Overview

Shaped by its aim to educate faithful and creative leaders for the ministries of the church, Candler’s degree programs integrate the intellectual, personal, professional, and spiritual growth of students. A Candler student’s course of study includes: biblical studies; theology; ethics and society; religion and culture; and the study of religious and ministerial practices such as education, preaching, pastoral care, worship, and church administration.

The Candler curriculum is arranged into four general areas of study:

Biblical Studies

Through study of the Bible and the history and culture in which it developed, students in biblical studies learn to understand and interpret biblical literature. As students gain competency in exegesis and exposition, they become prepared for the roles of proclaimers and interpreters of the Bible.

History and Interpretation of Christianity

Students in History and Interpretation of Christianity study both the institutional and doctrinal history of the church. As students work through the discipline of contemporary theology to develop a theological position, the insight and experience of the past strengthens the students’ dedication to serving the needs of the present and future.

Christianity and Culture

Christianity and Culture aims to help students better understand the mission of the Christian church in the contemporary world. It therefore seeks to inform and develop their understanding of self, society, and church through ethical reflection, social analysis, and study of other religious and cultural traditions and ideologies. As an intrinsic dimension of this endeavor, the area promotes an ecumenical conception of Christian identity and mission within a global context. Courses in Christianity and Culture are offered in the fields of Christian ethics, the sociology of religion, religion and personality, missiology, world religions, black church studies, and women’s studies.

Church and Ministry

The goal of Church and Ministry is to develop reflective practitioners of ministry, able to respond to situations in which they serve with sensitivity, creativity, skill, and theological integrity. Such development requires dialogical interaction among historical and contemporary ecclesial practice, Scripture and Christian traditions, the social sciences, and the student’s own experience.