Because of the centrality of Jesus Christ in the revelation of God, this will serve as a foundational course for the entire theological curriculum. After an introduction to Gospel literature as well as the history and practice of biblical interpretation, major portions of the Greek text of the Gospel of Matthew will be studied. Significant teachings such as the Nature of the Scriptures, Interpretation of the Old Testament, the Identity of Christ, the Kingdom of God, the Trinity and Baptism, the Apostolic Mission and Ministry, the Return of Christ, the Lord’s Supper, Jesus’ Death as Atonement and the Resurrection will be examined. Faithful interpretation of the Gospel of Matthew for preaching and teaching will be modeled in lectures and mentored in exegetical groups.

Click to hide description

As a continuation of the focus on the centrality of the revelation of God in Jesus Christ begun in Gospels I, major portions of the Greek text of the Gospel of Luke and some portions of the Greek text of the Gospel of Mark will be studied. Special attention will be given to content and teaching in these Gospels that is unique from Matthew. Faithful interpretation of the Gospel of Luke and the Gospel of Mark for preaching and teaching will be modeled in lectures and mentored in exegetical groups.
Prerequisites: Elementary Greek, Gospels I.

Click to hide description

After an introduction to the life of the Apostle Paul, major portions of the Greek text of Galatians and Romans will be studied. Important central teachings in the Greek text of Paul’s other Epistles will also be examined, such as the Person and Work of Christ, the Church, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, the End Times and Pastoral Ministry. The importance of the Apostle Paul’s teaching for the life of the church will be highlighted.

Click to hide description

After an introduction to the first five books of the Old Testament, major portions of the Hebrew text of Genesis will be studied because of its foundational role in all theology. Creation, Marriage, the Fall into Sin, the Promise of Salvation, the Presence of the Son with the Patriarchs and other biblical themes in Genesis will be examined. Commentaries, sermons, liturgies and hymnody from the history of the church that deals with Genesis will also be considered. Integration of the Genesis narratives and teachings into the life of the church today will be accented.

Click to hide description

The liturgical life of the church and the devotional life of her pastors have been shaped and influenced by the Psalter. This course approaches the study of the Psalter from an inter¬ disciplinary perspective by incorporating both exegetical and pastoral ministry concerns. Selected Psalms will be closely examined on the basis of the Hebrew text with specific attention not only to their grammatical issues but also to their theological content. The Psalms will also be examined as rich resources for the worshiping community and for the spiritual formation of ministers of the Word and Sacraments.

Click to hide description

A survey of the history of the Office of Deaconess. The course will study the origins, development and ministries of the deaconess, with special emphasis on the deaconess vocation as a ministry of mercy and care. Special attention will be given to the description and activities of the deaconess in the early church to the 19th century revival of the office under Fliedner and Loehe and to the ministry of the deaconess in the 21st century.
Required course for Deaconess certification and M.A. in Deaconess Studies students. This course will be delivered as an online course for M.A. in Deaconess Studies (Distance) students and will be noted as HITD 125 on the students’ transcripts.

Click to hide description

This course introduces the student to the study of church history and offers an introduction to the thought and life of the church through the first eight centuries of its history. Emphasis is given to the emergence of institutional, theological and ethical patterns in the light of the contemporary social, cultural and intellectual environment. The student is introduced to the thought of major fathers such as Irenaeus, Tertullian, Origen, Cyprian, Athanasius, Cyril of Alexandria, Augustine and Maximus the Confessor. Attention is given to the theological controversies and church councils of the 4th through 8th centuries. Note is taken of the transition from the patristic to the medieval periods, the rise of the Carolingian Empire, the emergence of the early papacy and early forms of monasticism.

Click to hide description

A survey of the history of the church, chiefly in the west, from the 9th to early 16th centuries (the high Middle Ages to the beginning of the Reformation). Emphasis is given to the institutional and theological development of the church in its social and intellectual context, as well as the specific manner in which the church helped shape these realities. The course introduces the student to the life and thought of significant figures such as Anselm, Bernard of Clairvaux, Peter Abelard, Albertus Magnus, Thomas Aquinas, Duns Scotus and William of Ockham; and attends to such movements as the rise of the papal monarchy, monastic reform movements, missions in the medieval church, popular piety, medieval heresies, mysticism, the Renaissance, the Avignon papacy, the rise of universities, the conciliar movement and the relationship between church and state.
Prerequisite: Church History I.

Click to hide description

This course is a survey of the theology, practice and life of the Lutheran churches in America from their 17th-century beginnings to the present time. The LCMS receives special emphasis. It introduces the student to the careers and influence of American Lutheran leaders including Henry Muhlenberg, Samuel Schmucker, Charles Porterfield Krauth, C. F. W. Walther and Franz Pieper; traces the institutional and liturgical development of American Lutheranism; and provides an opportunity to investigate and assess the various theologies represented and promulgated by the Lutheran churches of America.

Click to hide description

The first in a three-course sequence is a study of the Book of Concord, which will examine the Augsburg Confession and its Apology. Emphasis will be on the basic teachings and issues which define the theology of the Lutheran Church in its historic context.

Click to hide description

Second course in the study of the Book of Concord, which will focus on the Small and Large Catechisms, the Smalcald Articles and the Treatise. This course will show the connection between the Confessions and catechesis, providing an appreciation of Luther’s contribution to the Book of Concord.
Prerequisite: Lutheran Confessions I.

Click to hide description

The last course in the study of the Book of Concord, which will be devoted to the Formula of Concord. It will emphasize the rich heritage of mature Lutheran theology in its historical context and its application to our contemporary world.
Prerequisites: Lutheran Confessions I, Lutheran Confessions II.

Click to hide description

This course engages students in the systematic study of the biblical and theological foundations of God as mercy with particular emphasis of the embodiment of that mercy in the person of the Son, Christ Jesus. From the consideration of Christ’s mercy as bestowed through the life of the church, and its distinctive expression through the care of the deaconess toward the needy and the suffering, the student will develop connections between the theoretical and the practical.

Click to hide description

This seminar will focus on incarnational mercy. e Church, like Christ Himself, has a ministry to people in need, body and soul. Students will receive instruction in research principles and will then select a research topic on theology for mercy in e Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod today. They will conduct a major research project on this topic, focusing on the biblical principles of mercy and incorporating theological knowledge acquired from their academic study. Their research will culminate in a presentation and report.

Click to hide description

This course focuses on the Word, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper as the theological acts through which the life of the church is constituted and sustained. Using the Scriptures, historic baptismal and eucharistic liturgies, baptismal catechesis and dogmatic elaboration, this course considers the way in which Christian identity is shaped through the concrete life of the church. Thus, this course seeks to create an appreciation for the integration of all the theological disciplines—exegetical, historical, systematic and practical—in the ecclesial activities of hearing the Word, undergoing Baptism and participating in the Lord’s Supper.

Click to hide description

An introduction to the theology and practice of Lutheran liturgy. This course will acquaint the student with the biblical and confessional foundations of the Lutheran liturgy, the structure and components of the Divine Service and the daily office, and provide him with opportunity to develop skills as a servant of the liturgy.

Click to hide description

This course is a basic introduction to missions. It will lay out biblical and theological principles for pursuing the task of bringing the Gospel to the world in varying contexts. Special emphasis will be given to emerging mission challenges and opportunities for parishes and their pastors.

Click to hide description

This course will examine the biblical and confessional foundations for catechesis in the Lutheran congregation and seek to assist students in acquiring skills and developing practices that are consistent with these foundations. Special attention will be given to the content and pattern of catechesis reflected in the catechism of Martin Luther.
This course will be delivered as an online course for M.A. in Deaconess Studies students and will be noted as PMMD 233 on the students’ transcripts.

Click to hide description

The course considers the practice of biblical counsel as diakonal care as students reflect on the application of biblical wisdom by the deaconess to the faith and life of God’s people. An overview of the history and theories of secular and Christian counseling will be explored, as well as practical and ethical guidelines for care within a biblical and confessional framework. Helping and listening skills will be introduced and practiced, patterns of interpersonal dynamics identified and mercy topics of special concern to women, youth and children addressed.

Click to hide description

Theological ethics, understood from a distinctly Lutheran perspective, are contrasted with contemporary pluralistic approaches to ethics. The place of ethics is defined in relation to the doctrine of justification within a trinitarian framework. Key Lutheran themes such as the Law/Gospel distinction, two governments in relation to creation and redemption and vocation are put in conversation with current issues, especially those related to sexuality, marriage, beginning of life and end of life.

Click to hide description

Creative ways are sought to minister to the sick and shut-in members of a congregation. Age differences and illness differences are examined in some detail. The use of Law and Gospel in the sickroom under differing circumstances form the core consideration for discussion. Establishing a theological basis and drawing upon various sources develop an understanding of the dynamics of the dying and bereavement process. Diakonal application will be stressed as well as support groups and agencies (i.e., hospice) available to assist the deaconess in her ministry to the dying and bereaved.
This course will be delivered as an online course for M.A. in Deaconess Studies students and will be noted as PMMPD 568 on the students’ transcripts.
Enrollment limited to M.A. in Deaconess Studies students.

Click to hide description

Deaconess students will engage in field education concurrent with Seminary studies. Each student will be placed in a local congregation under the supervision of the pastor. This will become the student’s “home congregation” during her time at the Seminary. During the first year, students will get to know the congregation’s members and needs, while also conducting fieldwork activities in an institutional setting, such as jail ministry, rehabilitation programs, hospice, elder care, work with immigrant populations, work with Christian youth centers. Verbatim assignments and discussion will be completed and shared during the Field Education hour.
Enrollment limited to Deaconess Certification students.

Click to hide description

Deaconess students will continue to engage in field education during their second year of Seminary studies. The supervising pastor will assign fieldwork activities based on congregational need. Typical deaconess congregational field work may include shut-in home visits and/or hospital visits, women’s Bible studies and teaching children and/or youth. Verbatim assignments and discussion will be completed and shared during the Field Education hour.
Enrollment limited to Deaconess Certification students.

Click to hide description

See description of the internship program on page 50 or page 55.
Enrollment limited to Deaconess Certification and M.A. in Deaconess Studies students.

Click to hide description

The Deaconess Forum will be taken by M.A. in Deaconess Studies students after they have completed successfully all other academic requirements for their degree. The Forum will focus on helping the students to reflect on their formation as deaconesses and on assisting them to integrate the role of Deaconess into their existing jobs. It will include student-led case studies and other exercises toward evaluating individual strengths and weaknesses. Students will develop an ongoing plan for addressing their weaknesses and capitalizing on their strengths in order to improve the effectiveness of their service.

Click to hide description