Religion Degrees Online

The Master of Arts in Biblical Studies is perfectly tailored for men and women who want to grow in their knowledge of God’s Word, but cannot take traditional semester-oriented college courses. Offered as part of the popular Summer Institute Program, Master of Arts in Biblical Studies offers core classes on campus during 3 weeks in July, as well as electives via independent study. The mission of the program is to provide you with the breadth of biblical training required for effective service to Christ and His Church. It empowers you to go deeper in your ability to comprehend, apply, practice, and proclaim the Word of God.

You will have the opportunity to study abroad in Israel through our Israel Bible Extension program, and in Greece and Turkey through our New Testament Extension program. You will hear from faculty who have led missions teams, taught and led study tours of Israel, planted churches, and presented papers at regional and national meetings. They have served as pastors, professors, authors, research scholars, editors, seminary presidents, and theologians; have been the recipients of the Distinguished Teacher of the Year Award; and have been recognized in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers.

If you have a hunger for the Word of God and would like graduate and professional level study of the Scriptures, then you may want to consider this new opportunity at The Master’s College. The Master of Arts in Biblical Studies in the Summer Institute Program (SIP) commenced this summer—the first, second, and third weeks of July.

RELIGION & PHILOSOPHY Major (B.A. Degree) Hours
The Religion & Philosophy Core (Required of All Religion & Philosophy Majors): 15
REL 1121 – Hebrew Bible Introduction 3
REL 1122 – New Testament Introduction 3
REL 2035 – Comparative Denominations 3
PHIL 2050 – Principles of Philosophy 3
PHIL 2170 – Ethics 3

Area of Concentration – Selected from:
• Religion & Philosophy
• Christian Education
• Outdoor Ministries 27-38
View Course Descriptions » Total: 42-47

RELIGION & PHILOSOPHY Concentration Hours
REL 1030 – Introduction to Religion 3
REL 1035 – Near Eastern Religions 3
REL 1036 – Far Eastern Religions 3

PHIL 1155 – Introduction to Logic
OR
PHIL 1166 – Critical Thinking 3
PHIL 3575 – Philosophy of Religion 3
REL 3600 – Twentieth-Century Theologians 3
Departmental Electives 9
View Course Descriptions » Total: 27

This taught programme is provided by Education & Professional Studies within the School of Social Science & Public Policy. Follow these links for information about the department and School, including facilities, funding, and a list of staff research interests.

The new programmes offer unrivalled diversity of course content and teaching expertise. Designed in unique cooperation between theologians and ministers, they combine intellectual depth with a wide range of practical issues – from contemporary worship to Fair Trade. They will challenge, inspire and refresh anyone engaged in Christian ministry, from ministers and ordinands, to laity and members of faith-based organisations.

Unique combination of academic and vocational focus: the MA can be taken independently or accredited to an ordination training programme.
- Modular structure provides unrivalled range of course content.
- Team-taught across two departments: the programme exemplifies the King’s tradition of excellence in both research and professional training.

The MA in Bible & Ministry connects cutting-edge academic research with contemporary issues of Christian life and ministry. There are purely historical and theological MAs available in other universities, and there are vocational courses in seminaries and training colleges, but this programme presents a significant alternative. It will do justice to the complexity of academic debates but it will always relate them to the practical and the present. Drawing on the expertise of the Department of Theology & Religious Studies and the Department of Education & Professional Studies, this programme exemplifies the strengths of King’s as both a leading research university and a centre for professional training. It promises a level of interdisciplinary excitement and pastoral engagement that would be hard to match elsewhere.

The subject-specific module for the programme is Ministry in the Bible. The module aims to offer biblical and hermeneutical frameworks for understanding ministry, both in its scriptural background and in today’s contemporary context.

This module will consider understandings of leadership and discipleship within the various parts of the Bible, including concepts of priesthood, elders and bishops. It will also consider how different churches have claimed biblical support for their patterns of ministry and invite students to reflect critically upon their own church tradition and ministerial practice.

Students take one other compulsory module, which is Theology in Practice. This core module links all the programmes on the King’s Theology & Ministry MA programme. It aims to equip students with theological tools that will help them to analyse the styles and the purposes of Christian ministry. With these tools (including disciplines of social science with their empirical research methodologies, historical enquiry, and scriptural interpretation) students will be in a position to articulate a theology of ministry, and to formulate methodologies for understanding and interpreting their contexts and their actions as ministers.

In addition to the dissertation, students will then take two further modules from Christian Religious Education: Principles & Practice; Church, Mission and Society; Educational Issues in Christian Ministry; Ethical Issues in Pastoral Ministry; Patterns in Contemporary Ecclesiology; Patterns in Contemporary Worship; Patterns in Youth Ministry; Philosophy & Postmodern Culture; The Bible in Ministry; Theology, Church & Worship Theology; Politics & Faith-Based Organisations .

This taught programme is provided by Education & Professional Studies within the School of Social Science & Public Policy. Follow these links for information about the department and School, including facilities, funding, and a list of staff research interests.

The new programmes offer unrivalled diversity of course content and teaching expertise. Designed in a unique cooperation between theologians and ministers, they combine intellectual depth with a wide range of practical issues – from contemporary worship to Fair Trade. They will challenge, inspire and refresh anyone engaged in Christian ministry, from ministers and ordinands, to laity and members of faith-based organisations.

The MA in Contemporary Worship is delivered in collaboration with the Department of Theology & Religious Studies and the Centre for Theology, Religion & Culture in the Department of Education & Professional Studies.

- The MA is the first in the UK specifically designed for contemporary worship leaders.
- The MA helps worship leaders to critically engage with worship.
- Worship leaders study alongside youth ministers, clergy and Christians working for NGOs.

The MA in Contemporary Worship connects cutting-edge academic research with contemporary issues of Christian life and ministry. There are purely historical and theological MAs available in other universities, and there are vocational courses in seminaries and training colleges, but this programme presents a significant alternative. It will do justice to the complexity of academic debates but it will always relate them to the practical and the present. Drawing on the expertise of the Department of Theology & Religious Studies and the Department of Education & Professional Studies, this programme exemplifies the strengths of King’s as both a leading research university and a centre for professional training. It promises a level of interdisciplinary excitement and pastoral engagement that would be hard to match elsewhere.

The MA in Contemporary Worship is designed to help worship leaders think theologically about their ministry. It explores the changing shape of worship and how it relates to questions of theology and culture.

Students take the compulsory module, Patterns in Contemporary Worship. The module aims to offer theoretical frameworks for understanding developments in contemporary worship. This module sets contemporary patterns of worship within the context of wider cultural change. Theoretical approaches are developed drawing upon the understanding of cultural change in modernity to theorise the contemporary worship scene as a specifically Christian postmodern moment. This leads on to sessions that deal with the changing nature of worship within specific ecclesial contexts and traditions. There will be an emphasis upon studying worship as it is practiced drawing upon recent empirical research as well as published liturgical texts.

Students take one other compulsory module, which is Theology in Practice. This core module links all the programmes on the King’s Theology and Ministry MA programme. It aims to equip students with theological tools that will help them to analyse the styles and the purposes of Christian ministry. With these tools (including disciplines of social science with their empirical research methodologies, historical enquiry, and scriptural interpretation) students will be in a position to articulate a theology of ministry, and to formulate methodologies for understanding and interpreting their contexts and their actions as ministers.

From a global perspective, religions are the most important bearers of cultural constructs. Religious scripture, ritual, metaphysics, morality and art enrich each new age by opening windows to the past, bequeathing traditional wisdom and modeling prophetic engagement.

In a liberal arts university, the study of religion is an essential discipline. Students and faculty join in the challenging task of assimilating the vast store of religious traditions currently available in print and electronic media. With the accumulation of knowledge, one also strives to cultivate evaluative and critical
skills after the fashion of the best theologians and religious scholars of the past.

Career Opportunities

The study of philosophy fosters skills of textual analysis, argumentation, thinking, historical consciousness, writing and conceptual synthesis. Thus it provides a solid background for the achievement of excellence in all professions. With its emphasis on the study of personal and social values, it promotes thoughtful and compassionate conduct in the workplace. While some philosophy majors choose to attend graduate school to become professional philosophers, teachers, theologians or ministers, others use their philosophy background as a preparation for a career in law, medicine, government, social services, nonprofit organizations or business.

Special Opportunities

PHILOSOPHY SPEAKER SERIES
Each year the program brings two to three speakers to campus to lecture on a topic selected by the students and faculty. The series is jointly sponsored by the program and the Stockton Philosophical Society. Topics and speakers are selected by the philosophy faculty in consultation with the philosophy majors and minors.

THE STOCKTON PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY
SPS, as it is called by its members, is a student-run organization that meets on a bi-weekly basis to discuss various philosophical issues. Although many of the participants are Stockton philosophy majors and minors, it is open to anyone interested in philosophy. Each meeting is attended by a member of Stockton’s philosophy faculty, but topics are chosen, and discussions are directed by the students. Once a year a meeting is dedicated to career opportunities, where the philosophy faculty and recent graduates present tips and answer questions about preparing for graduate school. SPS also organizes at least one trip to a philosophy conference each year.

PHILOSOPHY GOES TO THE MOVIES
Several times each term, members of the SPS meet to view and discuss films that have significant philosophical content. The films are chosen by the student members of the SPS and the faculty, and are introduced by members of the faculty of philosophy and religion.

PHI SIGMA TAU
The Richard Stockton College represents the New Jersey Zeta Chapter of Phi Sigma Tau, the International Honor Society in Philosophy. All students at the Richard Stockton College who meet the criteria for application are welcome to apply for membership in Phi Sigma Tau. Membership in Phi Sigma Tau provides recognition of academic excellence and serves as a means of furthering scholarship and philosophical community on the campus.

The Master of Arts in Biblical Studies is perfectly tailored for men and women who want to grow in their knowledge of God’s Word, but cannot take traditional semester-oriented college courses. Offered as part of the popular Summer Institute Program, Master of Arts in Biblical Studies offers core classes on campus during 3 weeks in July, as well as electives via independent study. The mission of the program is to provide you with the breadth of biblical training required for effective service to Christ and His Church. It empowers you to go deeper in your ability to comprehend, apply, practice, and proclaim the Word of God.

You will have the opportunity to study abroad in Israel through our Israel Bible Extension program, and in Greece and Turkey through our New Testament Extension program. You will hear from faculty who have led missions teams, taught and led study tours of Israel, planted churches, and presented papers at regional and national meetings. They have served as pastors, professors, authors, research scholars, editors, seminary presidents, and theologians; have been the recipients of the Distinguished Teacher of the Year Award; and have been recognized in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers.

If you have a hunger for the Word of God and would like graduate and professional level study of the Scriptures, then you may want to consider this new opportunity at The Master’s College. The Master of Arts in Biblical Studies in the Summer Institute Program (SIP) commenced this summer—the first, second, and third weeks of July.