Christian Core Courses at CoA

This course explores the basic principles of Christian beliefs, community and ministry, as well as the promise of Christ’s return through a study of the history and theology of the books of the New Testament. Through the study of the New Testament, students will build their inductive Bible study skills. 

The Old Testament and New Testament survey courses provide the foundation for Scriptural engagement that serves as the basis for everything else. Students are taught how to read and understand the biblical texts in their original contexts but also how to bridge the gap to apply biblical reasoning to relevant issues inside and outside of the church in our own times. Students are introduced to important aspects of academic study of the Bible (e.g., critical and interpretive issues, genre, cultural context, etc.), but the emphasis of both courses is to engage students in the reading of the text, to ask relevant questions, and to give space for the Spirit to speak through the power of the Word. One New Testament scholar diagnosed the American society (including those in church!) as being a “Jesus haunted culture that is biblically illiterate.” The Old Testament and New Testament survey courses help to lay a foundation of biblical literacy but also to equip students with the tools to begin studying the Scriptures on their own by utilizing academic tools as a way of connecting with the ultimate Author of the text. 

The course presents a survey of Christ-centered biblical history and provides, through the study of Scripture, a theological framework for God, Jesus, salvation, the Holy Spirit, the spiritual world, evil, the Church, and specific theological beliefs. The course includes an introduction to inductive Bible study and an overview of church history. 

This course is designed as an entry point into the fundamentals of the Christian faith that encompasses three broad areas: church history, systematic theology, and inductive Bible Study. Students are given a birds-eye view of these foundational areas to equip them with essential tools and resources for future study in all areas of Christian education and formation. The section on Church History provides enough depth for students to trace the development of faith and practice across thousands of years and geographical miles to help them see various challenges faced and overcome that continue to show up in various forms in the church today. The overview of Systematic Theology lays a foundation of key theological questions set into a narrative framework to help students grapple with the larger story the Bible is telling. The segment on Inductive Bible Study equips students with the basic tools for biblical study that they will need throughout their time at the College. 

The course examines the Christian practice of prayer through biblical and theological lenses, types of prayer (adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication), and it introduces students to the theology and practice of hearing God and discerning His will. Students will engage in the spiritual discipline of prayer and reflect on their experiences with God through collaborative learning, individual assessment, and class discussion with an emphasis on application outside of the classroom environment. 

From its inception, CoA’s founders recognized the sad reality of those engaged in theological training to burnout or for their faith to stagnate during or shortly following their studies. At the course and program levels, the intention of the staff and faculty is to nurture faith formation as an essential aspect of Christian education. The Prayer & Spiritual Direction course fills an important role in that experience by allowing students to explore and engage in a wide range of prayer practices both individually and corporately as the lifeline for a sustainable and mature faith. 

This course challenges students to consider the relationship between Christ and culture by equipping students with an overview of Christian philosophy and answers to the most difficult questions posed by both believers and unbelievers. Within the theological framework, students will study major doctrines pertaining to the existence and nature of God, evil, the nature of man, Scripture as the source of truth, and the Church as the body of Christ. The course introduces students to tools and models for evangelism by applying Christian philosophy in the context of sharing the Good News in a contemporary culture of competing world views and relativism. Students will perform and evaluate personal evangelistic activities. 

The great commission courses cover the fundamental aspects of ministry broadly encompassed in discipleship and evangelism. Students will be introduced to practices and habits of spiritual formation as the seedbed for living out a missional faith in the world. Students are challenged to unite vertical and horizontal dimensions of the faith that combine individual spiritual practices with shared life in community as a proclamation and invitation to the world. They are also equipped and challenged to seek out ways to be involved in the local community as a vehicle for sharing the love of Christ with others. 

The Ethics course presents students with a series of case studies of difficult issues encountered inside and outside of the church and equips them with models of biblical decision making to help guide their choices through those issues. The ethics course is a prerequisite for all students to begin their apprenticeship experiences. Students are forced to grapple with difficult decisions in a safe, classroom environment before they are placed in situations where they may need to apply these skills in real-life situations.