DN 910 THE PSALMS AS CHRISTIAN PRAYER

This course begins with a study of the Biblical psalms as they were used in the worship of Israel. It looks at the way the psalms were used in the worship of the New Testament Church and traces this development through the ancient church and into the Middle Ages. Particularattention is given to the revival of psalmody at the time of the Protestant Reformation and the development of the various Protestant psalters through the 17th and 18th centuries until the present. Elective. Three hours.

DN 955 THE THEOLOGY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE WORSHIP OF THE CHURCH

It is in the doctrines of the Holy Spirit, the Church, the ministry, and the word, prayer, and sacraments that the study of worship fits into Christian theology. This course is by intention systematic, emphasizing the thoughts of major Reformed theologians and the historic creeds and confessional documents of the Church. A central theme of the course is that worship is an elaboration of faith in the triune God and His activity in the Church through His Spirit. Elective. Three hours.

DN 956 THEOLOGY OF WORSHIP IN CONTEMPORARY DISCUSSION

This course is a comparative study of the different theologies of worship most frequently advanced today. The theologies of worship associated with the Second Vatican Council, High Church Anglicanism, the contemporary Christian worship movement, the charismatic movement, and the Church Growth movement are discussed and critiqued in light of Scripture and a Reformed theology of worship. This course is intended for working pastors and more advanced students. Elective. Three hours.

DN 958 CHURCH AND SACRAMENTS

This course examines foundational issues, such as the nature and centrality of the sacraments, the priesthood of the believer, and the mission of the Church in the modern world. Students explore historical and contemporary attributes and marks of the Church. Special attention is given to the Biblical foundations of the Church in light of sociological reflections and theological constructs. Each student will produce a personal theology of Church and Sacrament, making use of Biblical, confessional, and ecclesial resources.
Elective. Three hours.

DN 959 BAPTISM IN REFORMED FAITH AND WORSHIP

This course is a systematic study of the Christian sacrament as it has been observed down through the centuries. Particular attention is given to the reforms of the baptismal rite during the Protestant Reformation as well as the controversies between the Reformers of classical Protestantism and the Anabaptists. The course addresses the catechetical teaching entailed by the sacrament, the baptismal prayers, the covenant vows, and the baptismal washing. Biblical and theological foundations of this rite and the practical problems of administering baptism in the life of the Church today are examined. Elective. Three hours.

DN 960 THE LORD’S SUPPER IN REFORMED FAITH AND WORSHIP

In this systematic study of the celebration of the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper down through the centuries, special attention is given to its Biblical roots, as well as to the way the sacrament was observed in the ancient Church and the evolution of the liturgy through the days of the Byzantine Empire. Consideration is given to the Protestant Reformation and to the eucharistic theology of Luther, Zwingli, and Calvin. In addition to a study of the development of a covenantal theology of the sacrament, the deep devotional insights of the 17th and 18th centuries and a number of communion prayers and hymns are studied. Elective. Three hours.

DF 901 WORSHIP AND PASTORAL CARE

This course examines those liturgies and worship experiences of the Church that offer ministers opportunities for pastoral care. Major attention is given to the worship and pastoral dimensions of baptism, the Lord’s Supper, weddings, and funerals. Some consideration is also given to corporate worship, confirmation, thanksgiving for the birth or adoption of a child, the blessing of a home, and ministry to the sick as effective conveyors of pastoral care. Innovative ways of conducting these services are suggested, drawing on the liturgical practices of the Early Church and the revised worship books of various denominations and traditions. In those services where sermons are appropriate, preaching possibilities are explored. Elective. Three hours.

DF 903 LEADING IN PRAYER

With an eye to leading today’s congregation in public prayer, this course begins with a study of public prayer as found in both the Old and New Testaments. Analyzing significant developments in Christian public prayer in the ancient church, students examine the essays on prayer by Tertullian, Cyprian, and Origen, the highly conventionalized prayer disciplines of the Middle Ages, and the Reformation and Puritan reforms in the discipline of public prayer. Particular attention is given to William Perkins, Matthew Henry, Benjamin Morgan
Palmer, Samuel Miller, and James Alexander. Elective. Three hours.

DF 912 THE ROLE OF HYMNODY IN PROTESTANT WORSHIP

This course traces the profound influence of the Protestant congregational hymn and metrical psalm from the time of the 16th Century reformers, through Pietism and the Moravians, and including the pivotal work of the English hymn writers Isaac Watts and the Wesleys. Special attention is given to the hymnic impact of the First and Second Great Awakenings in America leading up to the various renewal movements of the late 20th Century. Consideration is given to musical as well as textual issues as they relate to the various cultural and
theological settings. Elective. Three hours.

DF 925 EXPOSITORY PREACHING I

The history of expository preaching offers much inspiration and many practical insights for the expository preacher today. This course begins with a study of the preaching of the ancient church, especially Origen, Chrysostom, and Augustine, continues with the study of the preaching of Zwingli, Calvin, such Puritan masters as Thomas Manton and Richard Rogers, and concludes by looking at some of the leading expositors of the 19th and 20th centuries, such as Spurgeon, Thieliche, Lloyd-Jones, et al. The purpose of this course is to help
students develop their skills in expository preaching. Elective. Three hours.

DF 926 EXPOSITORY PREACHING II

The history of expository preaching offers much inspiration and many practical insights for the expository preacher today. This course begins with a study of the preaching of the ancient church, especially Origen, Chrysostom, and Augustine, continues with the study of the preaching of Zwingli, Calvin, such Puritan masters as Thomas Manton and Richard Rogers, and concludes by looking at some of the leading expositors of the 19th and 20th centuries, such as Spurgeon, Thieliche, Lloyd-Jones, et al. The purpose of this course is to help
students develop their skills in expository preaching. This is a continuation of DF 925.
Elective. Three hours.

DF 927 EXPOSITORY PREACHING III

Focusing on the leading expository preachers of our day, this course studies the different approaches to expository preaching being used in the contemporary church. Preachers are studied who show skill in the art of oratory as well as a variety in the scope of preaching. Those of prophetic interest, those of devotional sensitivity, or those of doctrinal integrity receive special attention. Elective. Three hours.

DC 902 THE WORSHIP OF THE ANCIENT CHURCH

This course examines the New Testament and a number of early Christian documents such as the Didaché, the worship reported by Justin Martyr, the Odes of Solomon, and the prayer of the Church of Antioch in the Fourth Century. The sermons of John Chrysostom and Augustine and the hymns of Ambrose of Milan and Ephrem of Syria receive special attention. Elective. Three hours.

DC 905 HISTORY OF PREACHING

This seminar is for experienced pastors and is designed to inspire preachers in their work by studying good examples of the preachingministry. The course concentrates upon a particular period in the history of preaching such as the preaching of the ancient Church or the preaching of the Puritans. Consideration is given to a wide variety of sermon genres: expository preaching, catechetical preaching, etc. Elective. Three hours.

DC 911 THE CHRISTIAN USE OF ART

The purpose of this course is to develop a wide appreciation of Christian art. Examination is made of the mosaics of Ravenna, the medieval painters of Siena, the early Italian Renaissance painters in light of the Franciscan and Dominican revival, and Michelangelo’s sculpture against the background of his evangelical Catholic faith. Particular attention is devoted to the Dutch Protestant painters of the 17th Century, Rembrandt, Vermeer, and de Hooch, as well as several more recent artists such as Vincent van Gogh.
Elective. Three hours.

DC 913 THE ARCHITECTURAL SETTING OF CHRISTIAN WORSHIP

The purpose of this course is to study the way the Church has provided buildings for its worship down through the centuries. Consideration is given to the earliest examples of church buildings in Rome, Aquileia, and Syria, the church buildings given by Constantine, Hagia Sophia, the Cisterican monasteries in Provence, Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, and the thoroughly Protestant approach to church architecture adopted by the French Huguenots at the time of the Reformation. Some contemporary architectural masterpieces also are
explored in this study. Elective. Three hours.

DC 915 THE REFORMATION OF WORSHIP IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY

This course considers the reforms in the service of worship demanded by the Protestant Reformation. Luther’s Babylonian Captivity of the Church, Zwingli’s recovery of covenant theology, Bucer’s essay on the reform of worship, Calvin’s Genevan Psalter of 1542, and Thomas Cranmer’s Book of Common Prayer are considered. Attention also is given to the worship of the Puritans and the Westminster Directory for Worship.
Elective. Three hours.

DC 918 THE REFORMATION OF WORSHIP IN THE BRITISH ISLES

The Reformation of Worship in England and Scotland took different paths than it did in Europe. This course examines the development of worship in Tudor/Stuart Great Britain, the origins of Cranmer’s Book of Common Prayer, the roots of Puritanism, the Westminster Directory for Worship, and Richard Baxter’s Reformed Liturgy. Elective. Three hours.

DC 921 PREACHING AND WORSHIP IN THE AGE OF PIETISM AND REVIVAL

This course examines the contributions of Count Zinzendorf, the Moravian Brethren, the prayer manuals of Matthew Henry and Isaac Watts, Jonathan Edwards and the American Great Awakening. Special attention is given to the sermons of John Wesley and the hymns of Charles Wesley. Finally, consideration is given to the communion sermons of Scottish Presbyterianism. Elective. Three hours.

DC 922 WORSHIP IN THE AGE OF PIETISM, ROMANTICISM, AND THE EVANGELICAL REVIVAL

Historians of worship often overlook the positive contributions of 18th and 19th century Protestant worship. This course studies the contributions of such figures as Zinzendorf, the Wesleys, Thomas Chalmers, and Charles H. Spurgeon to the development of Protestant worship. In addition, the work of John Williamson Nevin, Charles Baird, and Alexander Campbell is taken into account. Elective. Three hours.

DC 951 CURRENT AMERICAN WORSHIP RENEWAL MOVEMENTS

This course explores the phenomenon of worship renewal movements currently spreading through most branches of the Christian Church. Students study, compare, and evaluate Charismatic Renewal, Liturgical Renewal, Seeker Sensitive Services, Convergence Worship, and the Church Growth Movement in the light of the current American cultural scene. Emphasis is placed both on understanding the nature of each movement and considering how a Church might respond to numerous and sometimes conflicting concerns within the framework of denominational tradition. Elective. Three hours.