Master of Arts in Missiology
The MA in Missiology has been designed to assist pastors and other ministry workers in developing expertise in the area of Missiology. With the challenges brought about by local and global changes and transformations on the continent, mission now requires specialized training. The programme offers two majors, namely Islamic Ministry and African Traditional Religion.
PhilosophyMission in African is constantly challenged by the pervading presences of non-Christian religions. Two of such religions are the indigenous Religion of the people and the Islam. Effective ministry to these non-Christian religions does not only require a solid theological foundation grounded in unchanging biblical doctrines but also competencies in missiological thinking and strategy needed to drive the mission of the Church in the 21st century. Therefore, this programme prepares students to understand the worldview of the chosen non-Christina religion, formulate and apply biblically sound approaches to ministry and mission and uphold the foundation of a commitment to the traditional biblical Christianity.Specialisations
- Islamic Ministry
- African Traditional Religion
Islamic Ministry Major
Islam is a major religion on the continent of Africa, and Christian mission strategy needs to take into account the presence of such a major religion. The Islamic Ministry major is intended to develop experts in interfaith dialogue with Muslim neighbors. Effective ministry is based on knowledge, understanding, good communication skills and wholesome respect. By understanding the beliefs and values of Islam, Christian ministry practitioners will be equipped with appropriate knowledge, attitudes, and skills in reaching out to Muslims. Age-old prejudices that have created barriers between Christians and Muslims need to be addressed through knowledge, respect, skillfully contextualized communication, and love.
African Traditional Religion
The African Traditional Religion (ATR) forms a deeply embedded faith system that is based on African worldview. While many Africans have embraced Christianity, they struggle with certain fundamental assumptions, which are part of ATR, which has not been adequately examined and addressed. The result is a challenge to the mission of Christian Churches. The ATR major is designed to prepare pastors, religion teachers and other Christian leaders for a more effective communication of the gospel to the peoples of Africa. This effective ministry is based on clear knowledge and understanding of the beliefs and values of ATR. Christian ministry and mission strategists will be armed with appropriate knowledge, skills, and attitudes to enable them to reach deeper into the religious experience of their adherents.The benefits you will obtain from taking the degree:
- Possess knowledge, understanding, skills and attitudes that promote respect and dialogue with people from these two religious backgrounds.
- Develop attitudes of respect, acceptance, and appreciation for these peoples.
- Obtain positive communication skills to reach across the religious/cultural divide.
- Identify sources of dual allegiance among African Christians and respond with appropriate spiritual nurturing strategies that address root causes.
- Contribute to research in the area of Muslim-Christians relations as well as ATR-Christian relations so as to provide the church with relevant materials that can be used for Christian witness and the on-going discipling of believers.
- The MA in Missiology is offered at a Chartered University
- The program is taught by highly-qualified international faculty who are experts in their field of academics and practice
- Students benefit from a variety of the on-campus and e-library resources
- This program enables practicing pastors to pursue a higher degree in the context of a learning community
- This program raises the level and effectiveness of the ministers at a time of rapid membership growth in numbers and sophistication
- Have a first degree preferably in Theology/Religion plus 28 credits of General Education courses, with a minimum of 2.5-grade point average on a 4.0 point scale or its equivalent.
- Applicants must have a minimum of 4 years of relevant work experience
- Must request their former universities and employing organizations to send recommendations directly to the AUA Office of Admissions.
Most of the required work is done during the nine-week session each year. Students will continue in their employment during the year, since no classes will be offered.Students will attend to two kinds of work between sessions:
a. Reading of Core Reading Materials for the Courses for the following yearly session
b. Research and writing of the Missiology Project A regular student in the MA in Missiology programme takes a maximum of nine-semester credits in one 9-week intensive session per year. Each semester credit requires, on average, a minimum of two hours of individual study, research, and/or field work for every hour spent in the classroom. Thus, the 9-week intensive requires a minimum time investment of 450 hours, that result in a grand total minimum (in four years) of 1,800 hours.Master of Arts in Missiology has two specialization areas:
- MA Missiology Islamic Studies
- MA Missiology African Traditional Religions
The distribution of courses and credits hours are shown below;
|
Common University Courses |
15 |
|
Core Courses |
21 |
|
Specialization Courses |
2415 |
|
Total |
|
Common University CoursesResearch Courses (3)
- GSEM 606 Thesis/Project Research and Writing (3 credits)
Biblical Foundations Courses (6)
- BIBL 520 Studies in Biblical Prophecy (3 credits)
- BIBL 621 Biblical Hermeneutics (3 credits)
- THST 631 Adventist Theological Heritage (3 credits)
- CHIS 640 A History of Christianity in Africa (3 credits)
Core CoursesMission Foundation Courses (21 credits)
- MSSN 615 Anthropology for Mission and Ministry (3 credits)
- MSSN 529 Foundations of Cross-Cultural Ministry (3credits)
- MISS 632 Theology of Mission (3 credits)
- MSSN 685 Principles and Practice of World Mission (3 credits)
- MSSN 610: Seminar in Issues in Missiology (3 credits)
- MSSN 695 Missiology Project (6 credits)
Specialized Courses by Area of StudyMissiology degree: Islamic Studies major
The Missiology degree (Islamic Studies major) consists of 36 credits plus a project of 6 credits (total of 42 credits). These courses are clustered in groups that are intended to fulfill specific curriculum objectives. The clusters contribute to the creation of a balanced program in terms of developing the student’s reservoir of knowledge and skills. Following are the courses grouped in the said clusters.Language Tools Courses (Optional)
- ARBC 521 Introduction to Arabic (3 credits)
- ARBC 522 Intermediate Arabic (3 credits)
Islamic Studies--Elective Courses (12 credits)
- ISLM 620 Introduction to Islam (3 credits)
- ISLM 625 Islamic Theology and Traditions (3 credits)
- ISLM 632 Qur’an and Hadith (3 credits)
- ISLM 633 Biblical and Qur’anic Studies (3 credits)
- ISLM 641 Judeo-Christian-Muslim Relations in History (3 credits) or
- ISLM 677 Christian-Muslim Dialogue (3 credits)
- ISLM 645 Islam, Culture, and Gender in African Society (3 credits)
Missiology degree: African Traditional Religion major
The Missiology degree (African Traditional Religion major) consists of 36 credits plus a project of 6 credits (total 42 credits). These courses are clustered in groups that are intended to fulfill specific curriculum objectives. The clusters contribute to the creation of a balanced program in terms of developing the student’s reservoir of knowledge and skills. Following are the courses grouped in the said clusters.African Traditional Religion--Elective Courses (12 credits)
- AFTR 541 Foundations of African Philosophy (3 credits)
- AFTR 640 African Culture and Religion (3 credits)
- AFTR 650: African Theological Thought (3 credits)
- AFTR 660 Topics in Christianity and African Traditional Religions (3 credits)
- AFTR 682 African Traditional Religion: Major Beliefs and Practices (3 credits)
- Successfully complete a minimum of 36 credits.
- Attain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (on the 4.0 scale).
- Successfully complete and submit the project.
