School of Divinity

About the School

As the sole academic unit of Abide University, the School of Divinity offers comprehensive theological education spanning 131 majors and 170 specialized degree programs. From pastoral leadership and biblical studies to Christian counseling, family therapy, apologetics, evangelism, global missions, and church law, our programs prepare servant-leaders for ministry, scholarship, and Kingdom impact worldwide.

Programs

• Theology — Study religious traditions, sacred texts, and theological thought.
• Systematic Theology — Comprehensive study of Christian doctrine in systematic and coherent framework.
• Bible and Theology — Integrated study of Scripture and Christian doctrine for teaching, writing, and leadership.
• Christian Apologetics — Rational defense of Christian faith addressing contemporary challenges.
• Comparative Theology — Advanced research in comparative religious thought, interfaith dialogue, and theological pluralism.
• World Religions and Christian Witness — Study of world religions in service of Christian witness, dialogue, and mission.
• Religion and Science — Interdisciplinary research exploring the relationship between religious faith and scientific inquiry.
• Analytic Theology — Rigorous philosophical analysis of theological concepts using analytic methods.
• Biblical Studies — Deep study of biblical texts, languages, and interpretation.
• Biblical Hermeneutics — Advanced study of biblical interpretation methods, exegesis, and hermeneutical theory.
• Biblical Interpretation — Advanced hermeneutics and exegetical methodology for biblical scholarship.
• Biblical Justice — Biblical foundations for social justice, mercy ministry, and prophetic witness.
• Second Temple Judaism and Christian Origins — Historical and textual study of Judaism during the Second Temple period and early Christianity.
• Septuagint and Cognate Studies — Advanced study of the Septuagint, Greek Old Testament, and related ancient texts.
• The Bible and the Ancient Near East — The world behind the Bible: ancient Near Eastern cultures, languages, and texts.
• Church History and Historical Theology — Advanced research in church history, patristic theology, and historical theology.
• Apologetics and Philosophy — Philosophical foundations of Christian apologetics and worldview analysis.
• Public Theology — Engaging faith with public discourse, policy, and cultural transformation.
• Theology of Beauty and the Arts — Advanced study of beauty, the arts, and worship in Christian theology.
• Church and Public Life — Theology of the church's witness in government, law, and public life.
• Church Fathers and Early Christianity — Study of the church fathers, the early creeds, and the faith of the first centuries.
• Reformation Theology and History — The Protestant Reformation: its theology, history, and enduring legacy.
• Ministry — Prepare for pastoral leadership and congregational ministry.
• Practical Theology — Advanced study of ministry practice, theological reflection, and ecclesiology.
• Pastoral Care — Comprehensive training in pastoral care, spiritual direction, and ministry to those in crisis.
• Pastoral Counseling — Clinical pastoral care integrating theology with counseling psychology.
• Christian Counseling — Integrate faith and psychology in counseling practice.
• Theology of Justice and Mercy — Biblical justice, mercy for the poor and oppressed, and the prophetic witness of the church.
• Theology of the Family — Biblical theology of marriage, family, parenting, and the household of faith.
• Black Church Leadership and Preaching — The Black church tradition: its preaching, worship, leadership, and witness.
• Creation Care and Stewardship — Theology of creation, environmental stewardship, and care for God's world.
• Disability Ministry and Theology — Theology of disability and building churches where every person belongs.
• Bioethics and Healthcare Theology — Ethical analysis of healthcare, medical technology, and bioethical dilemmas from theological perspectives.
• Global Missions — Cross-cultural mission strategy, church planting, and global evangelism.
• Intercultural Studies and Missiology — Advanced research in cross-cultural ministry, mission theology, and global Christianity.
• Urban Ministry — Ministry in urban contexts addressing poverty, justice, and community development.
• Worship Arts — Theology and practice of Christian worship, liturgy, and sacred music.
• Worship and Sacred Music — Theology and practice of congregational worship, hymnody, and sacred music.
• Worship Leadership — Training for worship leaders and music ministry teams serving the local church.
• Christian Education — Preparation for teaching ministry in churches, schools, and parachurch organizations.
• Faith Formation and Discipleship — Forming disciples of all ages through teaching, catechesis, and spiritual formation.
• Biblical Ethics — Living faithfully: biblical foundations for moral life, character, and community.
• World Christianity — Study of global Christianity, non-Western theological perspectives, and the worldwide church.
• Liturgical Theology — Advanced research in liturgical theology, worship history, and sacramental practice.
• Ecumenical Studies — Study of Christian unity, ecumenical dialogue, and inter-denominational relations.
• Diaspora Missions and the Global Church — Ministry among diaspora communities and the mission of the global church.
• Pentecostal and Charismatic Theology — Research on the Holy Spirit, renewal movements, and global Pentecostal Christianity.
• Asian Christianity and Mission — Study of the church in Asia, contextual theology, and mission across the Pacific world.
• Evangelism and Discipleship — Gospel proclamation, personal and public evangelism, and disciple-making movements.
• Missional Theology and Evangelism — Advanced research in missional ecclesiology, theology of evangelism, and gospel witness in contemporary cultures.
• Executive Church Leadership — Strategic leadership for large church and multi-site ministry contexts.
• Church Governance and Stewardship — Faithful stewardship of church resources, governance, and organizational leadership.
• Christian School Leadership — Leadership for Christian schools, academies, and theological training institutions.
• Pastoral Ministry (M.Div.) — Comprehensive preparation for pastoral ministry, preaching, and congregational leadership.
• Chaplaincy (M.Div.) — Specialized training for military, hospital, prison, and institutional chaplaincy ministry.
• Word and Ministry (M.Div.) — Broad formation in Scripture, theology, and ministry for diverse callings and contexts.
• Pastoral Leadership (D.Min.) — Advanced leadership formation for senior pastors and ministry leaders.
• Applied Theology (D.Min.) — Integration of theological reflection with practical ministry application.
• Expository Preaching (D.Min.) — Professional doctorate in biblical exposition and homiletical excellence.
• Spiritual Formation (D.Min.) — Professional doctorate in spiritual theology and formation ministry.
• Marriage, Family, and Youth Ministry (D.Min.) — Professional doctorate in family systems, marriage theology, and youth ministry.
• Faith, Work, and Marketplace Leadership (D.Min.) — Professional doctorate in theology of work, vocation, and marketplace ministry.
• Theology, Technology, and AI — Theological engagement with technology, artificial intelligence, and digital culture.
• Christian Ethics — Advanced study of moral theology, ethical theory, and applied Christian ethics.
• Rural and Small-Town Ministry (D.Min.) — Professional doctorate in rural church leadership and small-town pastoral ministry.
• Bivocational Ministry and Tentmaking (D.Min.) — Professional doctorate in bivocational ministry and tentmaking for dual-calling pastors.
• Reconciliation and Peacemaking Ministry (D.Min.) — Professional doctorate in reconciliation, peacemaking, and healing divided communities.
• Mission in a Secular Age (D.Min.) — Professional doctorate in reaching secular, post-Christian, and dechurched people with the gospel.
• Trauma-Informed Pastoral Care (D.Min.) — Professional doctorate in trauma theology, crisis ministry, and trauma-informed care.
• Senior Adult Ministry (D.Min.) — Professional doctorate in senior adult ministry, legacy, and end-of-life care.
• Digital Discipleship (Ed.D.) — Professional doctorate in digital discipleship, online ministry, and theological education.
• Christian Nonprofit Leadership (Ed.D.) — Professional doctorate in Christian nonprofit leadership and compassion-driven organizations.
• Church Planting and Multiplication (D.Min.) — Professional doctorate in church planting strategy, missional ecclesiology, and multiplication movements.
• Emotionally Focused Therapy — Attachment-based couple and family therapy that reshapes the bond beneath the conflict.
• Restoration Therapy — Naming the pain cycle and practising truth and love until couples and families change it.
• Experiential Therapy — Therapy in the present moment, where families feel and rework their patterns in the room.
• Socio Emotional Relationship Therapy — Couple therapy that takes power, culture, and equality seriously as clinical realities.
• Clinical Psychology — Assessment, diagnosis, and evidence-based intervention integrated with Christian care.
• Family Psychology — The psychology of couples, parents, children, and households across the lifespan.
• Christian Marriage and Family Counseling — Counseling couples and households from a Christian vision of covenant, family, and grace.
• Biblical Marriage and Family Counseling — Marriage and family counseling that takes Scripture as its first authority and method.
• Child and Family Counseling — Counseling children and their families together, from early childhood to adolescence.
• Pastoral Care and Counseling — The care of souls in the congregation, from visitation and crisis to short-term counseling.
• Spiritual Care and Counseling — Spiritual assessment and accompaniment in hospitals, hospices, crises, and seasons of doubt.
• Trauma Informed Christian Counseling — Christian counseling that puts safety first and walks with survivors toward recovery.
• Grief and Bereavement Counseling — Accompanying the bereaved through loss, mourning, and complicated grief with Christian hope.
• Family Resilience Counseling — Helping families withstand hardship and grow stronger through adversity together.
• Christian Marriage and Family Therapy — Systemic marriage and family therapy integrated with Christian theology and ethics.
• Trauma Informed Family Therapy — Family therapy that treats trauma as a relational injury and makes safety the first goal.
• Family Systems Therapy — Bowen theory and the systemic tradition: differentiation, triangles, and generations.
• Couple Therapy — The major models of couple therapy, the research that tests them, and when each fits.
• Child and Family Therapy — Treating children’s problems within the family, with parents as partners in change.
• Multicultural Family Therapy — Family therapy across culture, migration, race, and faith, practised with humility.
• Canonical Penal Law (J.C.D.) — Advanced study of ecclesiastical law, church governance, and canonical jurisprudence.
• Matrimonial Jurisprudence (J.C.D.) — Advanced study of canonical marriage law, annulments, and matrimonial jurisprudence.
• Sacramental Law (J.C.D.) — Study of canonical regulations governing sacraments and liturgical law.
• Canonical Procedural Law (J.C.D.) — Advanced study of canonical procedures, tribunals, and ecclesiastical courts.
• Canonical Administrative Law (J.C.D.) — Study of church administration, governance structures, and administrative canon law.
• Law of Consecrated Life (J.C.D.) — Canonical study of religious orders, vows, and consecrated life regulations.
• Patrimonial Law (J.C.D.) — Study of church property law, temporal goods, and ecclesiastical patrimony.
• Oriental Canon Law (J.C.D.) — Study of Eastern Catholic canon law and Oriental church governance.
• History of Canon Law (J.C.D.) — Historical development of canon law from early church to modern codifications.
• General Canonical Norms (J.C.D.) — Fundamental principles and general norms governing the entire Code of Canon Law.
• Matrimonial Law (J.C.L.) — Consent, impediments, canonical form, and the nullity process, for canonists who serve marriage tribunals.
• Procedural Law (J.C.L.) — Tribunals, proofs, sentences, and appeals under Book VII, for canonists who carry cases through church courts.
• Penal Canon Law (J.C.L.) — Delicts, penalties, and the penal process under the revised Book VI, applied with due process and pastoral care.
• Administrative Canon Law (J.C.L.) — Decrees, rescripts, dispensations, and hierarchical recourse in the daily governance of the church.
• Sacramental Law (J.C.L.) — The law of baptism, the Eucharist, penance, orders, and the other sacraments, from validity to registration.
• Consecrated Life (J.C.L.) — Religious institutes, vows, formation, governance, and separation from the institute under the law of consecrated life.
• Church Governance (J.C.L.) — The power of governance, dioceses and parishes, offices, and consultative bodies in the life of the church.
• Eastern Canon Law (J.C.L.) — The Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, the churches sui iuris, and the questions between East and West.
• Law and Theology (J.D.) — Legal reasoning and doctrine read alongside Christian theology of justice, authority, and the common good.
• Ecclesiastical Law (J.D.) — The law of churches as institutions: polity, property, discipline, and how civil courts treat church disputes.
• Law and Religion (J.D.) — Religious liberty, establishment, and the legal treatment of religion in constitutional and international law.
• Religious Legal Studies (J.D.) — Comparative study of religious legal systems, from canon law to Jewish and Islamic law, beside the secular law.
• Christian Legal Studies (J.D.) — Christian jurisprudence, natural law, and the vocation of the Christian lawyer in legal practice and reform.
• Law and Theology (E.J.D.) — Legal fluency for leaders: how law and theology together shape decisions about justice, authority, and duty.
• Ecclesiastical Law (E.J.D.) — Church polity, property, employment, and discipline for executives who lead congregations and denominations.
• Law and Religion (E.J.D.) — Religious freedom, accommodation, and compliance for executives of churches, schools, and ministries.
• Religious Legal Studies (E.J.D.) — Working knowledge of religious legal traditions for leaders in interfaith, international, and policy settings.
• Christian Legal Studies (E.J.D.) — Christian legal thought, ethics, and conciliation for leaders who make legal decisions without practising law.
• Law and Theology (Dr. utr. iur.) — The doctorate in both laws: Roman, civil, and canon law studied with the theology that formed them.
• Ecclesiastical Law (Dr. utr. iur.) — Research in church law across the canonical and civil traditions, from Gratian to the modern codes.
• Law and Religion (Dr. utr. iur.) — Comparative research on religion in civil and canon law, from church-state settlements to human rights.
• Religious Legal Studies (Dr. utr. iur.) — Doctoral research comparing religious legal systems with the civil and canonical traditions of Europe.
• Christian Legal Studies (Dr. utr. iur.) — Doctoral research in Christian jurisprudence, natural law, and the shared history of canon and civil law.
• Law and Theology (C.E.J.D.) — Corporate governance and executive judgment for faith-based organizations, grounded in law and theology.
• Ecclesiastical Law (C.E.J.D.) — Incorporation, property trusts, boards, and compliance for churches, dioceses, and denominational bodies.
• Law and Religion (C.E.J.D.) — Religious liberty in the workplace and the marketplace, for executives of companies and faith-based employers.
• Religious Legal Studies (C.E.J.D.) — Religious law in commerce: Islamic finance, kosher and halal compliance, and faith-based business standards.
• Christian Legal Studies (C.E.J.D.) — Christian ethics, fiduciary duty, and dispute resolution for executives of companies and Christian nonprofits.