Theology

As you learn through Dordt’s Theology program, you’ll grow in love and service of God and his world. You’ll also achieve biblical literacy, study church history, and develop creative ways to express the biblical message in contemporary culture.

To learn more, you can also view the program strengths and learning outcomes for this program.

You’ll leave Dordt ready for a career in ministry, service through a faith-based organization, or graduate school.

Students looking to get a degree in theology will take eight theology courses in addition to CORE 150. Students will also choose an emphasis.

• Biblical Foundations: A survey of biblical revelation in its progressive unfolding of key ideas and institutions against their cultural-historical background and within their covenant setting. Emphasis is placed on the normativity of Scripture that reaches its fullness and fulfillment in Christ for all academic work.
• Biblical Studies Methods: This course introduces interpretive approaches and practices for reading the Bible using a Reformed hermeneutical method. Students will become familiar with major resources for biblical study, interpret a variety of Old Testament and New Testament texts, and discuss the manner in which the varied contexts (e.g., social, cultural, theological) of the biblical world and contemporary readers inform exegetical study. This is a foundational course in the theology program to develop skills in biblical studies and theological writing. Open to all students seeking to develop their reading, understanding, and application of Scripture.
• Spiritual Formation: What does the Christian life of faith and discipleship look like? This course will explore the history and practice of the spiritual disciplines by studying the faith lives of important figures in the history of Christianity. The purpose of this exploration is to help students see how God is at work in the history of the church so they can begin to articulate their experience of God’s work in their own lives. This is a foundational course in the theology program. It is open to any student interested in learning more about spirituality and discipleship.
• Theological Methods: What are interpretive approaches and practices for studying theology from a Reformed perspective? In this course, themes for discussion include the doctrines of God, Christology, scripture, creation, fall, redemption, and eschatological consummation. Students will have an opportunity to study both the historical development of these theological topics, as well as their contemporary application.
• The Great Tradition: A study of the Great tradition of God’s people, that highlights the major creeds and confessions that the Church has written over the past two thousand years as it has responded to challenges and defined its understanding of the Christian faith with a view to faith today.
• Christian Ethics: What does it mean to pursue the good life and how do we so as faithful disciples of Christ? What do we owe to God, neighbor, stranger, and enemy? Answers to these questions are more difficult to come by than we might expect – or hope. We live in a world rife with sin, corruption, and moral disagreement. Even faithful Christians can arrive at profoundly different moral judgments about life in the church and the world. This course aims to equip students with theological and ethical tools that they can use to reflect critically on what it means to live faithfully in contemporary society.
• Senior Seminar: This is the capstone course for Theology majors, but it is open to minors also. This course is to help those who have studied in theology consolidate their theological education to focus on contemporary issues in the church and develop the biblical message to address contemporary life in effective public address.
• Old Testament: Pentateuch: This course will introduce students to detailed study of the content, themes, and purposes of the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy), as well as to the scholarly tools commonly used to interpret them. Students will practice close readings of portions of the Pentateuch and discuss the ways that the varied contexts in which these texts are read (e.g., canonical, theological) inform meaningful interpretation within the context of a historical-redemptive approach to scripture.
• Old Testament: Prophets: This course will introduce students to detailed study of the content, themes, and purposes of the Prophetic books (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and the Book of the Twelve), as well as to the scholarly tools commonly used to interpret them. Students will practice close readings of portions of the Prophets and discuss the ways that the varied contexts in which these texts are read (e.g., canonical, theological) inform meaningful interpretation within the context of a historical-redemptive approach to scripture.
• Old Testament: Wisdom and Writings: This course will introduce students to detailed study of the content, themes, and purposes of the Wisdom books and Writings (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Song of Songs, Ruth, Ecclesiastes, Lamentations, and Esther), as well as to the scholarly tools commonly used to interpret them. Students will practice close readings of portions of these writings and discuss the ways that the varied contexts in which these texts are read (e.g., canonical, theological) inform meaningful interpretation within the context of a historical-redemptive approach to scripture.
• Old Testament: Historical Books: This course will introduce students to detailed study of the content, themes, and purposes of the Historical Books (Joshua, Judges, 1-2 Samuel, 1-2 Kings, 1-2 Chronicles, Ezra, and Nehemiah; as well as 1-2 Maccabees), as well as to the scholarly tools commonly used to interpret them. Students will practice close readings of portions of these books and discuss the ways that the varied contexts in which these texts are read (e.g., canonical, theological) inform meaningful interpretation within the context of a historical-redemptive approach to scripture.
• New Testament: Gospels: This course will introduce students to detailed study of the content, themes, and purposes of each of the four canonical Gospels, as well as to the scholarly tools commonly used to interpret them. Students will practice close readings of portions of the Gospels and discuss the ways that the varied contexts in which these texts are read (e.g., canonical, theological) inform meaningful interpretation within the context of a historical-redemptive approach to scripture.
• New Testament: Epistles: This course will introduce students to detailed study of the content, themes, and purposes of Paul’s letters (Romans, 1-2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1-2 Thessalonians, 1-2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon) and the General Epistles (Hebrews, James, 1-2 Peter, 1-2-3 John, Jude), as well as to the scholarly tools commonly used to interpret them. Students will practice close readings of portions of the letters and discuss the ways that the varied contexts in which these texts are read (e.g., canonical, theological) inform meaningful interpretation within the context of a historical-redemptive approach to scripture.
• New Testament: Acts, Revelation: This course will introduce students to detailed study of the content, themes, and purposes of Acts and Revelation, as well as to the scholarly tools commonly used to interpret them. Students will practice close readings of portions of Acts and Revelation and discuss the ways that the varied contexts in which these texts are read (e.g., canonical, theological) inform meaningful interpretation within the context of a historical-redemptive approach to scripture.

See the course catalog for more information.