Practical Theology Concentration

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The ThM in Practical Theology is designed to broaden or deepen the student's understanding of ministry with a view to enhancing their contribution in the church, in parachurch organizations, and in other Christian or secular institutions where they are involved in ministry.  Students must take at least half their courses (24 units) including their thesis project in a track specified below. 

The PhD in Practical Theology is designed to prepare students with exceptional promise and ability for positions as “doctors” or educational pastors in the church, to become reflective leaders in other Christian institutions, and for careers in teaching at seminaries and other centers of training for ministry.

Tracks

The ThM and PhD are offered in four tracks.  Faculty mentioned in the following lists are the key per­sons for the program, although for the ThM other faculty from the Ministry Division could also be involved.

Personality, Theology, and  Culture (clinical and academic tracks available)   

This track focuses on advanced training in theological and cross-cultural groundwork for pastoral counseling, research and theory building, correlation and integration of theology, cross-cultural studies and the behavioral sciences, development of advanced practice of pastoral counseling and psychotherapy.  It is offered with the assistance of faculty in the School of Psychology.

      Faculty: Dr. David Augsburger, Dr.  Ray Anderson, Dr.  Yea Sun Eum Kim

Evangelism, Proclamation, Discipleship, and Spirituality

This track focuses on the theory and practice of evangelism from a historical, theological, biblical, and practical point of view.  It aims to interact with current issues in evangelism and to develop new, innovative and culturally sound ways of engaging in it.  The emphasis in the discipleship aspect of the track is on small group theory and practice so as to use this vehicle of ministry for both formation and outreach.  The spirituality aspect focuses on the theory and practice of spiritual growth, with an emphasis on classic methods of spiritual formation as well as on contemporary, integrative understandings of growth derived from the Social Sciences.  The proclamation aspect focuses on the history, theology, and practice of preaching as well as the current state of scholarship in the field of homiletics.

Faculty: Dr.  Richard Peace, Dr.  Clayton Schmit, Dr.  Ray Anderson, Dr.  James Bradley, Dr.  Cecil M.  Robeck

Community, Vocation and Leadership          

This track focuses on the theology and practice of emerging models of church and community, the theology, ministry and equipping of the laity in the church and world, and on the relationship between servanthood, character and leadership.  It draws on field-based research and the social sciences, integrates work across the divisions in the School of Theology, and utilizes the resources of the School of Psychology and the David du Plessis Center for Spirituality.

      Faculty: Dr.  Mark Lau Branson, Dr.  Ray Anderson

 Marriage and Family, Theology, and Practice

This track specializes in marriage and family studies.  It focuses on advanced training in theological and cross-cultural groundwork for education and practice in family care, family life education, and the integration of theology, cross-cultural studies, behavioral sciences, and the advanced practice of family care.  The clinical track can lead toward AAPC accreditation as in the Personality track.  The faculty is from both the School of Theology and the School of Psychology. 

Faculty: Dr.  David Augsburger, Dr.  Yea Sun E.  Kim, Dr.  Chapman R.  Clark, Dr.  Cameron Lee, Dr.  Jack O.  Balswick, Dr.  Judith K.  Balswick, Dr.  James L.  Furrow

  Coursework

 The ThM Program

1.   Students will take a Methods Seminar.  This course will lay the basis for the advanced work required in the thesis. 

2.   ThM students must take at least half their courses in their main concentration, i.e., the Methods Seminar, a further 8-unit seminar or two 4-unit courses in their main field of study, and a final 8-unit course in which a thesis is written.

3.   The remaining courses may be chosen from any 500-level MDiv/MA courses, or 700-level DMin courses approved by the DMin Office.  If a second 8-unit seminar or Directed Reading is not included in the main concentration, one must be taken in a related field as part of the remain­ing coursework.  All units may be taken at the 800 level if so desired.

4.   All 8-unit courses must be taken at the Pasadena campus, but other courses may be completed through extension centers or by directed study under external supervision.

5.   ThM students are required to have competence in a biblical language and a modern research language (normally German or French).  Generally the biblical language requirement is fulfilled prior to entrance; while this is preferable it is not necessary.  However, all language study must be completed prior to taking the final two 8-unit seminars.  Sixteen units of credit may be applied towards degree requirements through language courses (excluding prerequisite biblical languages).

Students taking the maximum number of MA/MDiv courses will have a program which roughly follows the diagram below. 

ThM Program Overview

 The PhD Program

1. The program consists of nine 8-unit seminars or Directed Readings leading to a dissertation.  Comprehensive exams follow the first five seminars, three of which must be in the major concentration and two in the minor concentration, if the student has elected to have a minor (minors are optional).  Any language or research courses must be completed before comprehensives are taken.

2. For tracks 1-3 both biblical languages (Hebrew, Greek) to the level of the Fuller MDiv are required.  Students entering with­out the requisite background in either language must fulfill this prerequisite by coursework or language exam within the first year of study.  For track 4 ("Marriage and Family .  .  .") the biblical languages are recommended but not required. 

3. Students majoring in the concentration in Practical Theology may meet the PhD research language requirements by satisfying three of the following four categories:

4. a.   four units of a modern language related to their area of study or practice (German, French, or other with mentor and CATS Committee approval) four units of an ancient language (e.g., Latin in some areas of Spirituality) or a second modern language where that is relevant; an approved course in the student’s area of specialization (for "clinical" specialization see below): One’s mentor and the CATS Office should be consulted for further details; an additional research methods course in the student's area of specialization.

5. Students take a Foundations/Methods Seminar.  This course is intended to lay the basis for research and the advanced work required in the dissertation.

6. Students may have a major concentration (a minimum of five 8-unit seminars/ directed readings) in one of the specified tracks and a minor concentration (a maximum of four 8-unit seminars/ directed readings) in other concentrations offered in the CATS program (not other tracks within Practical Theology).  In the CATS program, minors are optional.

7. Seminars/ Directed Readings beyond the comprehensive examinations may include more Directed Readings than seminars in the major concentration.

8.  All seminars or Directed Readings emanating from the Ministry Division will contain a dimension that focuses on equip­ping students to communicate the content of these courses, and students will be encouraged to incorporate in their program any course developed in CATS that will enhance their teaching skills.

PhD Program Overview

 Field Requirement

 In view of the importance of relating theological understanding to ministry in the Practical Theology program, even at the advanced level, there must be some correlation of academic and current professional work, in the form of a major integrative essay, chapter or appendix connected with the course work or thesis.

If not currently engaged in professional practice of ministry, students may be required to take up a part-time involvement over at least two quarters in some area related to their academic work at the discretion of their primary mentor.

Clinical Program and Supervised Experience

Practical Theology PhD majors in the track “Personality, Theology and Culture” may pursue the degree in an academic or a clinical/academic program.  The academic program contains a standard PhD process of nine seminars and a dissertation following the completion of languages and comprehensive exams.

The clinical program is identical, with two exceptions:

1) One or two of the nine seminars will consist of the supervised clinical practice of pastoral counseling described below.  Each clinical seminar consists of four quarters (one full year) of counseling and supervision (48 hours of supervision).

2) Those in the clinical program will substitute a directed study in psychopathology and therapy for the "specialization" research language requirement.

 The art of pastoral counseling is learned in the process of supervised clinical practice and training.  This program is designed to 1) prepare the counselor to work effectively in pastoral counseling, marital and family therapy and individual therapy from a perspective which is fully bilingual -- speaking both the language of theology and the language of therapeutic theory in ministry to persons in pain or periods of growth, and  2) move the counselor in training toward membership in the American Association of Pastoral Counselors (AAPC) and, where desirable and available, licensing in the home state where pastoral counseling licensure is now in practice.

 Supervision will be by the clinical staff consisting of David Augsburger PhD, Robert Glass PhD,  Richard Hunt PhD, Yea Sun Kim PhD, Newton Maloney PhD, and additional adjunct staff as appropriate.  Supervision is available in both Korean and English languages.

  .  Counseling locations will be in area churches.  The placement will be negotiated jointly by the student and the clinical staff members assisting in the particular assignment.  The counselor will become a staff associate of that pastoral team receiving referrals from them as well as from their visible availability in the church and surrounding church community.

 3.  The cost of the clinical supervised experience, since it is a four quarter assignment, will equal the cost for one doctoral seminar plus a $400.00 Clinical Supervision fee.  The student will register each quarter (including Summer) for an 800-level 2-unit Clinical Supervision, and a $400.00 Clinical Supervision fee will be assessed for the year by the CATS Office.  David Augsburger will be the faculty member of record in each case.  These courses will be graded (“pass/fail” is not permissible).

 .  This Supervised Clinical Practice may be undertaken at any point prior to the writing of the Dissertation.  The student’s primary mentor will determine exactly when in the student’s program this work should be done.  Regardless of timing, these seminars shall be counted as the last two in a student’s degree program.  In this way, five seminars will still be taken prior to the Comprehensive Examinations.

   Pastoral Counseling Certification is obtained by one of three means: 1) clinical membership in the AAPC; 2) licensing as a professional counselor and pastoral counselor in those states which offer such licenses (44 states are considering legislation for licensing Pastoral Counselors, 11 of the states have instituted a process of licensing, California has not moved beyond initial conversations); 3) license not required for a pastoral counselor whose appointment and service is accountable to a church (many pastoral counselors choose not to seek a license, preferring to be answerable to God and the Church rather than the state [Licensing Board]).  This program offers supervisors as the primary providers who are licensed so that the hours of supervision will apply to application in states offering license and/or hold supervisory credentials with AAPC.

Mentoring 

Every student will have a mentor and, in the case of the PhD program, also a second mentor.  Since advanced study in Practical Theology leads to, or enhances, careers that involve more than academic work, as far as possible students should be nurtured in other areas relevant to the life of the reflective practitioner, educational pastor or theological teacher.  This will take place through a broadening of the usual practice of mentoring:

1. Including a concern for the spiritual and communal, as well as academic development of students, to be worked out individually by faculty.

2. Involving students in the PhD program, as teaching assistants, co-teachers, or as adjuncts where possible, so that through helping to plan, lead and evaluate courses they can gain first-hand teaching experience.

3. Encouraging students into occasional off-campus faculty teaching activities so that they can learn better how to relate their area of study to the wider Christian community.

4. Establishing a regular Practical Theology Seminar where students can learn academically from regular or visiting faculty and one another, as well as encouraging doctoral students to attend Annual Meetings of rel­evant professional societies.

5. Advising students to link up with other networks revolving around particular vocational, gender, ethnic or denomina­tional concerns relevant to their work or ministry.

6. Looking for an opportunity, especially for doctoral students, to take on some small administrative responsibility, if possible alongside a mentor, so they can gain some experience of this dimension of institutional life.

 Comprehensive Examinations

The PhD program in Practical Theology embraces a broad area of disciplines in theology and practice of ministry.  Therefore a set of standardized examinations have less fit for those students with a concentration in Practical Theology.  Whether as a major or minor concentration, Comprehensive Examinations in Practical Theology will be individually tailored to the student’s program.

 Students majoring in the Practical Theology concentration who have elected a minor in another concentration will take three Comprehensive Exams in their major and one in their minor.  Students who have not elected a minor (minors are optional) will take four Comprehensive Exams in their major concentration.  For Practical Theology majors the three or four exams will include one or two in biblical, historical, theological, ethical or philosophical disciplines, and one or two in applied pastoral, vocational, communal, or spiritual disciplines.

 Process: For Practical Theology majors the student and mentor will agree on the three or four fields to be examined (a faculty member in the minor field, if the student has a minor, will be chosen to examine the student in that discipline according to the Comprehensive Examination policy of that department).  The student will then prepare four to six questions in each field which reveal their mastery of that field.  These will be edited by the examining professor and then given as study questions to the student.  On the examination day, the professor will present two of the submitted questions for the writing of essays.

 In cases where Practical Theology constitutes the student’s minor, the procedure for the single minor exam will follow that set out above for majors in the field.

Courses Provided                                                                                                                           

The following courses are offered (generally on a one- or two-year cycle) for the ThM and PhD in Practical Theology:

•  Foundations Seminar in “The Shape of Practical Theology” (faculty)

•  Foundations Seminar in “Healing, Transformation and Growth in Pastoral Care and Theology” (Augsburger)

•  Seminar on “Conversion” (Peace)

• Seminar on “Spirituality” (Peace)

• Seminar on “Pastoral Theology” (Anderson)

• Seminar on “The Quest for Community in the Church and World Today” (faculty)

 Encouragement will be given to crossover interest so that other CATS seminars may be taken as part of the student’s main concentration.