Concentration in Public Theology

CM.222 Foundations of Christian Education CM.230 Theology and Practice of Mission and Evangelism CM.236 Introduction to Preaching CM.244 Introduction to Pastoral Care and Counseling: Care for Stories, Systems, and Self

THE THEOLOGICAL-HISTORICAL DEPARTMENT

TH.100 Introduction to the History of Christianity: Apostolic Era to 1650

TH.104 Theology: Doctrines and Themes

TH.106 Theology: Figures and Movements

TH.200 Introduction to Christian Ethics, or TH.206 Biomedical Ethics, or TH.208 Environmental Ethics, or TH.296 Moral Issues

TH.204 Introduction to World Religions

INTERDEPARTMENTAL

I.310 Senior Capstone Seminar

PROGRAM IN FORMATION FOR MINISTRY

Twelve credits are required in the form of a field placement in Supervised

Practice of Ministry (SPM). Typically, a student in the Master of Divinity program shall satisfactorily complete seventy-six credits before beginning

SPM.

ELECTIVE OPTIONS

In order to fulfill the degree requirement of 180 credits, students in the twolanguage track select a minimum of sixty additional credits from any of the course offerings or PFM opportunities; students in the one-language track select a minimum of sixty-six additional credits. Students also have the option of taking approved courses through our cross-registration agreements with the Seminary of the Southwest and Lipscomb University Austin, as well as approved graduate-level courses from The University of Texas at Austin and St. Edward’s University. Additionally, elective credit can be earned through Hearer’s Credit (page 41) or, in special cases, through a directed study project (page 38).

CONCENTRATION IN PUBLIC THEOLOGY

The Austin Seminary faculty has strengths in the area of “public theology,” or the way in which Christian traditions engage, shape, and challenge practices of peace and justice in the wider society. Issues of ecological sustainability, racial justice, immigration, human rights, gender and sexuality, and political life more broadly help frame many of the faculty’s exploration of the ongoing vitality and voice of Christian faith. Current and prospective students often express interest in public theology and ministries of justice, reconciliation, and transformation in our broken world. This concentration in three of our master’s programs is an outgrowth of current faculty strengths and a desire

among many students for a degree program that allows for a focus on public theology, without sacrificing the broad exposure to theological disciplines that our degrees already provide. Successful completion of a concentration in our degree programs would entail the following: ♦ Students in the MDiv program would take a total of 3 elective courses (out of 10 or 11 total electives) from the following list ♦ Students in the MATS program would take a total of 3 elective courses (out of 8 total electives) from the following list ♦ Students in the MAMP program would take a total of 3 elective courses (out of 5 total electives) from the following list

Bi.191 Reading the Old Testament from the Margins Bi.195 Immigration and the Old Testament Bi.235 Contextual Bible Study Bi.240 Activism and Old Testament Scriptures Bi.315 Womanist and Feminist Readings of the New Testament

CM.189 Communication for Ministries of Social Justice CM.191 Your Money and Your Life CM.229 Theatre of the Oppressed CM.240 Difficult Conversations CM.245 Education for Peace and Justice CM.254 Ministry and Mental Illness CM.300 The Church’s Prayer Life in a Time of “Thoughts and Prayers” CM.306 The Church for the Life of the World

TH.135 Cinema and Theology TH.155 African American Religious Ethics TH.206 Environmental Ethics* TH.208 Biomedical Ethics* TH.219 Theologies of Gutiérrez and Moltmann TH.253 Feminist Theologies TH.275 Theological Ethics of Martin Luther King Jr. TH.279 Political Theology TH.309 Religion and American Public Life TH.310 Social Justice

*These two courses cannot simultaneously fulfill both the ethics requirement and the public theology concentration requirement:

I.123 Sharing Our Faith Traditions

Satisfaction of the concentration will include the completion of a Senior Capstone Seminar in public theology approved by the faculty for application to the concentration (MDiv) or the submission of a paper in public theology for the MATS or MAMP integrative seminar. Additional courses can be added