Master’s Level Courses

Day: 4 Mondays: 8/31, 10/5, 11/2, 11/30

Time: 9AM – 5PM

Location: Due West & Online

Format: live video conference only

Course Description:

In this course students study American religious traditions from colonial times to the present. The stress is on the historical development of the general religious motifs and particular denominational expressions of American religious development. Elective. Three hours.

Distinguished Professor of Church History Emeritus

Day: Thursday

Time: 6PM – 9PM

Location: Due West & Online

Format: in-person and live video conference for distance students

Course Description:

This course teaches the basics of New Testament (Koine) Greek grammar. This course prepares students to read and interpret the Greek New Testament through a mastery of vocabulary, morphology, and syntax. Students taking the biblical languages must complete this course and GK 502 prior to taking their Greek exegesis course. Three hours.

Assistant Professor of Biblical & Theological Studies

Day: Week long intensive: Sept. 28–Oct. 2, 2026

Time: 9AM – 5PM

Location: Due West & Online

Format: in-person and live video conference for distance students

Course Description:

This course studies the growth of Christianity from its origins in the Roman Empire in the first century to its spread around the world into the twenty-first century. The course will highlight major events, persons, and issues in missions. Using a biblical and theological framework, the course examines the methods employed to propagate the Christian faith in various historical, cultural, and social contexts. Elective. Three hours.

Associate Professor of Historical and Pastoral Theology | Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program

Day: Tuesday

Time: 6PM – 9PM

Location: Columbia & Online

Format: in-person and live video conference for distance students

Course Description:

This course introduces the student to the principles and practice of exegesis of the Old and New Testaments and surveys the history of the texts and translations of the Bible, as well as the ways the Old and New Testaments have been interpreted by the Church. Passages for exegetical practice are selected from both Testaments. Required during the first year of study for MDiv and MATS students. This course is a prerequisite for all exegesis-credit courses. Three hours.

Research Professor of Old Testament

Day: 4 Saturdays: 8/29, 9/26, 10/24, 11/14

Time: 9:00AM – 5:00PM

Location: Columbia and Online

Format: in-person and live video conference for distance students

Course Description:

The aim of this course is to understand the message of the first canonical gospel by addressing the following issues: origin and purpose of Matthew, history of Matthean interpretation, structure of Matthew, theology of Matthew, and preaching and teaching Matthew. The format includes lectures, classroom discussion, and exegesis of selected texts. Prerequisite: Students must have successfully completed BI 502 Principles of Exegesis prior to taking this class. Exegesis/Elective. Three hours.

The First Presbyterian Church – John R. de Witt Chair of Theology | Associate Dean for Erskine Columbia

Day: Monday

Time: 6PM – 9PM

Location: Columbia & Online

Format: in-person and live video conference for distance students

Course Description:

This course begins a systematic presentation of the Christian faith. Using biblical constructs, historical developments, and confessional statements, students explore introduction to Systematic Theology (including concepts, methodology, and systems) and the doctrines of revelation and Scripture. Required for MDiv and MATS students. Three hours.

Associate Professor of Systematic Theology

Day: 4 Mondays: 8/24, 9/21, 10/26, 11/23

Time: 9AM – 5PM

Location: Columbia & Online

Format: in-person and live video conference for distance students

Course Description:

Using biblical and theological resources, this course seeks to strengthen the student’s commitment to and service in the local church. Of particular interest are contemporary expressions of Church, including the emerging church and the missional church, the attributes and marks of the Church, the priesthood of all believers, the relationship of preaching and the sacraments, the Church as Christian community, and the legitimate role of Church polity. Elective. Three hours.

The First Presbyterian Church – John R. de Witt Chair of Theology | Associate Dean for Erskine Columbia

Day: 4 Saturdays: 8/22, 9/19, 10/17, 11/7

Time: 9AM – 5PM

Location: Greenville & Online

Format: in-person and live video conference for distance students

Course Description:

This course explores the Christian imagination through the literary, philosophical, and theological writings of C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien. Organized around four major themes—moral order, myth and imagination, the medieval cosmos, and the problem of suffering—it examines how both authors responded to modernity by recovering a vision of reality grounded in truth, meaning, and divine purpose. Through key texts, students will compare Lewis’s explicit Christian apologetics with Tolkien’s mythic storytelling and will gain a deeper understanding of how both writers sought to reawaken the moral and spiritual imagination in a disenchanted world. Elective. Three hours.

Research Professor of Historical and Pastoral Theology

Associate Professor of Historical and Pastoral Theology | Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program

Location: Online

Format: asynchronous with weekly or biweekly live video conference sessions required

Course Description:

This survey course traces the development of the Christian Church, from the end of the apostolic period to the division between East and West and the development of the Western Church up to the 15th century Renaissance. Students examine the changing relation between Church and empire, the development of Christian doctrine, the rise of the papacy, and the variety of patterns of Christian spirituality. Required for MDiv and MATS students. Three hours.

Associate Professor of Historical and Pastoral Theology | Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program

Location: Online

Format: asynchronous with weekly or biweekly live video conference sessions required

Course Description:

The course explores the background, literary art, theological teaching, and contemporary message of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Acts. Attention is given to the canonical significance of these writings and to their value for ministry. Required for MDiv, MAPM, and MATS students. Three hours.

Associate Professor of New Testament | Director of the MATS, Th.M., and M.Div. Programs

Location: Online

Format: asynchronous with weekly or biweekly live video conference sessions required

Course Description:

This course traces the history and examines the literature of the Israelite people from the division of the kingdom through the development of Judaism. In this course, the Hebrew poetic and wisdom literature of the Old Testament is studied along with such other topics as the content, interpretation, and the unity of the Old Testament. Prerequisites: Students should complete OT 501 Old Testament I prior to taking this course. Required for MDiv, MAPM, and MATS students. Three hours.

Professor of Old Testament

Day: 4 Mondays: 9/14, 10/19, 11/16, 12/7

Time: 9AM – 5PM

Location: Online

Format: live video conference only

Course Description:

This course briefly surveys the genre of apocalyptic literature and considers in detail the history, composition, and theological message of the book of Daniel. The implications of Daniel for practical ministry and for an understanding of people and society are emphasized. The intimate connection between Daniel and the Gospel is explored. Prerequisite: Students must have successfully completed BI 502 Principles of Exegesis prior to taking this class. Exegesis/Elective. Three hours.

Professor of Old Testament

Location: Online

Format: asynchronous with biweekly video conference sessions required

Course Description:

This course introduces students to God’s great purpose for the world and our calling to serve that purpose in discipleship for the Church, family, and community. Emphasis is placed upon growing in the grace of God and discerning one’s gifts and calling within the service of God. Additionally, the course will address the foundations of theological research and writing, providing training in the ETS Style Manual. All master’s-level students must complete this course in one of their first two semesters of enrollment. Three hours.

Dean of the Seminary | Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology and Educational Leadership

Research Professor of Theological Writing and Research

Location: Online

Format: asynchronous with biweekly video conference sessions required

Course Description:

This course is a study of the nature and practice of evangelism in the Christian Church. Attention is given to the biblical basis of evangelism, the theology and historical development of evangelism, spiritual development principles in evangelism, and methods of developing evangelism as a part of the mission of the Church. Required for MDiv students. Three hours.

Research Professor of Apologetics

Day: 4 Saturdays: 9/12, 10/3, 10/31, 11/21

Time: 9AM – 5PM

Location: Online

Format: live video conference only

Course Description:

This course is an introduction to pastoral care and counseling with a focus on the problems usually experienced by Church leaders in the local congregation (death, aging, grief, sickness, family tensions, etc.). A variety of theories and methods are examined. The goals of the course include personal growth and the development of counseling skills. Required for MDiv students. Three hours.

Adjunct Professor of Pastoral Ministry

Day: Tuesday

Time: 6PM – 9PM

Location: Online

Format: live video conference only

Course Description:

The course considers theories of adolescence, the history of youth work in the Church, contemporary youth experience, and models of programs and patterns which offer possibilities for the Church in its youth ministry. Elective. Three hours.

Adjunct Professor of Pastoral and Youth Ministry

Location: Online

Format: asynchronous with some live video conference sessions required

Course Description:

This course offers students the opportunity to work in a structured ministry setting with an approved supervisor. The focus of the learning centers on the student’s own learning goals which the student designs with emphasis on spiritual formation, theology, and ministry practice. The classroom sessions help the student integrate theory and practice of ministry by the use of case studies, group interaction, and peer feedback. The instructor must approve the field supervisor and ministry setting prior to registration. The ministry setting must be in a church or religious agency that will support the student’s growth for leadership in ministry. This field experience must include 130 hours of ministry over the span of at least 13 weeks, with a minimum of one hour per week of direct supervision by the field supervisor. Prerequisites: PM 502 Christian Vocation and Transformation and at least 24 hours of coursework. PM 774 Clinical Pastoral Education I may be substituted for PM 705. Required for MDiv and MAPM students. Three hours.

Adjunct Professor of Historical and Pastoral Theology

Day: Tuesday

Time: 6PM – 9PM

Location: Online

Format: live video conference only

Course Description:

This course introduces students to challenges and strategies involved in church planting and church renewal, and considers biblical, spiritual, structural, and sociological factors that impact healthy church development. Students think critically about the typical life cycle of a congregation and the relationship of renewal to that life cycle. In addition, students develop skills in church planting and renewal. This course may be taken to meet the Missions/Contextualization course requirement. Elective. Three hours.

Adjunct Professor of Church Planting

Day: Thursday

Time: 6PM – 9PM

Location: Online

Format: live video conference only

Course Description:

In this introductory course for the preparation and delivery of sermons, students will draw on their work in exegesis, history, and systematic theology. Students will be instructed in the classical expository model that roots sermons in the biblical text, proclaims the good news of the gospel, and calls listeners to an obedient response to God’s Word. Students will learn how preaching remains at the heart of pastoral ministry as a means of grace. Prerequisites: Students should satisfy the Bible competence requirement and complete BI 502 Principles of Exegesis before taking this course. Required for MDiv students; elective for MAPM and MATS students. Three hours. Prerequisites: Students should satisfy the Bible competence requirement and complete BI 502 Principles of Exegesis before taking this course. Required for MDiv students; elective for others. Three hours.

Associate Vice President for External Relations | Adjunct Professor of Pastoral Ministry