Aims of the Module 

This module begins the process of developing you as a reflective practitioner. It provides the foundations from which you will develop your skills, knowledge, attitudes and conduct in a real, practical context. It provides the opportunity to reflect on personal and spiritual growth and the relationship between theory and practice, laying the foundations of examing the importance of Christian ‘call and vocation’ within the framework of Christian discipleship andspiritual formation

Intended Learning Outcomes 

On successful completion, you will be able to:

1. Demonstrate the ability to plan a placement with appropriate objectives

2. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of legal and theological frameworks for safe practice

3. Understand and integrate biblical perspectives on calling and Christian vocation

4. Identify and apply principles of Christian discipleship and spiritual formation within the wider Christian church and community

5. Demonstrate a basic knowledge of reflective practice and communicate results in a structured clear manner

Indicative Module Content 

· 3 hours per week in practical training placement in each of the two semesters

· Understanding of supervision and placement regulations

· Safeguarding legislation, policy and procedure

· Introduction to reflective practice

· Introduction to calling and vocation from a Christian perspective

· Biblical perspectives of discipleship

Assessment 

2x Portfolio 2000 words 50%

Aims of the Module 

To introduce the student to concepts and skills involved in the study of the Old Testament

Intended Learning Outcomes  

On successful completion, you will be able to:

1. Situate Old Testament events and personalities within the context of the history of the Ancient Near East

2. Place Old Testament literature within the cultural setting and conceptual world of the Ancient Near East

3. Understand a basic process of interpreting a biblical passage and perform basic exegesis on a set Old Testament text

4. Understand the nature of genre and its importance in interpreting Old Testament texts

5. Communicate the outcomes of your study accurately and in a structured and clear manner

Indicative Module Content 

· Historical background of the literature of the Old Testament

· Cultural and religious background of the Old Testament

· Genres of Old Testament literature

· Exegesis of set passages

· Study skills: sources and secondary literature, essay writing, introduction to critical thinking

Assessment 

2x Written assignment 2000 words 50%

Aims of the Module 

To introduce the student to concepts and skills involved in the study of the New Testament. 

Intended Learning Outcomes 

On successful completion, you will be able to: 

1. Situate New Testament characters and writings within the historical and cultural setting of the Greco-Roman and early Jewish era 

2. Understand the relevance of genre in interpreting New Testament passages 

3. Perform basic exegesis on a given New Testament passage 

4. Understand the relevance of exegesis for other theological disciplines 

5. Communicate the outcomes of your study accurately and in a structured and clear manner 

Indicative Module Content 

· Historical background of the New Testament 

· Cultural and religious background of the New Testament 

· New Testament genres 

· Development of exegetical skills 

Assessment 

Written assignment 2000 words 50% 

Written assignment 2000 words 50% 

Aims of the Module 

The purpose of this module is to lay the foundation for the development of a range of theological thinking skills across the programme. 

Intended Learning Outcomes 

On successful completion, you will be able to: 

1. Evidence understanding of key sources for theological thinking 

2. Formulate responses to defined theological issues, situations and questions 

3. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of theological methodology and its importance for practice and belief 

4. Acquire skills, habits and patterns of theological thinking that will be applied in subsequent years of study 

5. Communicate the outcomes of your study accurately and in a structured and clear manner 

Indicative Module Content  

This course will introduce the nature of and relationships between the sources that frame theological action and reflection and illustrate how these sources are used in Christian history and today. Links among the theological disciplines will be made through the application of a methodology, such as of the pastoral cycle, to specific issues. 

Assessment 

Written assignment 2000 words 50% 

Oral assessment/presentation 2000 words equivalent 50% 

Aims of the Module 

To provide an overview of the Christian Church in its historical context until the modern period (c. 1650) with focus on selected key periods, personalities and/or events. 

Intended Learning Outcomes 

On successful completion, you will be able to:  

1. Understand the contribution of important events and people to the development of Christian tradition up to the modern period 

2. Analyse the influence of particular cultural perspectives on the way theological and spiritual issues have been handled in the history of the Church 

3. Articulate the connection between the broader political, cultural and economic contexts and developments in the history of Christianity 

4. Reflect on the contemporary relevance of Christian history 

5. Engage with historical sources and effectively communicate the results of your study 

Indicative Module Content 

· A brief overview of the history of the Christian Church 

· More detailed attention on the apostolic, patristic, medieval and reformation periods 

· Introduction of primary sources and their role in studying history 

· Emphasis on the need to understand church history within its particular contexts to critically evaluate issues 

· Application of student learning to their own spiritual heritage and identity 

Assessment 

Written assignment 2500 words 60% 

Portfolio 1500 words 40%

Aims of the Module 

Building on Ministry Formation and Practice I this module aims to facilitate the students ability to engage in critical understanding and evaluation of their development. With a focus on team skills, the student will develop skills, knowledge, attitudes and conduct in a real, practical context and reflect on personal and spiritual growth. It provides the opportunity to analyse collaborative skills and ministry formation and the relationship between theory and practice.

Intended Learning Outcomes 

On successful completion, you will be able to:  

1. Demonstrate the ability to plan placements providing evidence of research, planning and appropriate objectives 

2. Demonstrate knowledge and critical understanding of skills required in collaborative work and ministry 

3. Evaluate critically perspectives on Christian ministry and how these apply within both their assigned placements and wider church context. 

4. Identify and evaluate short-term and long-term approaches to integration of discipleship, spiritual formation and ministry development.  

5. Apply principles of ongoing reflective practice and communicate results in a structured clear manner 

Indicative Module Content 

· 3 hours per week in practical training placement in each of the two semesters

· Compliance with safeguarding and placement regulations

· Application of health and safety for work and travel

· Development of models and methods of reflective practice

· Growing personal and spiritual development

· Introduction to team skills

· Introduction to approaches to disciple-making

· Perspectives on Christian ministry

Assessment 

2x Portfolio 2000 words 50%

Aims of the Module 

To introduce students to the art of reading texts with a specific emphasis on reading sacred texts as part of a community of faith and relating them to contemporary debates and issues.

Intended Learning Outcomes 

On successful completion, you will be able to:

1. Critically evaluate different hermeneutical approaches to biblical texts

2. Analyse the impact of underlying hermeneutical paradigms on specific interpretative decisions

3. Reflect on your own hermeneutical paradigms and presuppositions

4. Exegete Biblical texts and reflect on their contemporary significance

5. Communicate effectively the results of your exegetical and hermeneutical research

Indicative Module Content 

· Text and meaning; the intention of the author

· Context and meaning; the importance of the literary, historical, and canonical context

· Meaning and significance; principles of legitimate application; general principles model; redemptive movement model; metaphorical model

· Introduction to the concept of the reader; readers and the construction of meaning

· Introduction to the importance of interpretative tradition and community

· Communication skills

Assessment 

Portfolio 2000 words 50%

Written assignment 2000 words 50%

Aims of the Module 

The purpose of this module is to explore the key doctrines of the Christian faith and their various expressions across history and the branches of the Church.

Intended Learning Outcomes 

On successful completion, you will be able to:

1. Demonstrate a critical understanding and appreciation of the foundations of the Christian tradition

2. Apply sources, concepts and principles in analysing doctrinal differences among the major branches of the Church

3. Employ knowledge to construct a substantiated theological argument

4. Develop the skills to engage in increasingly specialist evaluation of theological subjects and sources

5. Effectively communicate information and arguments and deploy key techniques of the discipline

Indicative Module Content 

This module will survey how theological systems develop both theoretically and historically. It will consider the concept of ‘orthodoxy’ in Christianity and the beliefs that all Christians share. It will consider the shape of several specific expressions of Christianity and enter into critical dialogue with them, questioning and evaluating their use of sources and their construction of doctrine. It will build on theological thinking skills obtained at Level 4 and model certain procedures for constructing and communicating theological ideas.

Assessment 

Written assignment 2500 words 60% 

Set Exercise 1500 words 40%

Aims of the Module 

To study aspects of the nature and practices of the Christian church and its ministry in contemporary society

Intended Learning Outcomes  

On successful completion, you will be able to:

1. Demonstrate a working knowledge of differing ecclesiologies and their impact on practice in local church contexts

2. Demonstrate an ability to access, apply and evaluate scholarship on the subjects of church and ministry and be able to communicate the results

3. Evidence an ability to evaluate scholarship on issues of church structure and sacramental practice and their contemporary relevance in secular society

4. Evaluate and critique contemporary church and ministry practice in the light of theological principles

5. Apply your increased understanding to your own activities and attitudes in church and ministry

Indicative Module Content 

This module will enable the student to acquire a wide introductory knowledge of how the church operates in practice and learn to apply critical judgment in relevant areas of theory and practice. It will include an introduction to a variety of ecclesiologies, including Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox and Protestant theology and practice.

It will also provide a critical introduction to relevant areas of church ministry and practice. Such areas may include: Contextual church, relationships between churches, postmodern church, sacraments, ministry structures, church discipline, church services, community, church architecture, unity, biblical and practical concepts of ministry, stress and time management in ministry, training for ministry, vocation, calling and spirituality, team functions in leadership in the church.

Assessment 

Written assignment 2000 words 50%

Written assignment 2000 words 50%

Aims of the Module 

This module explores the practice of biblically and theologically based pastoral care in contemporary Christian ministry contexts. Several approaches and models of pastoral care will be introduced and applied to specific groups of people and types of need. 

Intended Learning Outcomes 

On successful completion, you will be able to: 

1. Critically understand the importance of pastoral care in contemporary Christian ministry 

2. Evaluate contemporary approaches to and models of pastoral care 

3. Apply theoretical understandings of pastoral care to specific groups of people and types of need 

4. Analyse and evaluate the connections between Christian pastoral care and other support available to people in need 

5. Develop and reflect upon your own self-understanding as a potential pastoral practitioner 

Indicative Module Content 

This module focuses on the practice of pastoral care for specific types of people and people with specific needs, for example disability, different life stages, chronic illness and loss. It seeks to relate theoretical foundations for thinking about pastoral care to challenging situations and to refine understanding of the goal and means of pastoral care in light of reflection on these situations. It will also consider the potential of Christian pastoral care and its relationship to other aspects of person-centred care and support including health and social care. Students will also continue to develop their understanding of themselves and their approach to faithful care-giving as lifelong reflective practitioners. 

Assessment 

Written assignment 2000 words 50% 

Portfolio 2000 words 50%