Theology Track

The M.A. in Theology equips students to think critically about theological and philosophical problems and explore constructive possibilities by linking the formational and intellectual aspects of theological reflection. This approach involves (1) framing crucial questions and problems in theology and (2) learning how to integrate and apply insights from various disciplines to these issues. 

Theological and philosophical problems include:

• How does Trinitarian theology shape a Christian's response to other religious traditions?
• How does one inquire about God?
• How do transformative practices foster the pursuit of divine likeness?
• Can Christology shed light on experiences of human suffering?
• Why is God hidden?
• How does Scripture serve as a theological source of reflection and formation?
• How does theology function in an ethic of citizenship?

Students are given tools and resources to begin thinking about these questions philosophically–to analyze concepts clearly and evaluate evidence and arguments critically. As a result, theological education of this sort entails cultivating a set of intellectual virtues in order to formulate constructive responses to the questions at hand.

Faculty
The primary theology teacher and advisor for the Theology track is Dr. Fred Aquino. Dr. Aquino is a graduate of Southern Methodist University and has a substantial track record of international conference presentations, articles, chapters in edited volumes, and published books. Dr. Aquino's publications have focused on religious epistemology, virtue epistemology, St. Maximus the Confessor, and John Henry Newman. His first book was an argument for the rationality of the Christian faith using the work of John Henry Newman. His second book was also a constructive work using Newman as well as work in epistemology to argue that an "integrative habit of mind" (Aquino's term for the ability to see how things fit together) is fundamental to the pursuit of wisdom. This most recent work has been met with great reviews so far and has engendered reflection in both theological and philosophical circles.

Dr. Aquino is currently co-editing several edited volumes including the Oxford Handbook of the Epistemology of Theology with William Abraham (under contract). In the Handbook, whose contributors include some of the foremost epistemologists and theologians in the world, Aquino and Abraham are charting a new sub-discipline that attends more fully to the epistemological issues that arise in the course of doing Christian theology. In addition, he is working on an edited volume with Ben King on the receptions of John Henry Newman among historians, philosophers and theologians (under review), and a handbook on John Henry Newman (under review). He is also working on a book length work connecting the thought of Maximus the Confessor with Virtue Epistemology. 

Studies are also enhanced by adjunct faculty in ACU's Department of Bible, Missions and Ministry as well as visiting faculty from other universities.

Program Emphases
The theology program in the GST is most accurately described as an analytic program. Students are taught to articulate ideas with precision, clarity, and logical coherence. While continental theology is not wholly ignored, the primary focus is on analytic methodology. The program emphases can be broken down into four categories: moral theology, historical theology, philosophical theology, and systematic theology.

In the area of Moral Theology, students are given a broad exposure to both philosophical (e.g., Aristotle, Kant, and Mill) and theological (e.g., Hauerwas and Niebuhr) ethical theories. Political philosophy and theology is also given special attention, particularly the relation of Christian ethics to the broader domains of human inquiry within a pluralistic context.  

The Historical Theology focuses on thinkers, practices, and doctrines in Patristic, Medieval and Contemporary theology. Because of Dr. Aquino's expertise on Maximus the Confessor, special attention is paid to Maximus and other Patristic theologians. Some classes engage the primary literature of medieval figures such as Augustine, Anselm, Aquinas, Theresa of Avila, Averroës and Maimonides. Other classes trace theological, historical and philosophical antecedents contemporary theology while covering the landscape of 20th century theology in terms of primary readings grouped around major topics or issues. The list of assigned reading includes figures such as Schleiermacher, Newman, Barth, Rahner, Tillich, Lindbeck, Balthasar, Elizabeth Johnson, Sarah Coakley, and Gustavo Gutierrez. In this area, students are exposed to a wide array of theological and philosophical approaches.

As already mentioned, Philosophical Theology primarily focuses on the analytic style and tradition of theological reflection. Students engage with much of the contemporary philosophical literature in epistemology  (including recent work in religious epistemology and virtue epistemology) as a way of conversing with its current developments and of learning how to incorporate philosophical ideas with theology. In this regard, courses explore topics like divine revelation, religious experience, the rationality of religious belief, disagreement, and informed judgment.

Finally, Systematic Theology is the aspect of the program that deals with classical Christian doctrines and their relevant constructive reformulations. Along these lines, classes introduce students to the tasks, methods, and sources of theology while focusing on select doctrines (e.g., God, Christology, Pneumatology, Theological Anthropology, Deification). It also challenges students to think critically about the relation of theology to other fields of knowledge.

Preparation for Doctoral Work
The Theology track of the M.A.H.T. has an excellent track record of graduates who have gone on to do doctoral work at prestigious universities. Graduates were accepted to schools such as Princeton, SMU, Harvard, Graduate Theological Union and Loyola-Chicago. 

The success in getting into quality doctoral programs stems from the unique level of preparation that students receive in the program in terms of (a) exposure to scholarly and primary readings and (b) development of academic research and writing. Students in this program are required to read a set of primary readings (both ancient and contemporary) that rivals any program in the United States. The course readings in Dr. Aquino's classes consist of primary constructive proposals instead of general overviews–rather than reading surveys about a subject, students read the actual contributions to each field of inquiry. In doing so, students learn how to make well-considered constructive arguments of their own.

In terms of developing academic research and writing, classes require Position Papers that are expected to resemble the scope and analysis of a journal article. As students move through the program, the Position Papers lay the groundwork for making an original, constructive argument in the thesis project. For students who desire to do doctoral work, the level of training in research and writing benefits in two ways. First, it provides students with a high quality writing sample that is capable of distinguishing him or her from other applicants. Second, displaying a strong quality of writing in a thesis can often provide students with strong recommendations from his or her thesis committee members. This has proven especially helpful for students with well-known scholars on their committee.