Master of Arts in New Testament

Prerequisite: Students must demonstrate proficiency in translating and exegeting New Testament Greek texts by earning 12 credit hours (or equivalent) of university or seminary credit in Hellenistic Greek (including online courses offered by Johnson University) or passing a proficiency test administered by the graduate faculty.

1 Corinthians: Greek Text
A Greek-based study of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians. Through translation, individual research, and discussion, students explore the meaning of the text in its first-century setting, gaining experience in using the tools of biblical study.

Prison Epistles: Greek Text
A Greek-based study of Paul’s letters to the Ephesians, the Philippians, the Colossians, and to Philemon. Through translation, individual research, and discussion, students explore the meaning of the text in its first-century setting, gaining experience in using the tools of biblical study.

Apocalypse: Greek Text
Supervised study of the Greek text of the Book of Revelation to develop skills in translation and exegesis and knowledge of exegetical resources.

Honors Thesis OR Research Project
Students seeking to write an Honors Thesis must receive approval from program faculty. Other students may follow the requirements for the Research Project.

Honors Thesis
Students who intend to pursue a terminal degree in New Testament research may, with the prior approval of the faculty on review of the student’s portfolio of written work completed in the program, write a carefully researched, appropriately documented, cogent, clear paper of about 75 pages on a selected New Testament subject of interest to the student and conducted under the guidance of a faculty advisor. Typically, the honors thesis requires two terms to complete.

Research Project
Most students in the New Testament Research track and the Customized Concentration track will complete a paper of approximately 30 pages under the supervision of a faculty member over a single term. The paper will summarize and evaluate the present state of research on a particular issue related to the New Testament or a passage in the New Testament.

Prerequisite: Expository Preaching is required for students who have not completed 6 or more undergraduate or graduate credits in Homiletics and recommended for those who have not completed a Homiletics course within the past 10 years.

Advanced Expository Preaching
Advanced Expository Preaching further develops principles learned in CMPR 5101 Expository Preaching (or previous homiletics courses). Students gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between sound exegesis and effective preaching, learn to preach accurately from various biblical literary forms, and use various sermon forms to communicate biblical truth most effectively.

Preaching & Teaching for Spiritual Formation
This course prepares students to provide opportunities for the spiritual formation of churches through their preaching and teaching. Students learn to focus on their own spiritual formation as a basis for the ministry of the word, assess a congregation’s spiritual condition, determine how congregations develop spiritually, and design specific preaching and teaching methodologies that effectively shape corporate and individual spiritual formation. Students in the Spiritual Formation concentration must take the hybrid format of this course, which includes an intensive week on campus. The hybrid format is offered every other summer. Students in the Preaching concentration and certificate programs may choose either the hybrid or online format of the course.

Preaching Contexts
Students examine three important contexts of preaching–namely, the theological, historical, and contemporary contexts. Students explore a biblical theology of preaching, trace key eras and figures related to the history of preaching, and learn to assess their own contemporary context for preaching, so they can most effectively relate their sermons to their particular listeners.

Preaching Project I
This project leads students to integrate their New Testament and preaching courses through writing an exegetical paper on a New Testament passage.

Preaching Project II
This continuation of the preaching project allows students to integrate New Testament and preaching courses through writing a sermon, which is delivered to a congregation and recorded for the faculty to evaluate.

Preaching & Teaching for Spiritual Formation
This course prepares students to provide opportunities for the spiritual formation of churches through their preaching and teaching. Students learn to focus on their own spiritual formation as a basis for the ministry of the word, assess a congregation’s spiritual condition, determine how congregations develop spiritually, and design specific preaching and teaching methodologies that effectively shape corporate and individual spiritual formation. Students in the Spiritual Formation concentration must take the hybrid format of this course, which includes an intensive week on campus. The hybrid format is offered every other summer. Students in the Preaching concentration and certificate programs may choose either the hybrid or online format of the course.

Introduction to Spiritual Formation
This course introduces students to the concept, process, and practice of spiritual formation. Particular emphasis is placed on the examination of and the practice of classical spiritual disciplines and other devotional practices. The purpose is to help students with their own spiritual formation as they prepare to lead others. This 3-credit course is taken in a one-week residence with cohort members. Additional online pre- and post-course assignments are required.

History of Christian Spiritual Formation
The purpose of this course is to examine the varieties of spiritual and devotional movements throughout the history of Christianity. The strengths and weaknesses of these movements are explored with the intent of appreciating the role of history and tradition in spiritual formation and applying valid spiritual principles to contemporary practice in individual and corporate contexts.

Spiritual Formation & Leadership Project: Fall Term
This project leads students to integrate their New Testament and spiritual formation courses through developing a project in their ministry setting.

Spiritual Formation & Leadership Project: Spring Term
This continuation of the spiritual formation project allows students to integrate New Testament and spiritual formation courses through delivering a project in their ministry setting and reporting on that project at the Spiritual Formation Project Retreat in the Spring Term.

Students who choose the Customized Concentration complete the core curriculum and a group of related courses agreed upon by the student and the faculty, including an integrated project or thesis. The concentration may include coursework completed at Johnson University and/or transferred from an accredited institution(s) approved by the faculty (e.g. regionally accredited, ATS, and ABHE institutions). Students who choose the Customized Concentration pursue the learning outcomes and goals negotiated with the faculty.

Students who lack enough coursework in biblical studies to provide adequate preparation for graduate study may be required to complete some foundational readings before the end of the first term of enrollment. This work will be assigned and assessed by the Program Director.

An online orientation includes a brief investigation of the methods and tools of New Testament research and scholarly writing. It introduces appropriate indices, journals, and reference works in the Glass Memorial Library. One unit covers bibliography, note-taking, and research writing skills.

A study of the authorship, date, audience, and purpose of each book of the New Testament, with attention to differing approaches to these questions. The text and canon of the New Testament are also considered.

A study of the world of Christian origins. Focus is given to principle cities, institutions, movements, and individuals that contextualize the New Testament text.

An introduction to the theory and practice of New Testament exegesis, the tools and methods of biblical research, and the academic writing process. Students must complete this course as the first course in the graduate program in New Testament.

A comprehensive study of the theological perspectives of the New Testament writers and the underlying unity that connects their diverse expressions.

A detailed study of the Gospel of Matthew. Through reading, writing, and individual research, students explore the meaning of the text in its first-century setting, gaining experience in using the tools of biblical study.

A study of the text of the Acts of the Apostles with special attention to the historical, cultural, linguistic, chronological, archaeological, and theological issues crucial for understanding this book. Literary features of this text are analyzed in their relation to the message of the New Testament book.

This course focuses on Paul—as author of the Epistle to the Romans —and the text of Romans itself. The course places Paul within the context of the first-century Roman imperial world (including both Jewish and pagan dynamics) and traces the rhetoric and theology of Romans in terms of this context. Students also focus on the overall movement and argumentation of Romans and place each section of Paul’s epistle within this overall movement.