Concentration in Public Theology

The Concentration in Public Theology educates students in the analytic frameworks, critical perspectives, practices, skills and practical theological patterns of reflection necessary for involvement in diverse public spaces, from contemporary churches to community organizations.

For students who feel called to connect theology to public spaces, a Concentration in Public Theology will help them fulfill their vocational commitments to the publics they serve. This concentration will offer them courses to refine how they think about their own public engagement and provide space for fellowship among a cohort of other students pursuing wider public engagement within their ministries.

Coordinator: Dr. Mark Taylor

The Concentration in Public Theology will:

1. Consist of at least nine credits of academic work;
2. Be led by at least one faculty member who will suggest approval of concentration courses and create opportunities for fellowship among concentration students;
3. Demonstrate regularly that the concentrations can be viably completed by a significant number of students;
4. Be regularly reviewed and assessed by the Faculty Executive Committee (FEC) tasked with oversight of the curriculum.

The Concentration in Public Theology will empower students to:

1. Study the recent global development of contextual and inter-contextual public theologies and the growing agreements and conflicts about their methodologies
2. Critically discuss historical and contemporary theological developments, figures, positions and documents on the public role of the church
3. Reflect together critically on potential implications of Christian faith, tradition and doctrine in societies and the world
4. Consider together critically the potential consequences of ecclesial social forms and practices like worship and discipleship for public life
5. Analyze together and attempt to understand the forms and structures of public life today, in different societies and in our globalizing world
6. Discern together major contemporary challenges to the ecumenical church in our globalizing world
7. Evaluate together the responses of the ecumenical church to controversial contemporary issues in public opinion-formation

A Public Theology Concentration will be certified for students who fulfill the following coursework requirements:

1. One course in Constructive Theology/Ethics area, for example THET 3340 Reformed Theology and Public Life (3credits)
2. Additional courses from the approved list (total of 6 credits)

Current courses across departments that count toward the Concentration in Public Theology: