Christian Ministry - MA/PGDip

• You will reflect upon your experience acquired as a practitioner of Christian mission and ministry, in a structured and rigorous manner.
• You will generate new knowledge and insights through original research into ministry and mission in the contemporary world.
• The course will develop your expertise and capacity to think theologically and strategically about concrete issues confronting Christian ministry and mission today.

Summary

This MA is designed for lay and ordained Christians with significant experience of working (paid or volunteer) in churches, mission agencies or not-for-profit organisations (faith-based or secular), enabling you to engage theologically and strategically with the contemporary world.

The course will provide you with the opportunity to integrate biblical, theological and empirical studies in the context of Christian spirituality. The aim is to engage faithfully and practically with existing and emerging challenges to Christian ministry and mission in the twenty-first century.

Students on this course become highly learned and educated professionals capable of providing intellectual leadership in, and adapting to the needs of, contemporary churches. You will have the opportunity to develop an understanding of the contribution that theological and biblical studies can make to the effective provision of Christian ministry in the community, and be equipped with the knowledge and critical skills to bring advanced academic expertise to professional work in church and ministerial practice.

The course will provide you with an integrated framework for theology and biblical studies in the context of Christian ministry and mission, which you can use to transform your ministerial practice. You will also develop the critical faculties of analytic and research skills, to enable you to create and interpret new knowledge in theological and ministerial studies, and extend the reach of the discipline in society.

Our networks with other local universities and places of learning will give you regular access to a range of extra-curricular seminars and other educational events relevant to the study of Christian ministry. The University’s proximity to the centre of London with its rich religious history, its diverse religious communities, and its many museums, art galleries, libraries and places of worship, makes it an ideal venue for those who are interested in exploring the histories, interactions and influences of religious communities in contemporary culture as part of their studies.

Content

You will first of all reflect theologically and strategically on the character, nature, purpose, and practice of Christian ministry in church and society. You will be equipped to research the practices of ministry and mission, through study of key Missiological texts.

You will study ministry across a range of denominations and traditions including Pentecostal, Charismatic, Methodist, Anglican, Baptist and Catholic. You will explore and evaluate the language, secular/sacred ideas, rituals and cultural norms that nourish spiritualities, ministerial formation, and ministry practice within different historical and cultural contexts. In particular, you will examine how forms of Christian worship, such as prayer, scriptural readings and sacraments, influence conduct, moral behaviour and patterns of life, in order to develop your ministerial abilities within different political, social and economic environments.

You will also be able to take modules which look at the theological ideas from both classical and modern periods, which are of greatest relevance to church ministry and mission in the contemporary world. Using this theoretical grounding, you can pursue your interest in practical areas of ministry such as marriage and family life, or community work. In these complex and demanding areas, the Christian minister and theologian are faced with new challenges. These modules will give students the historical and academic understanding to be able to offer fresh Christian perspectives, and encourage you to develop your own responses.

There will also be the opportunity for you to reflect deeply on a particular aspect of ministerial practice through the dissertation module.

Modules

Here are examples of modules you will study as part of this programme:

• Approaches to Biblical Studies
• Pentecostal Theology and Practice
• Christian Ministry in Church and Society
• Marriage and Family in Christian Theology and Practice
• Dissertation

Compulsory and Required modules

Compulsory and/or required modules may change when we review and update programmes. Above is a list of modules offered this academic year.

Optional modules

Optional modules, when offered as part of a programme, may vary from year to year and are subject to viability.

Career options

Students of this course include ordained ministers wanting to pursue continuing ministerial education (CME), and lay Christians seeking careers as practitioners in faith-based or secular organisations. Students may go on to pursue further academic study.

Visit the Christian Ministry - MA/PGDip page on the University of Roehampton website for more details!