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MATS Course Descriptions
AP 101: Introduction to Apologetics
This course introduces students to Christian apologetics and focuses on the biblical basis for apologetics, developing a world-and-life view, and engaging contemporary culture. Special attention will be given to the problem of meaning, the problem of evil, world religions, science and faith, reason and revelation, and aesthetics.
BT 101: Bible Survey
The objective of this course is to provide an overview of Biblical Theology as the organizing structure for understanding and valuing the unity and diversity of Scripture as God’s revelation of Himself to us. Attention is given to Scripture as God’s Word as it is mediated through the various writers of the Old and New Testaments in various genres, times, and locations while contributing to the unified redemptive plot that unfolds throughout history and climaxes in the person and work of Jesus Christ and the Gospel.
BT 173: Principles of Biblical Interpretation
The purpose of this course is to introduce and expose students to the various tools of Biblical interpretation in order that they might be able to confidently interact with a Biblical text and assess its meaning in light of the broader teaching of Scripture and redemptive history.
CH 141: History of Christianity I
This course will help students to think critically about the past in a way which allows them to think critically about the present. The goal will be to understand ourselves, our world, and thus respond to the challenges that face us today. The course will allow you to engage with the foundational ideas of Christianity as they were developed by the early church. You will be introduced to your Christian forebearers of the Ancient and Medieval church who developed and defended the fundamental questions of the Christian faith: who is Christ, what is the nature of God, how is man saved, which books belong in the Bible, what is the Church, and how should it relate to the state?
CH 151: History of Christianity II
This course will help students to think critically about the past in a way which allows them to think critically about the present. The goal will be to understand ourselves, our world, and thus respond to the challenges that face us today. The course will allow you to engage with the ideas of Christianity as they developed in the Reformation and Modern Church. You will be introduced to reformers and theologians of the Reformation and Modern church who recovered and defined key questions of the faith, including: justification, grace, Scripture, confessions, worship, missions, and church government.
OT 141: Old Testament Theology for Application
Prerequisite: BT 101 Bible Survey OR BT 173 Principles of Biblical Interpretation
This course is designed for students interested in obtaining a more full understanding of what it means for the Old Testament to be God’s word for his people, “written for our instruction” (Rom 15:4; 1 Cor 10:11). The primary emphasis of this course will focus on the methods and guide-lines used in reading and interpreting the Old Testament as God’s Word that is relevant for the lives and ministries of all believers today. This course is particularly valuable for those seeking to interpret the historical, prophetic, and wisdom books of the Old Testament as God’s instruction in light of the person and work of Jesus Christ and the gospel.
NT 143: New Testament Theology for Application
Prerequisite: BT 101 Bible Survey OR BT 173 Principles of Biblical Interpretation
This course is designed to fill out your knowledge of the content of the New Testament and to give you the opportunity to move from Biblical content to ministerial contexts to apply passages to yourself and others. These objectives reinforce and enhance one another; you have not understood the Bible if you have not applied it, and you cannot apply the Bible unless you understand its message and theology. Doing both at once is difficult, but the goal is to direct all learning in Bible content to exhortation. As we discuss theological and exegetical content, be intentionally thinking, “how is this useful?” As we address ministerial problems and counseling situations, be intentionally thinking “what texts might address this and why?” As the class progresses, we will come to appreciate the inseparable link between the two.
ST 101: Introduction to Systematic Theology
Introduction to Systematic Theology is the first of the many Systematic Theology courses at Westminster. In this class, you will be introduced to answers to questions like, How do I know what I know? What is “Systematic Theology”? How do we know anything about God and His world? What is Scripture, and how can I know that it is trustworthy? Special attention will also be given to Christ as the center of God’s revelation and all human thought and the Holy Spirit’s role in God’s revelation. Through lectures, readings, and interaction with experienced instructors and fellow students, you will walk away from this class with a solid foundation for the rest of biblical and systematics courses throughout your program.
ST 113: Doctrine of God
In this course, students will be introduced to a core doctrine that serves as the foundation of theological inquiry: the doctrine of God. Particular attention will be given to the nature, name, and character of God as Triune, along with the acts of God in and apart from creation.
ST 611: Union with Christ
Prerequisite: ST 101 Introduction to Systematic Theology OR ST 113 Doctrine of God
In Redemption Accomplished and Applied, John Murray writes, “Nothing is more central or basic than union and communion with Christ.” In this course, Dr. Sinclair Ferguson takes students on a deep study of the work of Christ and the Spirit in the life of the believer, covering the doctrine of the believer’s union with Christ and each of the benefits that flow from that personal relationship including Calling, Regeneration, Faith, Repentance, Justification, Adoption, Sanctification, Perseverance, and Assurance.
AP 562: Christianity and Culture
Prerequisite: AP 101 Introduction to Apologetics OR ST 101 Introduction to Systematic Theology AND BT 101 Bible Survey
This course will begin by introducing students to the topic of culture, providing a preliminary definition and some examples of the way we engage with culture on a daily basis. From here, the course will lay out the biblical foundations for cultural engagement using the cultural mandate as the basis for our understanding of Scripture’s call to cultural engagement. Next, the course will briefly assess different models for cultural engagement held among Christians and look to Scripture for an appropriate model to adopt for engaging and analyzing culture. In the final section, time will be spent thinking through the issues, covering topics like art, secularization, race, and focus on how God’s word is a reliable resource for the answers to the toughest questions thrown at believers in the 21st century.
AP 671: Science and Faith
Prerequisite: AP 101 Introduction to Apologetics OR ST 101 Introduction to Systematic Theology AND BT 101 Bible Survey
In Science & Faith, you will walk through a framework for understanding and evaluating science within a biblically-based worldview, utilizing resources from systematic theology, presuppositional apologetics, and biblical theology. He will specifically focus on interpretations of Genesis 1-3, evolution, and how the doctrines of the Trinity, Revelation, and the creation of Man inform our understanding of science.
OT 641: Biblical Theology of Worship
Prerequisite: BT 101 Bible Survey AND BT 173 Principles of Biblical Interpretation
In this course, students will dive into the topic of worship as the people of the King, living in the presence of the King, living in harmony with the King’s people. Students will be introduced to the topic of worship as it spans across redemptive history, tracing the foundational principles of worship as involving a sacred person, a sacred place, a sacred community, and a sacred time. Students will also explore the various worship practices of God’s people, how these practices have been taken up or rejected during different times and movements, and how they should be evaluated in light of a biblical theology of worship.
PT 111: Introduction to Pastoral Theology
Prerequisite: MATS students only
Within this course, you will be introduced to answers to questions like: What does the character of a Christian leader within the church look like? What are the key qualities for effective ministry? What does it mean to be called to ministry? What theology underlies our understanding of ministry? Special attention will also be given to the place of ordained ministry in the Reformed church, and the role of prayer and preaching as core competencies of a Christian pastor. Through lectures, readings, and interaction with faculty, experienced instructors, and fellow students from a variety of contexts, you will walk away from this course with a foundation for the rest of your pastoral theology and pastoral counseling courses throughout your program.
PT 123: Gospel Communication
Whether you are called to preach or not, elders, deacons, catechetical and Sunday school teachers, small group leaders, and counselors are called to teach. This course, specifically designed for non-ordained ministry contexts, will set forth the foundational principles and practices for effectively communicating biblical and theological context in various teaching venues inside and outside the local church with a Christ-centered focus.
PT 311: Foundations for Leadership in the Local Church
Prerequisite: MATS students only
This course builds on Introduction to Pastoral Theology and Ministry by developing a biblical theology of leadership and offices in the church, deepening the students' understanding of the character required of church leaders, and exploring the practice of shepherd-leadership in the context of Presbyterian church polity.
PC 111: Intro to Pastoral Counseling
Prerequisite: MATS students only
This course is a general introduction to the pastor’s unique role as a counselor of God’s Word from a theologically Reformed perspective within the context of the local church. The course covers a brief history of pastoral counseling, the necessity of equipping the laity of the local church for effective change, the dynamics of biblical change, issues concerning the relationship between body and soul, counseling methodology, and the application of biblical and theological truth to people’s common problems in living, such as fear/worry, depression, and habitual sin.