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studied with
comparative materials from ancient West Asia and
archaeology. The conquest and settlement in Canaan by the 12
tribes, the background and reasons leading to the
establishment of the United Monarchy under David and
Solomon, and the subsequent division into two states will be
discussed.
Old Testament II:
The second part of this introductory course includes a
survey of the prophetic, poetic, wisdom, and apocalyptic
literatures. This will be illustrated by studies of selected
books. The history and theological significance of the
folowing periods will be studied: the divided kingdom; the
impact of the dominance of the Assyrian and Babylonian
empires on the life and faith of Israel and Judah; the
events leading to the Exile and its aftermath and the
restoration under the Persian rule. The challenges and
responses of the Old Testament faith from the time of the
Greeks to the Maccabean War.
Old Testament
Exegesis: An introduction to the tools and
methods of exegesis of Old Testament texts with special
attention to selected texts from Pentateuch, Prophets,
Wisdom Literature and Psalms, and their interpretation for
the church and society.
Old Testament
Theology: This course is designed to familiarize
students with Biblical Theology, the various approaches to
major theological themes of the OT like God, creation, the
world, man, sin, salvation, eschatology, etc, the different
tradtions of thought within the Old Testament, the story of
OT theology and current issues in OT theology. It aims to
enable the student to see its unity and the relevance of its
message to the entire Biblical Theology.
Selected Books:
will be offered in rotation, or by priority order; Psa.,
Isa.
Hebrew I, optional:
Brief introduction to simple Hebrew; basic elements of
Hebrew grammar, including the perfect and imperfect of the
simple stem of the regular verb.
New Testament
New Testament I:
NT Background and Synoptic Gospels This course explores the
historical context for the incarnation by surveying the
history and literature of the Jewish people from 168 B.C. to
A.D. 135. This historical study provides a basis for a
detailed study of the synoptic Gospels. A comprehensive
survey of the four Gospels including attention to the
authorship, dating, critical issues and theological motifs
will be done. Application of selected texts to contemporary
issues will be included.
New Testament II:
Acts and Pauline Letters: This course aims at giving
students a knowledge of the growth and message of the church
in the cultural and spiritual milieu of the first century.
The course includes the study of the origin of the Christian
Church, the nature and extension of early Jewish
Christianity and the nature and development of the Pauline
mission. Introduction to the Pauline letters, including
attention to the background, critical issues, and
theological motifs, critical problems encountered in dating
Paul’s life and letters will be examined as they relate to
the interperetation of crucial texts. The course outlines
the main themes in Pauline theology, noting their relation
to contemporary issues in the church.
New Testament
Exegesis: An introduction to the basic principles
of hermeneutics aimed at providing the students with the
necessary tools for and a working knowledge of biblical
exegesis. The students are introduced to the tools,
exegetical method for use in church, ministry and theology.
Procedures include outlining the argument of passages, doing
word studies, validating exegetical decisions, using
exegetical tools, properly applying meaning to life
situations. Selected passages from the Gospels, Pauline
Epistles, and Catholic Epistles will be studied.
New Testament Theology: This course guides the student to
reflect upon the unity and diversity of the theology of the
NT authors. It covers the doctrine of God and His
revelation, the Kingdom of God, Christology, man and sin,
salvation, the church and sacraments, the Holy Spirit, and
eschatology, etc. The history of NT theology and issues in
contemporary treatment of NT theology will be examined.
Selected Books:
will be offered in rotation, or by priority order; Mark,
Romans
Greek I, optional:
The students are introduced to the elements of New Testament
Greek grammar, including the present, imperfect, and aorist
tenses of verbs and the first and second declension of
nouns.
Bible Atlas,
Archaeology: This course is designed to introduce
the students to the geography of Bible lands and places with
the help of map, charts and recent archaeological
discoveries. The remains of ancient civilizations in their
relation to the Bible will also be studied.
Bible Reading:
A scanning of the 66 books of the Bible with special
attention to selected books. The students will make
reflection on their readings.
Canonization,
How came the Bible:
The aim, of course, is to lead the student to a reasoned and
mature understanding of the Bible as literature and as the
word of God, and to an appreciation of its value and
relevance. It includes the canonization of both the Old and
New Testaments, Apocrypha, the story of translations down
the centuries to our day. A brief history of Bible
societies, modern versions and their values, translations
into languages of Myanmar will be studied.
Historical
Studies
Church History I:
This course covers the history of Christianity from its
beginnings to the developments leading to the Reformation.
Special emphasis is given to the rise and growth of
Christianity in the early church period, Roman persecutions,
notable christian leaders and writers, theological
controversies, and ecumenical councils of the church.
Likewise, the growth of Christianity through the Middle
Ages, with the rise and decline of Papacy, the rise of
Pietism, monasticism and scholasticism is studied. The
purpose of this course is to gain an understanding of the
events and the forces at work that left distinct marks on
Christianity that the students be equipped with new insights
to deal with the present context having similar situation.
Church History II:
An introductory survey of Christianity from the time of the
Reformation to the present. Special attention is given to
the rise of Protestantism, the emergence of denominations,
the church’s response to modern thoughts like enlightenment,
progressivism, existentialism, etc., and various movements
of renewal and reform like Puritanism, Pietism, the
awakenings, revivals and Fundamentalism.
Denominational Studies.
At present, being treated is the Baptist History: A study of
the origins and development of Baptist churches throughout
the world and especially those persons and movements of
particular importance for Myanmar, with special attention to
Baptist distinctives. Other traditions like Anglicanism,
Lutheranism, Methodism, Presbyterianism will follow.
Ecumenics:
The purpose of this course is to enhance the awareness of
modern christianity as a world-wide religion and to develop
interest in sharing that awareness in ministry. This basic
course on ecumenics is studied first in its biblical and
theological dimensions. Next, the early concerns and
movements for church unity and mission are studied, followed
by a closer look at the modern missionary movements, and
ecumenical possibilities in the church today, globally and
locally. The modern movement in the WCC, various evangelical
works for unity and mission, and the Roman Catholic Church’s
new role since Vatican II will also be studied.
Asian Churches:
This course aims at gaining knowledge about the churches in
the neighbouring countries, to have some understanding of
the issues for attention in the region and of the way the
churches live and act in the present regional setting, and
reflecting on the strength and weaknesses of the church at
home. History I traces the growth and struggles of the
indigenous Syriac speaking church under the Persians and
Arabs; the relations of this church with the Tang Dynasty
and Mongol emperors are studied, and finally the early
Jesuit missions work and theology is discussed.
History II contains the return of Christianity to Asia under
the protection and power of western imperialism.Regional
studies are undertaken to share the development of the
church in its local contexts.
World History:
An introductory survey of the history of the world from the
beginnings to the present with emphasis upon some of the
events such as the first and second world wars. The rise,
developments, and decline of western capitalism will also be
studied. Some remarkable events in the history of Myanmar
will be discussed.
Theological
Studies
Systematic Theology:
This course seeks to give students a firm grounding in
systematic theology, covering the whole range of Christian
doctrines, so that they can begin to think theologically on
contemporary and perennial issues. Each main topic will be
studied biblically, historically and systematically.
Specific reference to Myanmar context will be done.
Theology I covers Theological Prolegomena, and Theology and
Anthropology. Theoogy II contains Christology and
Soteriology, Pneumatology, Ecclesiology and Eschatology.
Christian Ethics:
This course will study the basis of ethical decisions with
special focus given to the principles and practices of
Christian Ethics. The course will look at how Christian
should be guided and influenced by ethical convictions that
are both biblical and workable. The course will also look
some controversial issues confronting the church at the
present time: abortion, euthanasia, genetic engineering,
surrogate parenthood, etc.
Philosophy:
The course aims to acquaint the student with the
philosophical ideas which are necessary for an intelligent
understanding of theological disciplines. This aim is to be
realized by introducing them to the main teachings of
selected philosophers and philosophical systems, starting
from pre-socratic philosophy to contemporary philosophies
like pragmatism, existentialism, analytical philosophy. The
nature and importance of philosophy, relation between
philosophy and theology will be studied.
Asian Theology:
The purpose of this course is to acquaint the student with
the theological construction of selected Asian Theologians
such as MM Thomas, CS Song, K Koyama, etc. Local theologies
and theological issues will be critically examined in the
light of historic Christianity and in their own contexts.
The course will suggest guidelines and methodologies for
constructing an Asian Christian theology, seeking, on the
one hand, to be faithful to the Word of God and on the
other, to take the Asian contexts seriously.
Contemporary
Theology: A general survey of modern theological
thinkers such as Karl Barth, E Brunner, Paul Tillich, J
Moltmann, R Niebuhr, W Pannenberg, Karl Rahner, Hans Kung,
etc., looking at the contexts of their theologies and
studying their thoughts critically with the purpose of
gaining a wider ecumenical perspective in the modern world.
Exercise work will also be done for Asian, Myanmar, and Chin
communities.
Trends in Theology:
The course will discuss and assess divergent trends in
theology, covering the historical roots, the participants,
how they are divided, the real issues, mutual criticism,
strong points and weak points of each trend, etc.
Declarations and conferences of evangelical and ecumenical
groups, contemporary small sects and pentecostal movements
will also be studied.
Feminist Theology:
aims to cultivate for gender awareness and construct for
gender balance in Church ministry and Christian witness
also.
Ecology:
aims to till and keep our God-given environment;
implementing SALTs I, II, III for FAITH, thereby harmonizing
nature with history; includes the threefold sin and
threefold salvation, pointing to the Post-Eden Drive, PED.
Practical
Studies
Pastoral Theology:
The first part of the course deals with Practical Theology,
i.e., an overview of the minister’s personal life and of the
various areas of ministry with particular attention to the
performance of specific pastoral duties including Baptism,
the Lord’s Supper, marriage and engagement ceremonies,
funerals, ordinations, dedication of babies, church
discipline, and the religious calendar of the church, etc.
The second part of the course deals with Pastoral
Counseling, i.e., examination of major counseling principles
and theories of ministering to people in need. Emphasis is
placed upon the incorporation of Biblical concepts and
methods. With this base as the rationale for counseling, the
student will be guided through sessions of self analysis and
will present a verbatim on a counseling session.
Homiletics:
This course is a study of the theory and practice of
preaching, the nature and content of the sermon and
principles of sermon preparation are discussed. A major
aspect of the course will be the actual performance of
speech communication exercises and sermons in class by
students for the purpose of group evaluation.
Church
Administration: A functional study of church
administration including the pastor’s role related to
recognizing the needs, planning, organizing, motivating and
evaluating the church program. Consideration will be given
to the pastor’s responsibilities in managing the church to
maintain acceptable relationships regarding civil,
government matters. Church records, church property,
stewardship, denominational and interdenominational
relationships, and parliamentary procedure be studied.
Sociology:
The objective of this course is to introduce the student to
the discipline of sociology, and to help the student develop
an appreciation of the sociological perspective as a way of
viewing social reality, acquire an understanding of basic
sociological concepts, develop skills in the use of these
concepts in analyzing his or her own society, and to grasp
the sociological dimension of social problems and social
change so that the student may be equipped to participate
more effectively as a change agent in society. It covers the
person and society, social structures and stratification,
major social institutions and the regulation of behavior,
social change and control, etc.
Psychology:
Introduction to general psychology; its scope and methods,
merits and demerits, etc, to equip the student with relevant
psychological look to meet the present day situation in
Myanmar.
The course includes methods used in psychology, personality,
individual differences, interaction with the environment,
the nervous system, dynamics of behaviour, feeling and
emotion, the learning process, observation, memory, and
thinking, growth and development of the individual, etc.
Pastor as Teacher:
This course examines this pastoral role and explores how the
pastor-teacher can prepare the congregation to meet the
challenges of daily life as well as to equip them for
partnership in the ministry of the church.
Marriage and Family:
this course seeks to equip pastors and church workers with
insights and skills to provide basic pastoral care to
families in the church. The dynamics of the personal
relationship within the family are explored both in terms of
conflict and conflict resolutions as well as enrichment and
growth.
Church and Society:
this course is a study of the biblical, theological and
sociological foundations of the Church’s social
responsibilities. It will consider the various areas and
possibilities for Christian concern and participation.
Theology of
Spirituality: It will examine the principles of
spiritual formation such as the nature of sin, conversion,
sanctification and mysticism, the theological and cardinal
virtues, and the means of grace. It will acquaint students
with the theology and practice of such spiritual disciplines
as prayer, meditation, self-examination, etc. It will stress
both the personal and corporate aspects of the Christian
life.
Missions and
Evangelism
Missions:
An overview of christian mission movements from the early
church to the present, including the foundation, motives,
aim and nature of missions in each paradigm with particular
attention to the biblical, theological foundations of
missions, both local and global, as found in both the Old
and New Testaments, and current issues in missions. Through
interacting with various writers, the student should begin
to develop new methods, principles and strategies for
missions in Myanmar setting. Exercise work will also be done
for the Centenary Mission for Christ, CMC, Program.
CMC :
aims for conscientizing mission assignment of the Chin
Christians today, promoting our purpose, i.e., to produce
students, having mission spirit, and even experiencing
mission work; moving towards holistic missions.
Evangelism:
This course aims to assist the student to achieve and lead
others in faithful and effective Christian outreach. The
course covers the biblical, theological meaning of
evangelism today and of key contemporary issues in the
context of Myanmar. Focus will be given to the challenge of
communicating the gospel in a pluralistic world. Insights
from the social sciences, especially anthropology,
sociology, psychology, and communication theology will be
related to evangelism.
World Religions:
In our pluralistic world, it is important for the Christian
to have some understanding of what others believe so as not
to offend them unnecessarily but to be able to have
meaningful dialogue with them.
This course traces the historical background, theological
development, and the problems and challenges which religion
currently faces in this rapidly changing world. The three
major world religions offered in three separate electives
are: Buddhism, Islam, and Primitive religion.
Church Growth:
This course is designed to familiarize the student with the
perspective and teachings of Donald McGavran. The student
will have practice in using church growth tools such as
statistics and construction of graphs of growth, based on
the decadal growth of the student’s own church. The course,
moreover, includes an examination of modern church growth
theory and methods.
Dialogue:
aims to serve for a communication technique amidst the new
intellectual encounter rather then the old spiritual
encounter, that Christians may become better Christians
through the interfaith dialogue.
Christian
Education
Christian Education
I, Children
This is a foundational course examining the meaning, role
and function of Christian education in the total life of the
church. The goal, objectives and the foundational
disciplines like biblical, theological, educational,
psychological, historical which contributed to the formation
of christian education and practice will be studied with
special attention to its application to the planning of
educational ministries for children. Practical field work
under supervision is required.
Christian Education
II, Youth
This course looks at youth as persons and deals with their
nurture and instruction in the christian faith. It includes
a study of their nature and needs: how they learn and
develop in the context of their culture and society. Various
strategies, skills, curriculum, materials, resources and
methods suitable for communicating biblical truths and
theological concepts will be explored with the aim of
developing creative ways for instruction and nurture in
christian living and witnessing. Practical field work under
supervision is required.
Christian Education
III, Adults
Students will become aware of the ministering needs and
potential of the fastest growing age sector in our
population. A study of their nature and needs will be made
with the purpose of gaining insight for developing the
necessary skills for a creative ministry with them.
Practical field work under supervision is required.
Music and Worship
Worship and Liturgy: A historical and contemporary study of
worship and liturgy in the Christian Church from New
Testament times to the present day. The course aims to help
the student understand the development of the various
worship forms and to evaluate their place in today’s church
as effective aids of congregational worship and Gospel
proclamation.
Choir: An
integral part of theological education is the use of songs
to communicate the Gospel. Thus singing in the choir forms
an important part of the student’s overall training in ZTC.
The choir sings at college events, such as chapel services,
graduation and convocation, and also occasionally at local
churches. Membership in the choir is open to the entire ZTC
community.
Church Music:
A basic course on how to read tonic solfa, staff notation,
and an introduction to basic principles of the various
church music. Practical work under supervision is required.
Part of this course includes a study of the biblical
foundations for church music, the role of music in worship,
and the organization of a music program in the church.This
also covers conducting of major and minor scales, note
values, sight singing and ear training, etc., and choral
conducting.
Language:
English:
The medium of instruction being in English, the various
courses aim at introducing the students to the vocabulary
and usages of the language, correct use of grammar and
sentence construction, comprehension and reading skills with
drills and exercises, a mastering of the language through
the methods of listening and responding.
Field
Education
Field Education:
is an integral element of theological training
and is given a prominent place in the college curriculum.
Students are placed in either churches, social or missions
agencies, community centres or para-church organisations on
a part-time basis annually throughout the entire period of
studies. Through exposure and supervisory sessions students
learn to relate theological studies to pastoral life. A
sequence is followed in almost all aspects of pastoral
ministry to ensure that each student has a wide range of
experience in a number of different settings during his/her
years at ZTC. See above IV: Curriculum and Field Education.
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