M.A. in Philosophy of Religion & Ethics

• Mission and Role
• Goals
• Outcomes - Core
• Outcomes - Philosophy of Religion & Ethics
• Objectives
• Emphasis Overview
• Admission Requirements
• Graduation Requirements
• Emphasis Requirements
• Curriculum
• Emphasis Courses

Mission and Role

The mission of the M.A. program of Talbot School of Theology is the development of disciples of Jesus Christ who will be able to teach their respective disciplines.

As an outgrowth of Talbot School of Theology's role to provide discerning evangelical biblical/theological scholarship and instruction, the M.A. program exists to provide opportunities for specialized focus on disciplines that are crucial to fulfill Talbot's mission. We want to give students who choose one of these discipline areas a foundation upon which they can teach or go on for advanced study. These disciplines include the very basic study of the Bible itself through attention to the Old and New Testaments, theological reflection, and the role of philosophy in articulating and defending a Christian worldview and providing a Christian perspective on current moral issues.

Goals

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the major fields of philosophy from the perspective of a Christian worldview.
2. Demonstrate competence in using philosophy within a Christian worldview in influencing culture and fulfilling the Great Commission.
3. Demonstrate a competence in and commitment to activist leadership in the realm of ideas in academic and non-academic contexts.
4. Demonstrate a commitment to a vibrant intellectual life balanced by an ongoing intimate relationship with Christ.

Core Outcomes

As a result of this program, the student will:

A. Personal

1. Be able to understand and apply God's written word to the development of a distinctly Christian worldview that is lived out in daily life and ministry.
2. Have a growing personal knowledge in light of biblical study, resulting in an increasingly intimate knowledge of and relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
3. Have a worldview shaped by biblical study and a sense of historical location within the Christian church by which to evaluate current trends in the world and in the church. This worldview should grow and develop in conjunction with continuing biblical, historical, and theological study.
4. Be able to research and interpret the meaning of a passage according to its context, taking into consideration:
   1. Its historical and cultural context as determined through archaeological, historical, and cultural (including linguistic) research.
   2. Its broader biblical context as determined through comparison with the content and themes of related biblical books.
   3. Its theological context as determined through comparison with systematic theology (which is derived from the biblical text).

B. Ministry

1. Be able to teach the results of a researched biblical text in modern contexts such as:
   • In the church. A Sunday school class, a lay training institute, or a church based Bible training program.
   • On the campus. A college-campus based Bible study, seminar, or Bible instruction program.
   • In a community Bible study setting. A men's or women's large group Bible Study context, such as "Workmen of the Word."
   • At work. A workplace Bible Study.
   • On the mission field. A missions setting.
2. Be able to explain to others interpretative differences in the most widely used Bible translations and paraphrases.
3. Be able to provide a reasoned and informed perspective on critical issues related to the Bible, such as issues prominent in critical scholarship and especially those that attract media attention.
4. Be involved in mentoring relationships with others to show them how to develop their intimate knowledge of and relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Outcomes - Philosophy of Religion & Ethics

1. Qualify for admission to competitive Ph.D. programs in philosophy, ethics, or religious studies.
2. Read and utilize specialized professional philosophical journals and relate the material to various challenges to a Christian worldview.
3. Relate sophisticated philosophical material acquired during our program for use in the local church and popular culture.
4. Demonstrate lasting commitment to evangelism, local church ministry, and personal spiritual growth.
5. Sustain a vibrant intellectual life as part of an ongoing commitment to following Christ.
6. Provide substantial leadership in one's sphere of influence and successfully articulate a Christian worldview in one's respective cultural context.
7. Penetrate the secular university and venues of popular culture (art, media, music) by providing visionary leadership at Christian colleges, seminaries, and parachurch ministries in articulating a Christian worldview.
8. Minister effectively in academic, local church, and parachurch settings with a spirit of graciousness and humility, standing for truth and fostering community with those to whom the student ministers.

Objectives

The Master of Arts degree, with emphases in Bible Exposition, Old Testament, New Testament, Theology, Philosophy of Religion & Ethics, Spiritual Formation and Biblical / Theological Studies-Diversified (non-language), has been developed for those whose calling to Christian service is to positions of leadership for which the Master of Divinity or other professional degrees are not normally required. It is structured to provide:

1. An understanding of Scriptures for students anticipating Christian ministries that would include church administrators, parachurch organization leadership, counselors, "tent-making" occupations in other cultures, lay leaders in the local church and others.
2. A biblical background for those who are preparing for teaching in non-theological fields.
3. An academic background for those who find the Master of Arts degree ample for a teaching position either at home or in a foreign country.
4. A program of study for missionaries who have only a brief furlough time in which to pursue formal study of the Scriptures.
5. Sustainable skills in specific ministries further developing your abilities and spiritual gifts and strengthening your areas of weakness.

Emphasis Overview

The main purpose of this emphasis is to help the student become an apologist and develop the skills involved in doing apologetics with special focus on philosophy and social ethics. The attitudes and character traits of an apologist will be fostered by department activities, professional modeling, and teaching techniques. The skills necessary for the craft of apologetics will be developed by equipping the student to think for himself or herself, do research and understand the necessary philosophical and ethical concepts for spelling out what Christians believe and why they hold those beliefs. The program is aimed at developing ability to do apologetics in various ministry programs such as para church and local church evangelism, as well as preparing the student for further graduate work in philosophy, ethics, religious studies, law, political science and theology.

Admissions Requirements

Applicants must possess a Bachelor of Arts degree or its academic equivalent. From an accredited college with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale).

All applicants must submit a written statement outlining their vocational objectives and how the degree might relate to those objectives.

Graduation Requirements

1. Satisfactorily complete 64-66 semester units as outlined in the curriculum charts below.

2. Submit an acceptable thesis, chosen in consultation with the major advisor, or at the option of the major advisor and in lieu of the thesis, complete two additional units of electives. Students who write a thesis will have a total requirement of 64 units and those who take two additional units in lieu of a thesis will have a total requirement of 66 units.

   Students in Spiritual Formation emphasis submit an acceptable Spiritual Formation Master's Project-Thesis, which includes 3 units for writing and one unit for personal growth exploration. The Project-Thesis must involve both a theoretical and practical-experiential dimension in consultation with thesis advisor.

3. At least 24 units must be taken at this seminary. For Spiritual Formation emphasis, at least 51 units must be taken at this seminary.
4. Obtain a 3.0 average with no grade below a "C-" in all courses to be credited toward graduation.
5. Complete the entire program in no more than five years.

Students are placed on academic probation if their grade point average for any semester falls below 3.0 and will remain on probation as long as the single semester or cumulative grade point average remains below 3.0. Probation students are granted one semester in which to bring their academic work up to the required level (3.0) for continuance in the seminary. A student cannot graduate while on probation.

Emphases Requirements

Program Structure

The academic programs leading to the degree Master of Arts with emphases in Bible Exposition, Old Testament, New Testament, Theology, Philosophy of Religion & Ethics, Spiritual Formation and Biblical / Theological Studies-Diversified are comprised of 64-66 units structured in common to include:

1. Biblical and theological foundations
2. Academic specialization in one of four disciplines requiring biblical language studies, or general studies in which biblical languages are not required
3. Additional elective courses determined by the student in consultation with the advisor.

Reduction and Transfer Guidelines

Applicants who have taken undergraduate courses in biblical or theological studies may request a program reduction based on collegiate work. See Admissions Requirements for details.

Students with satisfactory undergraduate parallel content in philosophy will be considered for course reduction. All requests for course reduction are subject to departmental approval on a case by case basis. Students seeking course reduction must have earned at least a "B" grade.

Students may only transfer courses that are parallel in content and taken from accredited graduate schools and seminaries. Request for transfer of courses should be submitted to the Office of the Registrar with prior approval from the department. Students must complete in residence a minimum of 24 units in the Philosophy of Religion and Ethics emphasis.

Curriculum

First Year

Second Year

* Up to 6 graduate elective units may be taken in other schools in Biola University with advisor's approval.

** Consult the Talbot Student Handbook for preliminary steps that must be completed prior to enrolling in

Emphasis Courses