Bachelor of Divinity

(a) The general aim of the programme is to give the students an understanding of the interconnectedness of hermeneutics and theology and to equip them with a relevant and appropriate knowledge of the implications of the Christian faith and theology for ministry within different contexts.

(b) To equip students with a sophisticated knowledge and understanding of theology and hermeneutics in order to deal with complexity of ministry in a scientific and academic way.

(c) To equip students to do research through training in research methods and methodology which is applicable to the six different fields within theology: Old Testament Studies; New Testament Studies; Systematic Theology; Ecclesiology; Practical Theology; Missiology

(d) The development of intellectual, communicative and hermeneutical skills for ministers, in order to operate as Christian leaders and pastors within different contexts and situations of personal and relational crises

(e) To develop the capacity of ministers, pastors and caregivers to fulfil the following roles

*Preacher

• Caregiver
• Christian leader
• Minister

Senior Certificate with Matriculation Exemption or equivalent university admission qualification

Other qualification

A fourth year BTh - degree or any other qualification comparable to a BTh degree as approved by senate

1. GENERIC / CRITICAL CROSS FIELD OUTCOMES

• An understanding of the interdisciplinary character of theology and the relevance of hermeneutics for ministry
• The ability to operate as a Christian leader within a local faith community and various social and cultural communities
• Sensitivity for the needs of people and ability to care for those in need and exposed to different situations of conflict and suffering
• The development of critical and analytical thinking and of communication skills
• The development and formation of a theological understanding of spirituality

1. GENERAL OUTCOMES

• A thorough understanding of the identity of Christian theology and its link to congregational issues and community development
• A thorough understanding of the dynamics of ministry and worship
• Conversational and counselling skills for pastoral care and the Christian outreach to families, marriages, people suffering from different diseases, people in hospitals, youths, community issues such as reconciliation, justice and poverty
• The ability to do exegesis of the Bible, to apply the principles of theological hermeneutics to the interpretation of the Bible, to effectively communicate the gospel
• The development of skills for conflict management and conflict resolution
• The competence to operate as a Christian leader, minister and pastoral caregiver in different congregational and social environments

1. SPECIFIC OUTCOMES

The graduate will have

• Knowledge of the connection between theology and hermeneutics
• An understanding of the functioning of congregations
• An understanding of denominational identity within historic and cultural settings

The graduate will be able to;

• Preach, to conduct a sermon and to operate as a liturgist in the worship of the congregation
• Partake in inter-religious dialogue and ecumenical debate
• Apply cross-cultural communication to different missionary settings

The graduate will demonstrate

• The competence to link church policy and ethics to social and ecological issues/questions
• The competence to operate as a pastor, a youth worker and a catechist
• An understanding of a mature approach to life issues as connected to Christian spirituality and faith
• Adherence to academic integrity and ethics as determined by Christian theology
• Mastery of theoretical subject matter within a comprehensive knowledge of ministry
• Mastery of advanced theory and its application to ministry
• Capacity for independent study via the completion of a research essay (20%)

• The assessment used for the BD ensures that the purpose of the qualification is achieved
• A range of formative and summative assessment methods such as simulation, verbatim, supervision, written and oral examinations are used.
• Competence in outcome will be demonstrated if the students shows an ability to correlate information and concepts learned in a range of modules and propose valid solutions for a range of theoretical and practical problems as related to ministry and leadership

INTEGRATED ASSESSMENT

Assessment of specific outcomes

• Written tests during the different modules
• Group evaluations
• The writing of a research essay. The student selects a topic form any of the six fields in theology
• Written essays and smaller assignments to assignments to assess self-learning ability.
• Practical work under supervision and the writing of counselling reports and verbatim