CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY MAJOR

Alexander Hall
(206) 281-2342
//www.spu.edu/depts/sot/

FACULTY:  Miriam Ann Adeney, Daniel  Castelo, Kerry  Dearborn, Robert  Drovdahl, Jeffrey F. Keuss, Sara Malmin Koenig, Douglas Michael Koskela, Eugene E Lemcio, John R Levison, Bo  Lim, David Robert Nienhuis, Delia  Nuesch-Olver, Priscilla  Pope-Levison, C Edward Smyth, Frank Anthony Spina, Richard Bruce Steele, Douglas M Strong, Robert Walter Wall

The mission of the School of Theology at Seattle Pacific University is to educate and prepare all our students to engage the culture as thoughtful people. We seek to foster their intellectual, personal, and spiritual growth, and help them master those critical skills and multicultural sensitivities needed to understand Christian faith and translate it into practices that change the world.

The School stands squarely in the Methodist heritage and our courses are shaped by our commitment to the method of theological inquiry delineated by John Wesley, the founder of that tradition. According to that method, there are four sources of Christian truth that believers must consult: the Bible (which is preeminent among the four), church tradition, human reason, and their own personal experience of the Risen Christ. These sources are understood to be correlative and mutually corrective, and the adventure of theological inquiry consists precisely in listening attentively to the distinct but compatible contributions of each. It is our expectation that students who practice this method will come to an informed, confident, and deeply “owned” Christian faith.

The School of Theology serves all SPU students through courses meeting University Foundations requirements. These requirements, described elsewhere in this Catalog, introduce students to the biblical heritage and to the distinctive doctrines and practices of various strands within the historic Christian tradition.

We offer two majors: educational ministry and Christian theology. These majors are described in detail below. Please note that although they share a common core of courses (a fact that facilitates double-majoring), each also includes an array of specialized courses suitable to its distinctive focus. We also offer five minors: Christian Scriptures; educational ministry; youth ministry; Christian Theology; and global and urban ministry. A minor in one of these areas will enrich the Christian perspective of a student’s chosen major and strengthen the connection between one’s faith and one’s life in the workplace, home, church, and world. Finally, we offer an International Service Certificate for those interested in living and working in multicultural settings.

Admission to Majors or Minors
To quality for a major in the School of Theology, students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher in all previous college credits and have attained at least a B- grade in a University Foundations course.

Christian Theology Major
Richard Steele, Contact

As the study of Christian belief and practice with the goal of fostering faithful Christian life, theology is necessarily multidisciplinary. The Christian theology major is designed to cultivate an appreciation for how Scripture, tradition, reason, and experience rightly inform theological reflection. The aim of this major within the liberal arts is to nurture those skills and capacities required of a thoughtful and articulate faith. As a result of majoring in Christian theology, the student is well prepared either for the workplace or for graduate study in the humanities or the professions. Besides enriching the student’s life with God, this major also seeks to enhance the student’s service to the church.

Requirements for the Christian Theology Major

Note: The requirements for the major are in addition to meeting the Foundations requirements.

Requirements for the Christian Theology Minor

The Christian Theology Minor is intended for the student who

wants to approach his or her major discipline from a perspective

richly informed by the heritage of Christian thought and practice. As

such, the student is given as much leeway as possible in course

selection, within the general parameters established by the School

of Theology for balanced and responsible theological inquiry.

9 -10 credits of electives are required. 

You may select any two additional 5-credit courses from those listed in the requirements or from the courses listed below:

THEO 3110 Torah/Pentateuch (5)

THEO 3120 The Former Prophets (5)

THEO 3130 Word as Witness: Israel’s Prophets (5)

THEO 3140 Biblical Wisdom (5)

THEO 3210 Four Gospels and One Jesus (5)

THEO 3220 Faith and Works: New Testament Letters (5)

THEO 3240 The Book of Revelation (5)

THEO 3601 Multiethnic Ministry (GUM) (3)

THEO 3710 Human Development and Christian Faith (5)

THEO 4000 From the Old Testament to the New (5)

THEO 4290 Biblical Theology (5)

THEO 4602 Issues in Latin American Christianity (GUM) (3)

THEO 4603 Issues in Asian/African Christianity (GUM) (3)

THEO 4610 World Religions (GUM) (3)

THEO 4900 Independent Study (4)

PHI 3900 Advanced Philosophy of Religion (5)

PSY 4402 Psychology of Religion (5)

SOC 4820 Sociology of Religion (5)

SOC 4910 Seminar: Sociology of the First Century Church (3)

SOC 4910 Seminar: Sociology of the New Testament (3)

TRE 4899 The Arts and Religious Experience (5)

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