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The Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies (MAPS) degree program offers a concentration in Religious Education. This program develops the practices of thinking, acting, and teaching necessary for service in today’s culturally, generationally, and theologically diverse church.
Students in this concentration cultivate the practice of considering every problem and situation through theological lenses, so that the outcome or solution is infused with the principles of faith. These habits prepare students of the Religious Education concentration to engage, catechize, and educate all age groups in a variety of contexts.
For more information about the Religious Education concentration, fill out our request for information form or attend an information session.
Curriculum
The curriculum includes the eight core courses required for the MAPS degree plus two education courses (IPS 485 Religious Education, Evangelization & Cultures and IPS 486 Principles of Religious Education), one elective course, one contextual education practicum, and a final Integration Project.
Learning Outcomes
MA in Pastoral Studies
By completing the Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies, students will be able to demonstrate:
- A fluency with the theological, ministerial, and interpersonal resources that make successful service to the church and world feasible in positions of formation, scholarship, or ecclesial leadership.
- The capacity to understand and critique the social and cultural contexts in which the graduate will be called to serve, always with an eye toward the marginalized, excluded, and systems of oppression.
- The ability to articulate with rhetorical skill and persuasion convincing command of relevant theological and ministerial themes and applications to various potential audiences, both orally and in writing.
- Personal engagement with, and an ability to draw upon, spiritual and psychological insights and scholarship that will nourish them as they make successful ministerial or academic contributions to their particular settings and contexts.
