Bachelor of Christian Studies

The Bachelor of Christian Studies program is designed to provide students with a firm foundation in biblical studies, theology and practical ministry.  Students will come to a deeper understanding of their faith, develop tools for working with the biblical text and explore the historical context of the Christian tradition.  The Bachelor level programs aim to equip students to better integrate, share and live out their faith in the home, workplace and world.  

Classes are taught in the setting of a cohort, a small group of students (usually no more than ten), with a local professor, also called a cohort leader, who guides and mentors the class.  Students move together, with the local professor, as a group from course to course.  The typical class meets once a week for four hours.  Classes are taught in both a didactic and Socratic manner to maximize the learning experience for the student.  Each course actually has two professors: the local professor and a distance professor who is a specialist in the course subject.  The first portion of the four hour class is spent listening to the distance professor via video.  This is followed by the teaching of the local professor who, through the Socratic method of questioning, continues the discussion begun the specialist.  A considerable level of interaction with the professor and other students is expected as the student critically engages and thinks through the course material. 

Currently, TLC offers the last two years, the ‘upper-division’ portion of a Bachelor’s degree, in the major subject of Christian Studies.  For your general education (the first two years), you may do your first two years at a community college, university or online.  Some full-time students may even pursue our program concurrently with classes at another institution such as a community college.  You also have the option of beginning with our program and finishing the general education requirements afterwards.  While it is not a requirement, St. Stephen’s University encourages TLC students to attend St. Stephen’s in New Brunswick for the first two years of the Bachelor’s degree.

Students who fulfill the requirements for graduation will receive a Bachelor of Christian Studies degree from St. Stephen's University in conjunction with Trinity Learning Community.

If a student wants to pursue his/her Masters of Ministry (MMin) through Trinity Learning Community's graduate program all that is required is bachelor’s degree.  In some cases, it will be possible to be admitted to the master's program with a bachelor's equivalency.  This would be achieved through the completion of a significant amount of undergraduate coursework combined with a number of years of formal ministry or life experience.

Trinity Learning Community is currently providing undergraduate classes throughout Southern California and is continually expanding to other locations throughout the United States.  We also offer an online, fully interactive, distance learning program option for those who cannot meet at one of our on-site locations.

Participating Institutions in the Bachelor of Christian Studies Program

The Bachelor of Christian Studies program is a joint venture between St. Stephen's University (SSU) and Trinity Learning Community (TLC).   TLC determines the curriculum, oversees the programs and provides professors for all programs.  St. Stephen’s University grants the Bachelor of Christian Studies degree to Trinity Learning Community students who complete SSU's requirements for graduation.  As our degree granting institution, St. Stephen’s also helps to ensure the academic quality of the Bachelor’s program.  

St. Stephen's University

St. Stephen's University is a trans-denominational Christian university located in the border town of St. Stephen, New Brunswick, across the St. Croix River from Calais, Maine. Since 1975, SSU has offered a high quality Bachelor of Arts degree. They excel in developing Christian community within a strong, academic program that values the arts and the classics. Students have done graduate studies or have transferred credit to prestigious universities in the United Kingdom (Oxford, St. Andrews, Wales), the United States (Universities of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Maine; St. John's College, Regent University, etc.), and Canada (Universities of New Brunswick, Manitoba, Carleton, Dalhousie, Regent College, etc.). In 1998, SSU received a charter from the Province of New Brunswick to grant legally-recognized Bachelor and Master degrees.  In the late 1990's, they began to offer the Master in Ministry (MMin) degree to prepare people for a life of ministry and to give further training to those engaged in full-time ministry. In 2006, St. Stephen's, Trinity Learning Community formed an alliance with the goal of providing high quality degrees to assist in preparing men and women to make a difference for Christ and his kingdom in the world.



Structure of the Bachelor of Christian Studies

The Bachelor of Christian Studies is a year-round program with breaks for major holidays as well as a short summer break.  The cohort will work together through nine courses each year by doing one course at a time for five weeks.  Students move through the entire program with the same cohort and local professor.   
Each year, students take courses in four major categories: practical ministry, biblical studies, church history and theology.  Although course offerings vary from year to year, the general structure of each year is as follows:  

Courses for Trinity Learning Community
2008-2009 Academic Year

Each year, Trinity Learning Community offers nine courses from four major categories: practical theology, biblical studies, church history and theology.  Course offerings vary year to year, but the structure is as follows:

Two courses in Practical Theology
Two courses in Biblical Studies
            Old or New Testament Overview
Old or New Testament Book Study
            One course on the Life of Jesus through a Gospel
One course in Church History
History of Christianity: Early Church up to the Reformation
History of Christianity: Reformation to the Modern Period
Two courses in Theology
One course from any category
                               

Bachelor Courses for 2008-09 academic year:

Course One:  Old Testament Overview
This course will survey the content of the Old Testament.  Particular emphasis will be placed on the story line of the Old Testament as an unfinished story, awaiting and yearning for a climax.  Major themes, such as: Land, Covenant, Temple, and Promise will be looked at in greater detail.
This course will also deal with macro/hermeneutics.  Questions about genre, historical context, and literary context will be discussed and considered.  This course will aim to articulate the worldview that emerges out of the Old Testament story.

Course Two: The Church in a Postmodern Culture
This course introduces the student to Christian thought in the context of current culture looking specifically at Christianity’s interaction with contemporary movements such as modernism, secular humanism and ‘postmodernism’.  Students will gain a better understanding of current cultural thought processes and their impact on the Church. 

Course Three: Book Study: Daniel
This course explores the book of Daniel discussing its place within the larger biblical story while also exploring its historical and literary context.  Students will come to an understanding of basic hermeneutics (the science of interpretation and meaning) and will learn exegetical tools for examining the original meaning of the text.  The various tools and principles learned in this class will help the student in his/her approach to other books of the biblical text.

Course Four: Ecclesiology and the Meaning of the Sacraments
This course explores the meaning of the sacraments and their place in the life and worship of the greater Christian church.   Students will consider how sacramental practices reflect the theological perspectives of the different traditions.  Students will gain a greater understanding and appreciation of, not only their own tradition, but that of other Christian churches as well.  Special attention will be given to the meaning of the sacrament of communion.   

Course Five: History of Christianity: From the Early Church to the Reformation
This course surveys the history of Christianity from its beginnings up to the Reformation.  The main focus will be on exploring theological developments through highlighting key events in this period of church history.  The emphasis will not be on chronology, but on helping students develop an understanding of the broader issues.

Course Six: The Life of Jesus through the Gospel of Matthew
This course will help the student gain a greater understanding of the person and work of Christ as seen in the Gospel of Matthew.  Students will explore the cultural background in which Jesus lived and taught and will look closely at his Jesus’ teaching, especially regarding the kingdom of God.

Course Seven: An Introduction to Contemporary Trinitarian Theology
Students will explore how the doctrine of the Trinity is understood in contemporary theology and its implications for personal relations, church and society. 
           
Course Eight: Leadership in the Church and World
This practical course in leadership teaches effective lay leadership skills for exercise both inside and outside the church.   Students will be encouraged to learn and understand their own giftings and develop a philosophy of ministry.   Students will also learn how they can effectively facilitate gifting in others and equip others to be better ministers in the church and world. 

Course Nine: Theology through the Arts
This course uses the arts to explore themes in Christian theology, opening new ways for the student to think about Christian doctrine and how it can be communicated.

*Courses and professors subject to revision

Additional Information

Schedule

The program is based on a twelve month system and cohorts can begin at any point during the year.  A year's schedule, therefore, will be determined by Trinity Learning Community along with the adjunct faculty member in charge of a particular site. The schedule will be computed by counting 52 weeks from whenever the start date might be.

Once the student has paid his/her tuition online through Trinity Learning Community's web site, Trinity Learning Community will register the student.  The student will then be given a password where he/she will be able to download the syllabus and any other materials that may be pertinent to the class.  Textbooks can be purchased through your local bookstore or online at different vendors.

Appointments

Appointments can be made with our staff to answer any questions about the Bachelor of Christian Studies.