Audit

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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

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Requirements

Fall 2026 Auditing Options

Below are some of our auditing options for the Fall!  To see more, please see the course schedule!

Special Topics: Theological and Ethical Implications of Artificial Intelligence

This course is a study of some of the social, ethical, and theological implications of the rapidly proliferating technological developments in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI). From chatbots and large language models to autonomous vehicles and humanoid robots, the historical and contemporary quest for “intelligent” machines has recently entered a new era and the results are potentially world changing. In the interest of equipping future ministers and faith leaders for the crucial work of faithfully discerning their collective responses to these developments, students will explore questions such as: What is AI? What are its possibilities and limitations? What are some of the ethical and theological implications of its widespread adoption—including its potentially profound effects on economics, politics, healthcare, surveillance, and nearly every aspect of human life?

  • Taught by Dr. Issac B. Sharp, online, on Tuesdays, 5:30-6:30pm EST

Ethics

This course is an exploration of 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.

Preaching

This course introduces the principles and disciplines of effective preaching. It offers the tools for the fresh, ongoing interpretation of scripture into the lives of listeners. Students will study cultural and congregational factors in the preaching event, methods for interpreting texts, the process of sermon development, and the practical issues of oral communication.

Womanist/Feminist/Queer (WFQ) Interpretations of the Bible

This semi-seminar course studies feminist, womanist, and queer theories and their applications to biblical interpretation unto preaching. We will examine feminist theoretical works with special attention to complex relationship between sexism and other binary modes of “isms” such as racism, heterosexism, (neo)colonialism, ableism, ageism, and anti-Semitism. Further, we explore various strategies for applying theoretical insights to ethical biblical interpretation and preaching.

Foundations in New Testament

This course is an introduction to modern biblical studies. The 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.

Creation Theology, Spirituality, & the Arts

This course will explore the intersection of Hebrew Bible creation theology, spiritual formation, and the creative arts. Participants will study various interpretive approaches to creation literature throughout the Old Testament. The biblical study will provide the foundations for bi-weekly nature/creation experiences in which class members practice mindfulness while also exploring the creative arts as spiritual discipline. Participants should, therefore, be willing to travel to different locations within metro-Atlanta for approximately half of the class sessions. Each member should also set aside a non-interrupted eight-hour time block for an individual nature retreat that will provide the foundation of their final project. For the final project, class members may choose any artistic medium to communicate their experiences of the Holy in the intersection between scripture and the natural world.

Spiritual Direction in Ministry

Providing 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, on campus or online, on Tuesdays, 1:15-4:30pm EST

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.

Philosophy for Theological Thought

This course is an introduction to 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.

Foundations in Theology

This course surveys briefly 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.

Why Can’t We All Just get Along? Interreligious Dialogue and Christian Faith

This course explores the possibilities of interfaith dialogue and collaboration for effective community transformation.  Specific philosophical foundations and approaches to such dialogue are explored alongside dialogue and collaboration sessions with persons of other faith traditions.

  • Taught by Dr. Rob Nash, online, on Tuesdays, 1:15-4:30pm EST

Ministry Re-imagined: Creative & Practical Methods for Entrepreneurial Ministry

Church attendance has been on a steady decline for some time, with Covid-19 accelerating the trend.  No longer do the traditional methods work as well for the church as they have in the past, and while this is concerning, it is also an invitation to re-imagine ministry.  We are called to go beyond church walls and into our communities, loving our neighbors and meeting people where they are.  This requires a creative mindset, calling on fresh areas of ministry skills and professional proficiencies.  To do so, we require practical steps that support our creative callings into entrepreneurial expressions, redemptive work, and apostleship.  This course seeks to introduce students to entrepreneurial ministry, encourage creative new expressions of pastoral work, and to embrace engagement as the new form of evaluating discipleship.

  • Taught by Dr. Brandi Diamond, on campus, on Tuesdays, 1:15-4:30pm EST

Worship in the Black Church

Coming soon!

  • Taught by Dr. Toni Alvarado, online, on Thursdays, 6:45-8:15pm EST

Non-Degree, for Credit

Applicants who wish to enroll in one or more Masters level courses at McAfee School of Theology and receive Master’s level academic credit, without pursuing a degree or graduate certificate program, should apply as a non-degree, for credit student. Non-degree, for credit students complete the same required course work and hours as degree or certificate seeking students for a required course.

Applicants must have met the individual course prerequisite requirement(s). If the applicant wishes to apply to a Theology degree or certificate program in the future, courses taken as a non-degree student will be evaluated according to the requirements of the curriculum current at the time of application.

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