Higher Education in Flanders

The Master of Theology curriculum is aimed at promoting academic excellence leading up to an increasing personal academic contribution and to a growing commitment with regard to theology and Christian missions in society. Academic formation intended to prepare men and women to judge and act maturely in matters related to theology and missiology ought not only to pass on the broad lines of the tradition of research in these domains, but also to develop the capacity to analyze closely the context in which theology and missiology are set, and to focus in depth on developments in the various fields of study that contribute to. It is for this reason that the program offered by Continental Theological Seminary endeavors to make a contribution to the overall formation and development of the students and to prepare them to engage in independent theological reflection on the Protestant Evangelical-Pentecostal faith tradition. At the same time, the program also intends to stimulate interest in the mutual relationships between the various Christian churches.

The Master’s in Theology is aimed at the further elaboration of the formation acquired in the Bachelor’s program level with a view to (a) preparing students for increasingly independent research in the domains of theology and missiology and (b) equipping students to participate as responsible qualified individuals in both church and society. The study curriculum thus comprises of a double focus: on one hand the students are given the opportunity to specialize in one of the two research disciplines available in the faculty while on the other the curriculum continues to offer a more general academic formation whereby students are enabled to study the Protestant Evangelical-Pentecostal faith tradition as a whole in the context of a multicultural society.

The program, with instruction in English, places additional emphasis on the international character of theological research and on the international context of religion and theology. Students are consciously encouraged to familiarize themselves with the diverse cultural backgrounds of their fellow students thus facilitating and augmenting their theological endeavors at a variety of levels. Research and engagement thereby acquire an international dimension.

The Master’s program comprises 90 ECTS credit points over two program years and leads to the academic Master of Theology with pathways in Biblical Studies and Missiological Studies. The degree is divided into two parts, each having an exit point: Part One comprises 60 ECTS credit points leading to the Post-Graduate Diploma; Part Two includes Part One and comprises 90 ECTS credit points leading to the Master of Theology Degree.

Master of Theology in Evangelical and Pentecostal Studies

Master of Theology admission conditions: Admission to the Master of Theology program is decided on an ad hoc basis by the Academic Affairs Committee, which meets on a regular basis. Candidates who have completed a Bachelor’s degree in Bible and Applied Theology with the University of Wales through Continental Theological Seminary may be admitted to the MTh program after academic evaluation and provided that they have sufficient background in philosophy, theology and biblical languages, which if found insufficient, would be possible through following an additional individually adapted program. Candidates who hold an officially recognized Bachelor’s degree in Bible and Applied Theology or its equivalent from another officially recognized institution can also be admitted following an academic evaluation. If essential elements are missing in the student's previous academic background, students are requested to take course work as part of an adapted program. If the Bachelor’s degree includes a designated specialization, transfer to the Master’s program with the pathway of the same name can be made directly. In other cases an additional effort on the part of the student is necessary: an additional package of maximum 20 ECTS credit points if it concerns a Bachelor’s degree with another specialization.
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The applicants holding a Bachelor’s degree in Theology are assessed in the following areas:

1. Acquired knowledge in Systematic Theology:

Fundamental Theology and Hermeneutics - The applicant should have acquired a general insight in theology as a science, its history, its subdivision in various disciplines and the diversity of its methodologies. The studies should have included the nature and history of fundamental theology, the historical-systematical study of the concepts of ‘dogma’ and ‘doctrine’ and of faith and revelation. An important issue in a contemporary fundamental theology is also the relation between faith and reason. The applicant should have also been given an overview of the history of hermeneutics and introduced to contemporary theological hermeneutics in relation to tradition, recontextualisation, and theological truth.

Christology and Soteriology - This division of systematic theology should have discussed the Trinitarian Theology and the doctrine of Christ (Christology) including prophecy and the categories of incarnation and atonement.  The preaching and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth in its historical context, and examination of the early Christian doctrinal tradition regarding the person and work of Jesus Christ along with the Easter experience and the experience of the Spirit should have been included as well.  An important area that should be covered in this division is the Christian doctrine of God and its implications for the Christian understanding of salvation with concepts like repentance, conversion, regeneration, justification, adoption and sanctification.

Ecclesiology and Anthropology/Hamartology - This part should have considered theological hermeneutics in its relationship to a theology of encounter (the link between human reality and experience, and theological issues and concepts) with discussion on the following concepts: creation, the doctrine of man, the origin, nature and biblical terminology of sin, the perception of grace, the concept of the church and its origin, organization and ordinances, and the concept of eschatology.

2. Acquired knowledge in History of Church and Theology:

The following major sections will be considered in the evaluation of this division:

Early Church History - The applicant should have been given a general survey of the history of the Ancient Church with special attention to subjects such as the relation between the early Christian communities and the other communities, the organization of the early church and its theological development. The following items that comprise these subjects should have been included in the content of this section: the early Christian communities within the political, economic and social situation of the Roman Empire; the origin and development of Christianity in a Jewish and Hellenistic context; the development of a Christian theology and the notion of orthodoxy including the use of the Bible, major aspects of the writings of the Greek and Latin Church Fathers, origin of Creeds, Councils, religious life, ascetism and monasticism.

Middle Ages and Modern and Contemporary Period - The applicant should have been given an overview of the history of the Church and of Christianity from the 8th till the 18th century for the Middle Ages and Modern Period with the general lines of development that include the relation between Church and State and the broader social context, the inner Church life (spirituality and pastoral care) and the main theological currents. The period of the Middle Ages should have dealt with the Church and the Carolingian dynasty; the 'transition period' (850-1100); the flourishing period of the 12th century; the challenges of the 13th and 14th centuries and the crisis of the late Middle Ages. The Modern Period should have dealt with the Reformation and its theological distinctive, the confessional period and the development of denominations and the Age of Reason. The Contemporary Period with the historical phases of the 19th and 20th century should have introduced the applicant to the revival movements and ways the Protestant, Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches responded theologically and ecclesiologically to the challenges of religious pluralism, secularization, modernity and totalitarianism.

3. Acquired knowledge in Biblical Languages:

The applicant should have working knowledge of biblical Hebrew and biblical Greek.

The applicants must have successfully completed an introductory course in biblical Hebrew and biblical Greek with the capacity to read and comprehend biblical Hebrew and Greek texts from the perspective of grammar and syntax.

4. Acquired knowledge in Philosophy of Religion:

The applicant should have studied arguments for God’s existence or non-existence, questions concerning God’s attributes, the intersection between theology and philosophy, the rationality of faith, the problem of evil and miracles.

Evidence of proficiency in English is required of all applicants for admission if English is not the native language or the previous academic studies were not taken in English.  An applicant must make arrangements to take the "Test of English as a Foreign Language" (TOEFL), including the oral and written aspects.  The applicant should request that the TOEFL score be sent directly to Continental Theological Seminary whose institution code number is 0194.  If an applicant's proficiency in English proves inadequate (below a score of 450 points), he is ineligible to enroll in the program.

Applicants who have earned another non-theological Bachelor’s degree may follow a preparatory program of 60 ECTS credit points. In special circumstances the Academic Affairs Committee may allow those who have earned another non-theological Bachelor’s degree to follow a linking program of 90 ECTS credit points.

Adapted, preparatory and linking programs may be followed simultaneously with the Master’s program.

• Biblical Studies
• Missiological Studies

• Bijbel en Theologie
• Biblical Studies
• Missiological Studies
• Godgeleerdheid en godsdienstwetenschappen

• Biblical Studies
• Missiological Studies

• Biblical Studies
• Missiological Studies

• Biblical Studies
• Missiological Studies