faith
Building upon the previous course, this one explores how Reformed concepts of divine agency may be integrated with, enriched by, or called into question by contemporary insights from the sciences. How are Reformed traditions situated to engage the often-perceived tensions between science and Christian faith?

Reformed Ecclesiology and Ecumenism
Reformed theology has always been deeply invested in the importance of the church, its common life, and its visible unity. Reformed theologians have been at the forefront of the ecumenical movement. North American and Western European contexts have nonetheless produced different forms of Reformed church life, and the ecumenical movement is largely faltering. This course will explore what contributions Reformed ecclesiology may still make in the great transitions 21st century Christian communities experience in the Western world.

Reformed Theology and Religious Pluralism
Our society is both fascinated and troubled by the expressions of religious pluralism that are all around us. The relationship between traditionally Christian societies and Islam is a real life issue both in North America and Western Europe. Our communities encounter expressions of other religious faiths on an almost daily basis. This course explores what resources Reformed traditions have to engage in these encounters faithfully. 

Being Church in a Volatile Political Climate 
Both the United States and Great Britain have experienced an unstable political environment in recent years, with the rise of populist voices, high levels of partisanship, and radical polarization between different groups. This course will explore how the church can be faithfully present in this volatile context. Reformed theology tends to foster a strong engagement with culture; what resources do Reformed traditions have to engage contemporary political challenges?

Being Church in a Post-Christian World
In both the Western European and North American context, there are churches who have rediscovered the notion of the missio dei, the mission of God. Theologians rooted in the Reformed tradition have been deeply involved in these conversations. At the same time, in both contexts for significant amounts of people the Christian faith, and any religious conviction, is increasingly implausible. This course explores the ways in which theologians and practitioners are engaging the challenge of being church in a post-Christian world.

Theology in Context 
Theological reflection is shaped by contexts large and small. As students come to the end of the arc of the Reformed Theology Focus, this course will sample how writings from within the Reformed tradition have interacted with particular local forces. Students can use this course to hone in on the ways their own project topic is rooted in a particular local context, with history, traditions, and ways of interpreting and communicating the gospel. 

Reformed Focus Proposal Lab 
In this course students create an initial draft of their project and work together to hone and improve one another’s project plans. 

Reformed Focus Final Project
This course requires satisfactory completion of a doctoral project and paper, which must demonstrate the candidate’s ability to identify a problem, issue, or concern in their own ministry, integrate appropriate theological, biblical, and professional resources, and develop a method for resolution. The doctoral project/paper must reflect depth of theological insight and its positive integration with the practice of ministry. (6 credits)