Certificate in
Theology & Culture
EARN A CERTIFICATE WITH AN EMPHASIS ON THEOLOGY AND CULTURE THROUGH AN ANCIENT-FUTURE PARADIGM THAT ADDRESSES THE MOST RELEVANT CULTURAL ISSUES TODAY.
PROGRAMS / THEOLOGY & CULTURE
Meeting at the intersection of theology and culture.
At St. Stephen's University, we recognize the critical need for the intersection of theology and culture, where education becomes the meeting place of research and practice. In our small, interactive cohorts, students and professors engage in pressing questions and real-life issues in a caring way, inviting students to become the message they hope to convey.
We dip into many fountains, both ancient and contemporary, from Christianity and beyond, to prepare healthy and authentic leaders for the future. We have designed our Certificate in Theology & Culture with flexibility in mind, giving students entirely online options or the choice of attending a short symposium retreat so you can meet with your fellow students in person. The Certificate program is also a good way to get your feet wet while leaving the door open for further studies through our M.A. or M.Min. in Theology & Culture for qualifying students.
Modules and Course Sequencing
The successful completion of the Certificate in Theology & Culture requires a total of 22 credit hours. Students therefore need to complete two of the three semesters provided below to complete their CertTC.
​
Semesters are 11-credit hours and include courses in church history & theology, biblical studies, Christian counselling & spiritual formation, and philosophy & culture. While Certificate students complete only two Theology & Culture semesters, the three semesters that we offer rotate between the fall and spring during the academic year, and CertTC students can choose which two of these three semesters they would like to complete as part of their program. The fall semester is offered through a hybrid-distance delivery method, wherein courses run online throughout the semester (Sept. – Dec.), with a short 7-day in-person residency and retreat on-site at SSU to give students the opportunity for face-to-face interactions with their fellow students and professors. The spring semester is offered as online courses that don't require any travel and run from January to April.
Students may start with any semester and may choose to complete the courses in each semester at a slower pace and in any order. Click on the tabs below to view the available courses in each semester of this program.
CHOOSE ANY TWO OF THE FOLLOWING SEMESTERS TO COMPLETE YOUR CERTIFICATE PROGRAM:
11 CREDIT HOURS
BIB 5120
CUL 5172
SF 5150
HIST 5141
CUL 5170
Interpretation of Sacred Texts (3 c/h)
DR. BRADLEY JERSAK
Justice for All: Race and Gender Issues Today (2 c/h)
DR. DAVID MOORE & DR. L.A. HENRY
Ignatian Spiritual Formation I (1 c/h)
RACHAEL BARHAM
Ancient Insights for Today I (4 c/h)
DR. PETER FITCH
Beyond Spectrum Ideology and the Culture Wars (1 c/h)
LAURENS VAN ESCH
THE CertTC AT A GLANCE
DURATION — 8 MONTHS (FULL TIME)
CREDIT HOURS — 22
DELIVERY MODE — ONLINE COURSES, SHORT 7-DAY RESIDENCY (OPTIONAL)
EMPHASES — THEOLOGY & CULTURE, SPIRITUAL FORMATION, COUNSELLING, HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY, MINISTRY PREPARATION
UPCOMING SEMESTER ROTATION
FALL 2023
Semester 1
SPRING 2024
Semester 2
FALL 2024
Semester 3
SPRING 2025
Semester 1
FALL 2025
Semester 2
SPRING 2026
Semester 3
FALL 2026
Semester 1
SPRING 2027
Semester 2
FALL 2027
Semester 3
Multifaith Chaplaincy & Spiritual Care
St. Stephen's University offers a course that prepares students for multi-faith pastoral and spiritual care in a variety of chaplaincy settings. This course can be completed as an add-on to a master's degree at SSU (i.e., not included in the total credit hours of a student's degree program) or as a stand-alone credential without a program. We offer a certificate of completion for the course that can be applied to a student's resume as an academic credential for ministry rather than a CPE/CPU clinical credential.
