Start Here
Welcome to Introduction to Theology
Welcome to Introduction to Theology.
Theology means, literally, words about God. It is the careful, disciplined effort to think about the divine and about what it means for human life. People come to ministers with theological questions all the time, often in their hardest moments: Why did this happen? Where is God now? Will I see her again? Is there anything after this?
This course introduces the great questions of theology and the many ways they have been answered: in Christianity, where the word theology was born, and in Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and by thinkers of no religion. You will hear from classical theologians and from the women, Black, Latin American, Asian, and Indigenous theologians whose voices were long excluded. You will be asked not to adopt any one answer, but to understand many, and to begin forming your own.
How This Course Works
| Topic | Details |
|---|---|
| Prerequisite | None. Titles and degrees begin with ordination through the Ordination Orientation. |
| Pace | Self-paced. Most students finish in four to six weeks, studying about four to five hours a week. There are no deadlines. |
| Structure | Eight modules. Each module has a lesson, a reading assignment, and a ten-question quiz. |
| Book report | Read one of the books offered, pass its ten-question quiz, and write a one-paragraph summary, after Module 8. |
| Final exam | Fifteen multiple-choice questions and one essay of 1,500 to 2,000 words, taken after Module 8. |
| Credit | 3 credit hours toward further titles and degrees. |
Grading
| Part | To pass |
|---|---|
| Module quizzes (8) | Pass each with 70% or higher. Retakes allowed. |
| Book report quiz (10 questions) | Pass with 70% or higher. Retakes allowed. |
| Book report summary (one paragraph) | Approved by the school |
| Final exam, Part 1 (multiple choice) | Pass with 70% or higher. Retakes allowed. |
| Final exam, Part 2 (one essay, 1,500 to 2,000 words) | Approved by the school |
Required texts
- The Case for God, Karen Armstrong
- Dynamics of Faith, Paul Tillich
- The Cross and the Lynching Tree, James H. Cone
Many of these books are available from public libraries, used bookstores, and as ebooks.
What you will study
Module 1: What Is Theology? Module 2: Speaking of God Module 3: Belief, Doubt, and Unbelief Module 4: Revelation and Scripture Module 5: Humanity, Sin, and the Self Module 6: Evil and Suffering Module 7: Salvation and Liberation Module 8: Many Faiths and Your Own Theology
Book report choices
The Cross and the Lynching Tree, James H. Cone; The Case for God, Karen Armstrong
Academic honesty
All written work must be your own. You may quote and discuss the course readings and other sources, but you must say where the words and ideas came from. Submitting work written by someone else, including work generated entirely by AI tools, is not permitted.