Master of Arts in Theological Formation

Distinctives, Benefits, and Goals

Program Distinctives

• Weekend retreats are held three times a year at the beginning of each of the three terms. These retreats, called “intensives,” are mandatory for each student. The intensives create space for students to engage in community, spiritual practices, personal and intellectual reflection, and immersion-oriented ministry experiences.
• All courses are meant to develop students holistically. Students are challenged to think theologically, to develop greater personal awareness, to focus on relational issues, to deepen their decision-making processes, and to serve more hospitably in ministry.
• Students are organized into cohorts that will engage the curriculum together in community.
• All courses are supplemented with detailed course guides.
• No prior theological education is required.

Program Benefits

Students in the program will:

• Be attended by a site director who walks them through this adult model of education.
• Attend class one night a week.
• Enjoy three-week-long breaks between each of the six terms of enrollment.
• Experience community in deep ministry and discussion.

Program Goals

The Master of Arts in Theological Formation Program prepares graduates who:

• Model holiness in their personal lives and relationships.
• Practice spiritual disciplines such as solitude, confession, prayer, and study.
• Read Scripture both critically and devotionally.
• Articulate logical implications of major Christian doctrines.
• Analyze global currents and cultural shifts in light of their effects on the development of doctrine and Christian witness.
• Make decisions by taking into account cultural factors, theological concerns, historical realities, present controversies, and the authority of Scripture.