April 2027 Course Descriptions
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Christian History Survey (D)
This course is a survey of Christian history from its origins to the present. We will examine the key events and figures, as well as the various cultural and social contexts. Special attention will be paid to the distinctive traditions of belief and practice that developed as Christianity grew and expanded into different parts of the world. Required Texts
Evangelism Evangelism is often called "the e-word" in the Episcopal Church, and the Christian right's colonization of evangelism has rightfully given it a bad reputation among our people. But the world needs Good News more than ever, and Jesus commanded us to be evangelists, so what do we do? In this course, students will break down the stereotypes of evangelism that deter people from exploring it and reimagine evangelism from the ground up according to their values. With their new definition of evangelism, grounded in scripture and our tradition, they will learn how to help others identify where their diverse spiritual gifts will drive and shape their practices of evangelism. Students learn how to articulate evangelism as a core spiritual practice of the Christian life, as well as how to build it into concrete ministries in ways that both grapple with institutional self-interest and also equip them to create deeper spiritual intimacy both within and outside their faith communities. Required Texts
History of the Episcopal Church We will look at the history of the Episcopal Church from its colonial beginnings to its current practice in all aspects of Church life. Our “look” will be focused through the Anglican claim to represent the earliest (sub-Apostolic) Church and directed to discovering what accounts for successes and failures in mission, service, and growth. Era by era, we will note how the Church has responded to or helped to create its surroundings through four centuries of changing conditions and consciousness and how the American Episcopal Church relates to the larger Church and its global challenges. What role does ECUSA play in what Presiding Bishop Curry calls “The Jesus Movement”? Required Texts
Contemporary Ethics This course focuses on the history of Christian Theological ethics in the west since the latter decades of the nineteenth century. Beginning with the emergence of the social sciences and the growing ascendancy of the natural sciences, the class will proceed by examining the rise of liberal theological ethics and its eventual variations and challengers. The course will take special note of the effects on theological ethics of a growing consciousness of the social, historical, and cultural nature of human existence, including an increased appreciation for the significance of difference in human experience and identity. A number of movements and perspectives will be encountered. Specifically, the course will cover the Social Gospel movement (including Christian Socialism), Divine Command ethics, Christian Realism, the ethics of Responsibility, modern Casuistry, Narrative (or Postliberal) ethics, Theocentric ethics, and ethics rooted in the varied voices of Liberation Theology. Readings will be engaged throughout the course with an eye to their significance for contemporary moral life. Book List
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BKSM welcomes you to take courses with us for personal enrichment or continuing education. Classes are richer with occasional students around the table. We encourage you to experience this remarkable, uplifting community of learning, worship and fellowship for yourself!
April Overview
Tuition & Scholarships
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