Administrative and Degree-Specific Courses

MASTER OF DIVINITY

MDIV300. Candler ADVANCE

Credit, none. (Faculty)

This course offers academic support to participants through guided engagement with the Candler Writing Center, academic skills workshops, and/or other activities that provide students with individualized supplemental academic support and accountability throughout their first semester in the MDiv program. Enrolled students meet individually with the Director of Academic Support and enrollment during the semester for guidance on subjects related to seminary life: managing one’s schedule, persevering through adversity, maturing as a critical thinker, developing habits of study, preparing for essay tests, and other relevant topics. Individualized guidance serves as a companion to students as they develop strategies necessary for successful navigation of coursework. Candler ADVANCE is required of all students admitted on academic probation and is graded on an S/U basis.

MDIV650. Master of Divinity Thesis

Credit, three hours maximum. (Faculty)

Students prepare thesis proposals that must be approved before permission is given to proceed with the thesis writing.

MDIV999R. Master of Divinity Residency

Credit, none. (Registrar)

MASTER OF RELIGION AND PUBLIC LIFE

MRPL505. Master of Religion and Public Life Advising

Credit, none. (Faculty)

First semester MRPL students are required to enroll in the MRPL Advising course (MRPL505). This course assists entering students with ongoing orientation to the study of theology as well as to Candler and Emory.

MRPL620. Master of Religion and Public Life Integrative Paper Part A

Credit, one hour. (Faculty)

Following completion of at least 15 credit hours and no later than the penultimate semester, MRPL students enroll in in MRPL620. MRPL Integrative Paper Part A for one hour of credit. During this course students will determine an integrative paper topic in consultation with the program director and a paper adviser and create a prospectus and initial bibliography for the paper. At the conclusion of MRPL 620, a grade of In Progress (IP) will be awarded and students then enroll in MRPL650. MRPL Integrative Paper Part B.

MRPL650. Master of Religion and Public Life Integrative Paper Part B

Credit, two hours. (Faculty)

At the conclusion of MRPL 620, MRPL students enroll in MRPL650. MRPL Integrative Paper Part B for two hours of credit, typically in the final semester. The Integrative Paper advisor will be the instructor of record for MRPL650. The final paper will typically be 25-35 pages in length and will integrate themes from the student’s course of study.

MRPL999R. Master of Religion and Public Life Residency

Credit, none. (Registrar)

MASTER OF RELIGIOUS LEADERSHIP

MRL505. Master of Religious Leadership Advising

Credit, none. (Faculty)

First semester MRL students are required to enroll in the MRL Advising course (MRL505). This course assists entering students with ongoing orientation to the study and practice of religious leadership as well as to the resources for study, formation, and growth available through Candler and Emory.

MRL999R. Master of Religious Leadership Residency

Credit, none. (Registrar)

MASTER OF THEOLOGICAL STUDIES

MTS505. Master of Theological Studies Advising Group

Credit, none. (Faculty)

First-year MTS students are required to enroll in the First Year Advising Group (MTS505). This course assists entering students with library research skills, academic writing, and professional development in support of their scholarly formation.

MTS520G. Research Methods Seminar (Global Religions)

Credit, three hours. (Faculty)

This course will focus on research in the various fields of religious and theological studies by considering both theoretical and functional approaches to critical research and writing in fields associated with the focus in Global Religions.

MTS520M. Research Methods Seminar (Modern Religious Thought and Experience)

Credit, three hours. (Faculty)

This course will focus on research in the various fields of religious and theological studies by considering both theoretical and functional approaches to critical research and writing in fields associated with the focus in Modern Religious Thought and Experience.

MTS520T. Research Methods Seminar (History, Scripture, and Tradition)

Credit, three hours. (Faculty)

This course will focus on research in the various fields of religious and theological studies by considering both theoretical and functional approaches to critical research and writing in fields associated with the focus in History, Scripture, and Tradition.

MTS600G. Capstone Seminar (Global Religions)

Credit, three hours. Prerequisite: MTS520G. (Faculty)

Students concentrating in Global Religions are required to complete this capstone course during their final or graduating semester. A component of the capstone course is the completion of an integrative essay or the MTS thesis (which may be taken for additional credit by enrolling in MTS650).

MTS600M. Capstone Seminar (Modern Religious Thought and Experience)

Credit, three hours. Prerequisite: MTS520M. (Faculty)

Students concentrating in Modern Religious Thought and Experience are required to complete this capstone course during their final or graduating semester. A component of the capstone course is the completion of an integrative essay or the MTS thesis (which may be taken for additional credit by enrolling in MTS650).

MTS600T. Capstone Seminar (History, Scripture, and Tradition)

Credit, three hours. Prerequisite: MTS520T. (Faculty)

Students concentrating in History, Scripture, and Tradition are required to complete this capstone course during their final or graduating semester. A component of the capstone course is the completion of an integrative essay or the MTS thesis (which may be taken for additional credit by enrolling in MTS650).

MTS650. Master of Theological Studies Thesis

Credit, three hours maximum. (Faculty)

Students prepare thesis proposals that must be approved before permission is given to proceed with the thesis writing.

MTS999R. Master of Theological Studies Residency

Credit, none. (Registrar)

MASTER OF THEOLOGY

THM501. Master of Theology Project Seminar

Credit, one hour. (Faculty)

Required in the first semester of ThM student, the project seminar meets weekly, and over the course of the semester research and writing skills are shaped and sharpened. By the end of the semester the student will have developed a five to seven page ThM project précis that would include: • Project thesis statement • Overview of the project • Annotated working bibliography • Outline of the project This serves as the platform for the completion of the project during the spring semester. Students receive a grade of “IP” for the seminar until the successful completion of the summative project in the spring.

THM600. Post-MDiv Elective

Credit, one hour. (Faculty)

When applied for by the student, one credit of THM600 is associated with a three credit hour course to complete the four-hour post- MDiv elective requirement.

THM650. Master of Theology Project

Credit, two hours. (Faculty)

In the spring semester following completion of ThM501, ThM students sign up for two hours of ThM project with the faculty adviser who will direct the ThM final writing project. The grade for this course and the project seminar (three credits total) are assigned upon completion of the final writing project.

THM999R. Master of Theology Residency

Credit, none. (Registrar)

DOCTOR OF MINISTRY

DM500. Strategies and Resources for Online Learning

Fall. Credit, one hour. (Bogue)

This course will introduce students to learning in an online environment or advance their skills for learning online in order to bolster their success in earning a Doctor of Ministry while still serving their communities. The course is designed to build the comfort level of students with Emory’s online learning management system (LMS) and the structure, tools, expectations and modes of communication of Candler’s program by actively engaging them in online learning activities, group collaboration projects and assessments.

DM700. Becoming a Reflective Practitioner

Fall. Credit, three hours. (Faculty)

This course orients students to the action-reflection model of the reflective practitioner, applying it specifically to the practice of ministry and practical theology. The research methods and dispositional habits that are learned in this foundational course will be practiced throughout the curriculum, especially in the final project. As the general introductory course, DM700 is taken by first-year students in both tracks, though students are enrolled by cohort. It has two major objectives: (1) to equip students with reflective and analytical capacities for understanding themselves as leaders, the congregations and organizations in which they serve, and their social contexts; and (2) the formation of a community of scholar-pastors and practical theologians. The course is made up of four major movements: engagement with contemporary scholarly discussions about what constitutes practical theology; theories and practices for understanding the self as a leader in the context of a community; models of congregational study and description; and methods of social analysis. Throughout the course, students will be introduced to diverse methods of theological reflection in relationship to the self, the faith community, and the social context.

DM701. First Year Colloquy I

Fall. Credit, one hour. (Faculty)

The First Year Colloquy I is a weekly synchronous gathering, held Monday afternoons at 3:00 p.m., in which students explore with each other and with faculty of the course taught during that semester their coursework in relation to (1) their context of ministry and (2) their research trajectory.

DM702. First Year Colloquy II

Spring. Credit, two hours. (Faculty)

The First Year Colloquy II is virtually identical to DM701: it too is a weekly synchronous gathering, held Monday afternoons at 3:00 p.m., in which students explore with each other and with faculty of the course taught during that semester their coursework in relation to (1) their context of ministry and (2) their research trajectory. DM702 includes additional work on the Statement of the Problem document, in which students offer their first articulation of the issue(s) they will address in their final project and how they will go about doing so. The latter is assessed by the director of the DMin program.

DM703. Second Year Colloquy

Fall, Spring. Credit, two hours. (Faculty)

The Second Year Colloquy is a weekly synchronous gathering, held Monday afternoons at 3:00 p.m. in which students explore with each other and with the faculty of the course taught during that semester their coursework in relation to (1) their context of ministry and (2) their research trajectory. Students enroll for two hours of credit in the fall semester. They receive an “IP” (in progress) at the end of the fall semester and will earn an “S” upon successful completion of the academic year at the end of the spring semester.

DM704. Final Project Colloquy

Credit, two hours. Fall, Spring.

Credit, two hours. (Faculty)

The Third Year Colloquy is a weekly synchronous gathering, held Monday afternoons, in which students continue their work on their final projects. In fall the colloquy is hosted by the faculty of DM715 and DM725 for tracks 1 and 2, respectively; in spring the colloquy is devoted to completion of the final project and initial presentations of the same prior to the Festival of Learning. Students enroll for two hours of credit in the fall semester. They receive an “IP” (in progress) at the end of the fall semester and will earn an “S” upon successful completion of the academic year at the end of the spring semester.

DM711. Understanding Community

Spring. Credit, three hours. Prerequisite: DM700. (Faculty)

This course builds on knowledge, methods, and skills acquired in DM700 to analyze more extensively broader community contexts. Students will continue to map the histories and transitions, assets and generative themes of those communities, while examining leadership skills required of public theologians. The final project for this course is the comprehensive congregational and community analysis that integrates learning across the first year.

DM712. Ecclesiologies in Action

Fall. Credit, three hours. (Faculty)

This course is the second in the Church Leadership and Community track of the Candler DMin program and the second course unique to that track. In relation to the broader goals of the program, this course focuses specifically on helping participants achieve advanced integration of theology and practice; analyze a ministry setting, using appropriate research methods and exhibiting contextual sensitivity; and, articulate a coherent ecclesiology that serves as the ongoing basis for ministerial practice in the parish setting. The goal of the course is to prompt participants to reflect systematically on the nature and task of the church, both in relationship to God’s Reign, on the one hand, and to the present world, on the other. This course builds off of the tools of congregational and social analysis introduced in both DM700 and DM711, and is designed to prepare students for more focused work in liturgical and church leadership in the second and third years of the program.

DM713. Leadership and Teaching as Ministry Practice

January. Credit, three hours. (Faculty)

In this intensive on-campus course, students participate in a series of conversations about the joys, challenges, and puzzles of the practice of ministry in our time. Reflective and conversational in spirit, this course introduces students to some of Candler’s most wise and creative faculty. Course materials, assignments, and conversations engage the ministry practices and capacities associated with leadership and teaching and expand the landscape of those practices with the recognition that formation and leadership always are also about caregiving, interpretation, speaking truth, and spirituality.

DM714. Leadership and Witness 1: Cultivating Church

Spring. Credit, three hours. (Faculty)

This course enables students to explore tools for analyzing and promoting community formation to mobilize members in partnership with God’s work. Students will develop a model of imaginative pastoral leadership— leading a congregation toward deeper awareness of its strengths and assets in order to use its cultural resources more effectively for ministry and mission. Resources for engaging cultural, racial/ethnic, and other particularities will be stressed to enhance the dynamic interplay of diverse peoples within faith communities.

DM715. Leadership and Witness 2: Engaging the World

Fall. Credit, three hours. (Faculty)

This course explores some of the problems and possibilities entailed in “engaging the world.” During the fall of 2016, we will examine and practice four tasks: taking faith public, drawing from multiple disciplines of knowledge, remaining accountable to those we impact, and feeling the world. Students will anchor these large questions to their DMin project in order to explore them in a more concrete way.

DM721. Scripture, Theology, Practice

Spring. Credit, three hours. Prerequisite: DM700. (Faculty)

This course is the second in the Biblical Interpretation and Proclamation track of the Candler DMin program and the first course unique to that track. Its focus is the theology of Scripture, understood not as an examina196 tion of the theologies found in Scripture but rather as the study of the effects different ways of thinking about Scripture have on Christian faith and practice. It will introduce students to debates within the church concerning both the authority of Scripture and its role in shaping Christian teaching, with the goal of helping participants to reflect systematically on the challenges of speaking both meaningfully and truly about God and God’s work from a Christian point of view. Coursework is designed both to build on the tools of congregational and social analysis introduced in the first semester of the DMin program and to prepare students for more focused work in biblical exegesis and congregational teaching and preaching that follow in the program’s second and third years.

DM722. Issues in Old Testament Interpretation

Fall. Credit, three hours. (Faculty)

This course is the third in the Biblical Interpretation and Proclamation track of the Candler DMin program and the second course unique to that track. Having reflected systematically on the issue of the authority of Scripture in DM721, participants in this course will have the opportunity to practice the art of theological interpretation of Old Testament texts. In relation to the broader goals of the Candler DMin program, this course focuses specifically on helping participants: explore the content and context of the Old Testament; identify how the content and context of the Old Testament might correspond with the needs/concerns of the contemporary parish context; and practice the interpretation of the Old Testament within the framework of a coherent theology of Scripture.

DM723. Leadership and Teaching as Ministry Practice

January. Credit, three hours. (Faculty)

In this intensive on-campus course, students participate in a series of conversations about the joys, challenges, and puzzles of the practice of ministry in our time. Reflective and conversational in spirit, this course introduces students to some of Candler’s most wise and creative faculty. Course materials, assignments, and conversations engage the ministry practices and capacities associated with leadership and teaching and expand the landscape of those practices with the recognition that formation and leadership always are also about caregiving, interpretation, speaking truth, and spirituality.

DM724. Issues in New Testament Interpretation

Spring. Credit, three hours. (Faculty)

This course does for the New Testament what the preceding does for the Old. In addition to covering the latest research in Gospels, Jesus, Paul, the Catholic Letters, and Revelation, with particular attention to its implications for congregational teaching and witness. It will include discussion of the key moments in the history of interpretation, hermeneutics and exegesis, and the pertinent research methods.

DM725. Preaching the Bible

Fall. Credit, three hours. (Faculty)

The course begins with a recognition that Christian preaching in the United States is in a season of great change. Some established modes of preaching seem to be losing their power even as an increasing plurality of modes is emerging. These changes and contestations are especially acute around ways that preachers engage Scripture. This course aims to help students develop theological wisdom and practical know-how for navigating these changes.

DM750. Doctor of Ministry Final Project

Spring. Credit, six hours. (Faculty)

In DM750, students bring their final project to completion by engaging in a process of evaluation and interaction with their project consultants, the DMin Director, and their cohort of peers. The project culminates in the final on-campus experience, the Festival of Learning, in which students make formal, public presentations of their projects.

DM799. Doctor of Ministry Library Use

Credit, none. (DMin Director)

ATA CROSS REGISTRATION

CO999R. Columbia Coursework

Variable credit.

Used to designate coursework taken through cross-registration at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia.

ER999R. Erskine Coursework

Variable credit.

Used to designate coursework taken through cross-registration at Erskine Seminary in Due West, South Carolina.

LTC999R. Lutheran Theological Center Coursework

Variable credit.

Used to designate coursework taken through cross-registration at the Lutheran Theological Center in Columbia, South Carolina.

MC999R. McAfee Coursework

Variable credit.

Used to designate coursework taken through cross-registration at McAfee School of Theology, Mercer University, in Atlanta.

ENGLISH FOR SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES

TESL300. Theology-English as a Second Language: Academic Writing for Graduate Theology Students

Credit, three hours. (Faculty)

Students will become familiar with the grammar, diction, organization, and stylistic conventions that characterize written English for academic purposes. Students will engage in close analysis of academic writing in English, will engage in a series of writing exercises, and will produce coherent essays of varying length and topical focus. Active participation in class discussions and peer feedback is required.

TESL301. Theology-English as a Second Language: Academic Listening/Speaking for Graduate Theology Students

Credit, three hours. (Faculty)

Students will learn advanced skills in English pronunciation to enhance intelligibility and communication effectiveness. In addition, students will become more comfortable and competent in making oral academic presentations and in engaging in classroom discussion in English. Students will practice principles of English pronunciation including word stress, emphasis, and sentence intonation. Students will prepare and deliver several oral presentations of varying length and topical focus. Active participation in class discussions and peer feedback is required.