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Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary is rooted
in the time-honored mission of equipping men and women for effective service
in a wide range of ministerial and academic vocations. The Seminary is committed
to “the
abiding truth of God’s written word and the centrality of Christ’s
saving work,” and has held these core convictions as the foundational
truths that have held us in good stead in the past, and serve as unshakeable
markers as we set the course for the future. The following degree program goals
continue to guide us as we chart our course for the future, staying faithful
to the biblical principles and convictions that have marked the life and vision
for the institution for nearly 125 years.
Master of Divinity
ATS Goals
- Religious Heritage: The program shall provide structured
opportunity to develop a comprehensive and discriminating understanding of
the religious heritage.
- Cultural Context: The program shall provide opportunity
to develop an understanding of the cultural realities and structures within
which the church lives and carries out its mission.
- Personal and Spiritual
Formation: The program shall
provide opportunities through which the student may grow in personal faith,
emotional maturity, moral integrity, and public witness. Ministerial
preparation includes concern with the development of capacities—intellectual
and affective, individual and corporate, ecclesial and public—that are
requisite to a life of pastoral leadership.
- Capacity for Ministerial and Public
Leadership: The program shall provide theological reflection on and education
for the practice of ministry. These
activities should cultivate the capacity for leadership in both ecclesial and
public contexts.
Master of Divinity Goals
- To gain competency with the biblical languages
in order to develop exegetical and hermeneutical skills using the Hebrew
text of the Old Testament and the Greek text of the New Testament (1)
- To
understand the basic content and themes of the Old and New Testaments in
their historical and cultural settings, (1) as well as the historical and
theological dimensions of the Christian faith (2)
- To expound and proclaim
effectively the biblical message of redemption (3)
- To develop skills appropriate
for church leadership as a pastor, teacher, counselor, evangelist, chaplain,
church planter, missionary or other role as a leader (3)
- To foster love
for God and his word and therefore to cultivate the practices of spiritual
maturity and Christ-like character, and to understand the Christian’s
ethical responsibility in church and society (4, 5)
- To acquire a biblical
perspective and Christian worldview on the forces in our culture and to
learn to engage those as they are at work both outside and inside the life
of the church (5)
- To develop a global vision for the Christian faith
so as to foster an appreciation and commitment to the worldwide proclamation
of the gospel (6)
- To cultivate an appreciation for and a commitment
to the personal and community sharing of the gospel (6)
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Master of Arts Professional
ATS Goals
- Religious Heritage: The program shall provide instruction
in the religious heritage, including Scripture, theology and history of the
tradition.
- Cultural Context: The program shall provide instructional
settings and opportunities for students to gain understanding of the context
and specialization in the broader range of ministerial practice and the purposes
of the church, and to develop appropriate understanding of the broader social
context in which the specialized ministry is performed.
- Personal and Spiritual
Formation: The program shall provide opportunities through which students
grow in personal faith, emotional maturity, moral integrity and public
witness.
- Specialization: The program shall provide structured opportunities
for students to gain understanding and skill in practice related to the areas
of specialization, to acquire the capacity to design and maintain effective
practices and programs in the areas of the specialty, and to develop skill
in assessing the efforts and contributions of the specialized ministry.
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Master of Arts in Counseling/Master of Arts in Christian Counseling
Goals
- To understand the basic content and themes of the
Old and New Testaments in their historical and cultural settings, (1) as
well as the historical and theological dimensions of the Christian faith
(2)
- To demonstrate academic excellence in the ability to
communicate effectively materials from the study of psychology and the biblical,
historical and theological disciplines (2)
- To integrate psychological theory
with biblical truth so that the knowledge and skills learned in studies
and practice will be realized in professional application (3)
- To evidence
a commitment to the authority of Scripture in personal and community relationships,
as well as a personal commitment to spiritual formation (1,4)
- To foster
love for God and his word and therefore to cultivate the practices of spiritual
maturity and Christ-like character, and to understand the Christian’s
ethical responsibility in church and society (4, 5)
- To gain experience in
an understanding of cultural backgrounds toward effective expression of
biblical truth, with the goal of ministering to Christians and to those who
are not Christian believers (5)
- To demonstrate an awareness of national, racial,
ethnic and cultural factors that impinge upon the teaching and modeling
of biblical truth, and to develop the capacity for a critical evaluation
of important cultural changes within the discipline of counseling (6)
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Master of Arts in Missions and Evangelism Goals
- To understand the basic content and themes of the
Old and New Testaments in their historical and cultural settings, (1) as
well as the historical and theological dimensions of the Christian faith
(2)
- To become familiar with the basic contours of the history
of Christian missions (2)
- To experience a field-specific, cross-cultural mission
internship so as to develop the skills and a deep commitment to the worldwide
communication of the gospel in strategic partnership with the global church
(3, 6)
- To foster love for God and his word and therefore to
cultivate the practices of spiritual maturity and Christ-like character,
and to understand the Christian’s ethical responsibility in church
and society (4, 5)
- To appreciate and be sensitive to the cultural, religious
and social contexts of the peoples of the world and develop appropriate strategies
for communicating the gospel into those contexts, with a special emphasis
on those who currently have no access to the gospel or where the church is
not yet viable (5, 6)
- To engage in biblical and theological reflections which
are particularly essential for effective cross-cultural ministries (6)
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Master of Arts in Urban Ministry Goals
- To gain an understanding of the basic content
and themes of the Old and New Testaments in their historical and cultural
settings, (1) as well as the historical and theological dimensions of the
Christian faith (2)
- To become familiar with the basic contours of Christian
history, theology and mission in the urban context (2)
- To evidence a commitment
to the authority of Scripture in personal and community relationships,
as well as a personal commitment to spiritual formation (1,4)
- To foster love
for God and his word and therefore to cultivate the practices of spiritual
maturity and Christ-like character, and to understand the Christian’s
ethical responsibility in church and society (4, 5)
- To gain experience in
an understanding of cultural backgrounds that will enable the student to
express biblical truth effectively in a contextually relevant and sensitive
way, with the goal of ministering to both Christians and those who are
not Christian believers (5)
- To develop theological—ethical reflections,
social analysis and types of actions for ministry in complex urban settings
(6)
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Master of Arts in Youth Ministry Goals
- To understand the basic content and themes of
the Old and New Testaments in their historical and cultural settings, as
well as the historical and theological dimensions of the Christian faith
(1, 2)
- To become familiar with the basic contours of Christian
history, theology and mission in the urban context (2)
- To gain an understanding
of and become skilled in the dynamics of youth ministry in a multicultural,
multiethnic environment (3)
- To evidence a commitment to the authority of
Scripture in personal and community relationships, as well as a personal
commitment to spiritual formation (1,4)
- To foster love for God and his word
and therefore to cultivate the practices of spiritual maturity and Christ-like
character, and to understand the Christian’s ethical responsibility
in church and society (4, 5)
- To gain experience in an understanding of cultural
backgrounds that will enable the student to express biblical truth effectively
in a contextually relevant and sensitive way, with the goal of ministering
to both Christians and those who are not Christian believers (5)
- To gain an
understanding of contemporary urban youth culture (6)
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Master of Arts in Educational Ministries
ATS Goals
- Religious Heritage: The program shall provide instruction
in the religious heritage, including Scripture, theology and history of the
tradition, and other appropriate areas of study.
- Cultural Context: The program
shall provide instructional settings and opportunities for students to
gain understanding of the context of teaching and learning in congregational
life; to develop the capacity to design and maintain educational programming
that is sensitive to developmental, family, and cultural influences on children,
youth, and adults; and to develop skill in assessing and relating to the
cultural contexts in which congregations serve.
- Personal and Spiritual Formation:
The program shall provide opportunities through which students grow in
personal faith, emotional maturity, moral integrity and public witness.
- Educational
Practice: The program shall provide structured opportunities for students
to gain skill in understanding the practice of educational areas of study,
including history and philosophy of education, teaching and learning, administration,
and the behavioral and social sciences. The
program shall also provide students with supervised experiences in educational
ministry.
Master of Arts in Educational Ministries Goals
- To understand the basic content and themes of the
Old and New Testaments in their historical and cultural settings (1) as well
as the historical and theological dimensions of the Christian faith (2)
- To
demonstrate the ability to faithfully and effectively teach the Bible in
culturally relevant and appropriate ways (1, 3)
- To foster love for God and
his word and therefore to cultivate the practices of spiritual maturity and
Christ-like character, and to understand the Christian’s ethical responsibility
in church and society (4, 5)
- To acquire a biblical perspective and Christian
worldview on cultural influences and to learn to engage those as they are
at work both outside and inside the life of the church (5)
- To gain exposure
to and significant personal experience in life in and among peoples of cultural
backgrounds other than their own—both
Christian and non-Christian (6)
- To faithfully and effectively present biblical
truth, in both evangelistic and educational terms, to those who are not
Christian believers (6)
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Master of Arts Academic
ATS Goals
- Depending on the goals of the specific degree, the program
of study shall include exposure to the broad range of theological disciplines
or to the focused study of a theological discipline in depth and in the context
of the broader theological disciplines.
- In addition to course work, these
degrees should require a concluding exercise that allows for a summative
evaluation; this exercise may be a thesis in the area of concentration, a
comprehensive examination, or another summative process of evaluation.
Master of Arts in Religion Goals
- To understand the basic content and themes of the
Old and New Testaments in their historical and cultural settings (1) as well
as the historical and theological dimensions of the Christian faith (2)
- To
be exposed to a rigorous study and practice of theology in its various
disciplines through diverse faculty voices (2)
- To demonstrate integration
through a cumulative educational experience that embraces both academic
preparation and life experiences (2)
- To foster passionate commitment to ministry
through individualized and flexible course of study and faculty involvement
(3)
- To foster love for God and his word and therefore to
cultivate the practices of spiritual maturity and Christ-like character,
and to understand the Christian’s ethical responsibility in church
and society (4, 5)
- To acquire a biblical perspective and Christian
worldview on the forces in our culture and to learn to engage those as they
are at work both outside and inside the life of the church (5)
- To develop
a global vision for the Christian church (6)
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Master
of Arts in Theological Studies (Christian Leadership) Goals
- To understand the basic content and themes of the
Old and New Testaments in their historical and cultural settings (1) as well
as the historical and theological dimensions of the Christian faith (2)
- To
engage in theological reflection on the meaning, purpose, and function
of leadership within the body of Christ and in the world at large (2)
- To manifest
an awareness of key concepts and interdisciplinary research in the field
of Christian leadership (2)
- To master the core principles, skills and perspectives
of the effective servant leader within the church through a program of mentored
ministry (3)
- To foster love for God and his word and therefore to
cultivate the practices of spiritual maturity and Christ-like character,
and to understand the Christian’s ethical responsibility in church
and society (4, 5)
- To reflect critically upon cultural events and themes
that shape worldviews in order to offer to the church relevant models of
leadership and to offer society at large biblically-based alternative perspectives
to conventional understandings of the world (5)
- To establish the relationship
between effective Christian leadership and a burden for reaching the entire
world with the message of the gospel and the joy and peace derived from
Christian discipleship (6)
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Master of Arts in Theology Goals
- To understand the basic content and themes of the
Old and New Testaments in their historical and cultural settings (1) as well
as the historical and theological dimensions of the Christian faith (2)
- To
develop competence in a biblical or research language in order to develop
exegetical skills (1)
- To develop skills of theological analysis and argument
appropriate to the breadth of theological claims of Christianity (2)
- To understand
important periods of theological reflection and confession in church history,
including the contemporary setting (2, 5)
- To develop aptitudes for living
and speaking the gospel in the context of the Christian community so that
individually and corporately the depth of Christian conviction can be applied
in the ordinary practices of life (3)
- To foster love for God and his word
and therefore to cultivate the practices of spiritual maturity and Christ-like
character, and to understand the Christian’s ethical responsibility
in church and society (4, 5)
- To understand the ethical and missiological dimensions
of the Christian faith in its global context (6)
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Master of Arts in Church History Goals
- To understand the basic content and themes of the
Old and New Testaments in their historical and cultural settings (1) as well
as the historical and theological dimensions of the Christian faith (2)
- To
understand important persons, events, movements, institutions and ideas
in the early, medieval, reformation and modern periods of church history
(2)
- To develop skills for historical research and writing,
as well as an awareness of important bibliographic resources in the discipline,
including competence in a biblical or research language (2)
- To foster love
for God and his word and therefore to cultivate the practices of spiritual
maturity and Christ-like character, and to understand the Christian’s
ethical responsibility in church and society (4, 5)
- To understand and appreciate
the rich heritage of the Church’s global history in order to be able
to interact more biblically and effectively with our contemporary world (5,
6)
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Master of Arts
in Biblical Languages Goals
- To understand the basic content and themes of the
Old and New Testaments in their historical and cultural settings (1) as well
as the historical and theological dimensions of the Christian faith (2)
- To
gain an intermediate competency with biblical Hebrew and Greek in order
to develop exegetical and hermeneutical skills using the original languages,
and also to acquire competency in ancient languages other than Hebrew and
Greek (1, 2)
- In keeping with the highest tradition of Christian scholarship,
to develop advanced skills for biblical research and writing, using original
languages, and to develop an awareness of important bibliographic resources (2)
- To
foster love for God and his word and therefore to cultivate the practices
of spiritual maturity and Christ-like character, and to understand the Christian’s
ethical responsibility in church and society (4, 5)
- To acquire a biblical
perspective and Christian worldview on the forces in our culture and to
learn to engage those as they are at work both outside and inside the life
of the church (5)
- To understand the historical and theological development
of the Christian faith in order to integrate this faith with global ethical
and missiological issues (6)
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Master of Arts in
New Testament Goals
- To develop an intermediate understanding of the content
and themes of the Old and New Testaments in their historical and cultural
settings (1)
- To understand the basic historical and theological
dimensions of the Christian faith (2)
- To gain an intermediate competency with
biblical Greek in order to develop exegetical and hermeneutical skills
using the original languages (1, 2)
- In keeping with the highest tradition
of Christian scholarship, to develop advanced skills for biblical research
and writing, using original languages, and awareness of important bibliographic
resources (2)
- To foster love for God and his word and therefore to
cultivate the practices of spiritual maturity and Christ-like character,
and to understand the Christian’s ethical responsibility in church
and society (4, 5)
- To acquire a biblical perspective and Christian
worldview on the forces in our culture and to learn to engage those as they
are at work both outside and inside the life of the church (5)
- To understand
the historical and theological development of the Christian faith in order
to integrate this faith with global ethical and missiological issues (6)
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Master of Arts in Old Testament Goals
- To develop an intermediate understanding of the content
and themes of the Old and New Testaments in their historical and cultural
settings (1)
- To understand the basic historical and theological
dimensions of the Christian faith (2)
- To gain an intermediate competency with
biblical Hebrew in
order to develop exegetical and hermeneutical skills using the original languages
(1, 2)
- In keeping with the highest tradition of Christian scholarship,
to develop advanced skills for biblical research and writing, using original
languages, and awareness of important bibliographic resources (2)
- To foster
love for God and his word and therefore to cultivate the practices of spiritual
maturity and Christ-like character, and to understand the Christian’s
ethical responsibility in church and society (4, 5)
- To acquire a biblical
perspective and Christian worldview on the forces in our culture and to
learn to engage those as they are at work both outside and inside the life
of the church (5)
- To understand the historical and theological development
of the Christian faith in order to integrate this faith with global ethical
and missiological issues (6)
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Doctor of Ministry
ATS Goals
- The goals an institution adopts for the D.Min. should
include an advanced understanding of the nature and purpose of ministry,
enhanced competencies in pastoral analysis and ministerial skills, the integration
of these dimensions into the theologically reflective practice of ministry,
new knowledge about the practice of ministry, and continued growth in spiritual
maturity.
- Programs may be designed to advance the general practice of
ministry in its many forms or to advance expertise in a specialized area
of ministerial practice.
Doctor of Ministry Goals
- To resource students through a biblically-grounded educational
program taught by faculty who are committed to God’s Word and the application
of principles of Scripture to the issues of contemporary culture (1)
- To form
in students a sound foundation of theological and biblical inquiry in their
professional doctoral program’s specialized
track that they are able to integrate into the life of Christian ministry (2)
- To
provide students with the skill set and understandings in a specialized
area of ministry to such an extent that they can impact their congregation
or community more powerfully for God (3)
- To create through the cohort model
of the program a dimension of Christian community and spiritual nurturing
so that students form strong friendships with one another and enter long-term
mentoring relationships with the scholars who guide the learning experience
(4)
- To develop in students a deeper understanding of Christ’s
lordship in all areas of life for the common good of the contemporary world
(5)
- To cultivate within students through critical reflection
and careful research through the residencies and projects an enriched Christian
witness in the places of society they are called to serve (5)
- To instill
in students a refreshed view of their ministry as it relates to the proclamation
of the Gospel among all peoples (6)
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Master of Theology
ATS Goals
- The primary goals an institution adopts for these programs should include
an advanced understanding of a focused area or discipline in the context
of general theological study, capacity to use research methods and resources
in the discipline, and the ability to formulate productive questions.
Master of Theology Goals
- To gain greater competency and skill in an area of specialization by employing
the most valuable research methods and resources for the specialized area
of study with rigor and excellence in keeping with the highest tradition
of Christian scholarship and to gain the capacity to formulate productive
questions for further investigation (1)
- To build upon the strengths of the
M.Div. program by sharpening skills in biblical exegesis and knowledge and
understanding of God’s
inerrant Word, as it applies to the area of specialization (1)
- To carry out
the specialized studies within the highest tradition of Christian scholarship
with rigor and excellence (2)
- To engage with contemporary issues in
the area of specialization from the framework of a biblical worldview (5)
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