Applicants who wish to enroll in one or more Masters level courses at McAfee School of Theology without pursuing a degree may apply to take classes in one of three ways:
- Auditing a class
- Enrolling as a non-degree for credit student
- Enrolling in the Graduate Certificate for Theological Studies program (for credit).
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Deadlines
Requirements
Audit
Applicants wishing to audit a class must complete the audit application and be officially registered as audit students. Audit students do not take exams or submit work and they do not receive grades or academic credit. Limited classes are available for auditing and only as space allows.
The audit fee for courses at McAfee is $150 per course. There is also a facility/technology fee per semester charged as follows: 1-8 credit hours = $17 per credit hour; 9 or more credit hours = $150
Spring 2025
Models of Moral Leadership
This course explores the character and actions of a number of significant moral leaders throughout world history.
Taught by Dr. David Gushee, online, on Wednesdays, 9:30-11:30am
Bible & Popular Culture
This course helps students develop skills for analyzing contemporary culture, biblical literature, and the intersection between the two. Participants will engage biblical allusion and interpretation in a variety of genres, including, but not limited to: film, television, music, literature, art, political rhetoric, and the like. The course will also enable participants to engage popular culture in teaching the Bible in either church or academic settings.
Taught by Dr. David Garber, on campus, on Mondays, 1:15-4:00pm
A Brother By Any Other Name? Cultural Lenses and the Face of Jesus
This course examines ways in which Jesus is perceived through the lens of many of the world’s religious traditions with an emphasis upon such perceptions from the context of the two-thirds world. Particular focus will be given to the ways in which Jesus has been depicted in art and film.
Taught by Dr. Rob Nash, online, on Mondays, 5:30-6:30pm
Special Topics: Dementia, Disabilities, and Differences
Special Topics: Dementia, Disabilities, and Differences will confront not only personal attitudes and biases towards persons with dementia and other cognitive disabilities, but also explore a better understanding of ableism as a destructive challenge to the Imago Dei. Students will study what is meant by dementia, disabilities, and differences, and examine responses, services, and ethics surrounding related disabilities. This class will engage theological reflection, spiritual practices, and appropriate ministerial responses. A “hypercognitive” society problematizes persons living with dementia and other cognitive disabilities. Facing a rising aging population, coupled with an increased awareness of diverse abilities, ministers and persons of faith must cultivate an informed understanding of the challenges, opportunities, and theological assertions surrounding dementia, disabilities, and differences.
Taught by Dr. Greg DeLoach, online or on campus, on Mondays, 9:30-12:15pm
Reel Spirituality: Finding the Sacred in Cinema Films
This course addresses our yearning for connection, meaning, and a glimpse of the sacred. Common themes implicit and explicit in film is the sacred arch of the hero. The struggle to accept a call, the challenge of redemption the power of grace, the pain of sin and the question of faith, suffering, and love. This class will offer the student tools to examine a film as a cultural artifact with intrinsic spiritual meaning created by the artist and or discovered by the viewer. The class will explore the basic cinematic techniques to convey moral sensibilities and sacred sensitivity. Each student will learn basic cinematic vocabulary and connect this vocabulary to homiletical techniques for the modern church. Watching, and learning to read film and analyze the spiritual themes is a requirement in this course. The final film project of this course will ask the student to create a short sermonic film on a cell phone using cinematic vocabulary with the moral and spiritual themes examined in the course.
- Taught by Dr. Otis Moss, III and Dr. Greta Fowler, on campus, on Tuesdays, 1:15-4:30pm
Spiritual Direction in Ministry
This course provides spiritual guidance through pastoral conversations will be explored. Spiritual guidance regarding healing faulty images of God and a troubled relationship with God will be emphasized.
- Taught by Dr. Heidi Miller, online or on campus, on Tuesdays, 9:30-12:15pm
Philosophy for Theological Thought
This course introduces students to the many paradigms of understanding that inform our ideas, beliefs, and practices associated with the Christian faith that have their origins in the history of western philosophy. The course will introduce the major figures and ideas in the history of philosophy, with special emphasis on questions of the relationship of philosophy to theology. Included are the contributions of the following figures: Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Locke, Kant, Hegel, Marx, Heidegger, Wittgenstein, etc.
Taught by Dr. Graham Walker, online, on Tuesdays, 6:45-8:45pm
Ethics
This course explores the moral dimensions of the Christian faith, including moral convictions, character, and practices. The course is grounded in an ethical methodology shaped by historic Christian theological commitments, and explores aspects of personal discipleship, the church’s internal moral life, and the Christian moral witness in society.
Taught by Dr. David Gushee, on campus, on Mondays, 1:15-4:00pm
Foundations in New Testament
This course will focus on the study of Jesus and the gospels and Paul and the early church, as well as pursuing leading themes in the New Testament.
Taught by Dr. Chris Holmes, on campus, on Thursdays, 1:15-4:30pm
Foundations in Old Testament
This course introduces the study of the Old Testament and gives students tools for continuing study of this portion of the scriptures. Special attention will be given to the Old Testament’s backgrounds in history, canonical formation, language and translation, literary form, history of interpretation, and use in the Christian church.
Taught by Dr. Nancy deClaisse-Walford, online, on Thursdays, 5:30-6:30pm
Global Perspectives in Ministry & Mission
This explores the biblical, historical, and missiological foundations of God’s mission in the world with some attention to the implications of these foundations for a variety of ministry contexts.
Taught by Dr. Rob Nash, on campus, on Mondays, 9:30-12:15pm
Emotional Intelligence in Ministry & Leadership
This course introduces students to the literature and practices of emotional intelligence as a resource for pastoral ministry. Students will assess this material from pastoral theological perspectives and integrate these resources into their practice of ministry. Students will develop a beginning level of competence in the core areas of emotional intelligence: emotional self-awareness, management of one’s own emotions, awareness of the emotions of others, and appropriate responses to other people’s emotions. Students will explore the use of these skills in pastoral ministry.
Taught by Dr. Denise Massey, online, on Tuesdays, 6:45-8:45pm
What You Do is a Sacred Calling: Nurturing Faith in Ministry
This course focuses on one of the most important things we will do as ministers–to nurture and shape the faith of people. Some of us will do that through preaching and teaching. Others will do it through writing curriculum and publishing books. Most of us will nurture the faith of others through daily and weekly experiences of being in community together, whether that be in our families or our churches. This can happen when we rock a baby to sleep, gather children around a table to eat cookies and drink juice, or set up a Sunday School class for senior adults that pays attention to their physical needs. Most of faith formation happens within the normal context of life, and as ministers we must recognize and seize those opportunities to nurture and form faith in others. This is our sacred calling. This course will help you begin to understand and critique how your own faith was formed, as well as how to take seriously forming the faith of those with whom you live, work, and minister. We will explore the mystery of faith by using developmental theory to name our own experiences, while facing the reality that our faith cannot solely be captured within the boundaries of theory.
Taught by Dr. Karen Massey, online, on Thursdays, 6:45-8:00pm
Foundations in Theology
This course surveys the history of Western theological thought and notes developing world movements in the modern period and then focuses upon the nature, sources, and scope of systematic theology identifying the major theologians, issues, and terminology associated with the central Christian doctrines that have shaped the community of faith. The course will survey the basic components of Christian doctrine and the task of Christian theology.
- Taught by Dr. Graham Walker, on campus, on Tuesdays, 1:15-4:30pm
Non-Degree for Credit
Applicants who wish to enroll in one or more Masters level courses at McAfee School of Theology without pursuing a degree but wish to receive academic credit should apply as a non-degree for credit student. Non-degree for credit students complete the same required course work and hours as degree seeking students for a required course.
Applicants must have met the individual course prerequisite requirement(s). If the applicant wishes to apply to a degree program in the future, courses taken as a non-degree student will be evaluated according to the requirements of the curriculum that is current at the time of application.
