Nothing is of higher value than the Word of God. This foundational belief guides and supports our studies as we undertake the great privilege of endeavoring to understand the Bible better and more deeply.
Apply Scripture to Today’s World
The field of biblical studies, a concentration in our theology major, combines aspects of ancient language learning, history and research into the Mediterranean and ancient Near Eastern cultural world of the Bible with deep theological reflection, faith formation and a transformative relationship with God and God’s people.
You can specialize in the Old Testament or New Testament, and course work in a variety of areas helps you view Scripture holistically, faithfully and with a mind toward the world we live in today. Learn, reflect, turn it into action. That is our flow.
Service-Oriented Career Path
Biblical scholars are in service to people. They journey with individuals from all walks of life and at varying intellectual levels to ensure that the nuances of Scripture are understood. They bring grace and clarity by devoting themselves to the pursuit of meaning on behalf of others. They read, write and think deeply about what matters most in a confusing world.
Ultimately, they devote themselves to engaging with the spiritual hunger of those around them, walking with others down a path toward understanding.
Develop Skills that are in High Demand
Courses within biblical studies help students foster the exact skills ranked as most desirable by Fortune 500 companies, such as problem solving, processing complex information, understanding human desire, verbal and written communication, teamwork, and the ability to influence others.
Data shows that those majoring in topics like ancient languages, history, religion and philosophy rank near or at the top of standardized, law school and other graduate-school entrance exams such as the LSAT and GRE.
Myth: ‘This Concentration is Only for Pastors’
On the contrary, this is a robust liberal arts area of study that prepares you for a wide range of vocations. Our students have gone on to careers in business, theatre/acting, social work, nonprofit leadership, law school, marketing, nursing, ministries of various kinds, and graduate degrees at all levels around the world.
We engage in a deep dive into the ancient biblical languages. Why read an already- translated text when you can translate it yourself?
Your professors have pastoral and ministry experience. They will lead and join your own journey of learning and growing as they continue to research and publish new work. This is a community where we all learn together.
We believe the Bible is current and can be applied today, to this cultural moment. And we don’t shy away from Christianity’s relationship to culture, be it economics, government, art, science, technology, healthcare, etc.
You will have the opportunity to graduate a semester early if you attend Portland Seminary at George Fox.
This is a safe place to grow in your faith and ask deeper questions. We are ready to work with you to answer your questions, address doubts, and equip you to go out to live your Christian calling, wherever that may be.
As a Theology major, you have the option to join George Fox University’s honors program. This great books program will allow you to engage in active discussions with your peers and provide you with a challenging academic journey that informs your mind and deepens your spiritual walk.
What will I Study?
How to articulate basic content knowledge of the Christian Bible and the Christian theological tradition, and explain how theological concepts, theories and skills interact with the content of disciplines outside of theology and biblical studies
Upon graduation, you will demonstrate seminary-ready (beginner-intermediate) competency in classical biblical Hebrew or New Testament Greek
Be equipped to explain the historical-social circumstances of the books within both the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament and the Christian New Testament, as well as the basic theological trajectory of Christian thought throughout the ages after the biblical period
Learn how to create a scholarly argument that incorporates a historical and theological perspective as well as your knowledge of Hebrew or Greek
Using selected books and portions, the Old Testament will be studied with attention given to historic contexts, major religious themes, and literary forms of the Bible.
Using selected books and portions, the New Testament will be studied with attention given to historic contexts, major religious themes, and literary forms of the Bible.
In this first part of a two-part sequence, students begin their journey into the breadth and depth of Christian theology, studying what Christians have believed and practiced. Emphasis is placed on major themes, figures, texts, and on students connecting their Christian practice with the intellectual traditions of the Church.
In this second part of a two-part sequence, students continue their journey into the breadth and depth of Christian theology, studying what Christians have believed and practiced. Emphasis is placed on major themes, figures, texts, and on students connecting their Christian practice with the intellectual traditions of the Church.
This capstone course invites students into advanced academic study at the intersection of theology, biblical studies, and philosophy. Topics will vary, but will include readings, discussions, and research into the relationships between these fields of study and the demands of the theological task in the contemporary world.
In this course students will study languages relevant to their biblical and theological study (options include ancient languages such as Hebrew, Greek, Latin, or inscriptions, as well as modern languages such as German, French, Spanish, etc.). Basics of vocabulary and grammar and special aspects of the language will be covered in the first semester, while the second semester moves more heavily into reading primary sources.
In this course students will study the history of Biblical interpretation as it has been practiced within the Bible itself and by Christians throughout the first 1500 or so years of the Church. We then turn to examine interpretation in the modern, “critical” period after the Enlightenment, and explore the wide variety of interpretive methods that have blossomed in the 20th and 21st centuries. Students will also engage in a process toward considering what faithful and creative interpretation of the Bible might look like in their personal study and in their various communities.
In this course students will study languages relevant to their biblical and theological study (options include ancient languages such as Hebrew, Greek, Latin, or inscriptions, as well as modern languages such as German, French, Spanish, etc.). Basics of vocabulary and grammar and special aspects of the language will be covered in the first semester, while the second semester moves more heavily into reading primary sources. Prerequisite: THEO 325 Theological Languages I.
Theology and Biblical Studies are vibrant and dynamic fields of study, with profound implications for communities of faith but also for the study of politics, literary studies, philosophy, history, and popular culture. This course will focus on contemporary issues relevant to the research interests and specialties of George Fox University faculty and will offer an opportunity for students and faculty to collaborate in the dual process of research and personal transformation. Specific topics rotate, and the course can be taken more than once with different topics.
Theology and Biblical Studies are vibrant and dynamic fields of study, with profound implications not only for communities of faith but also for the study of politics, literary studies, philosophy, history, and popular culture. This advanced course will focus on contemporary issues relevant to the research interests and specialties of George Fox University faculty in theology and Bible and will offer an opportunity for students and faculty to collaborate in the dual process of research and personal transformation. Specific topics rotate, and the course can be taken more than once with different topics.
In this course students will continue their language study from the THEO 325-425 sequence, reviewing grammar and vocabulary as necessary but moving into primary source readings, research papers requiring use of the language, and other skills as appropriate.
Prerequisites: THEO 325 Theological Languages I and THEO 425 Theological Languages II.
Supervised internship or other experience in the areas of Christian ministry, biblical studies, philosophy, teaching, or other related fields as appropriate to the student’s discipline. Administered by application or instructor permission as required by a student’s academic program. Graded Pass/No Pass
A study of biblical principles of evangelism, nurturing, and teaching. This study encompasses the Christian educational responsibilities of the local church and parachurch agencies.
A study of the historical background and philosophical development in Christian education, with an examination of the influence of these antecedents upon theory and practice. Contemporary trends in current and emerging ministries will be assessed against such perspectives.
An exploration of how people grow and change spiritually. The study integrates biblical insights, classic Christian spirituality, developmental theory, and contemporary individual and corporate practice in spiritual formation. It will critically explore how spirituality relates to vocation, relationships, and the demands of daily living.
A practical course providing methods and introductory techniques for preparation and delivery of Christian speaking as ministry. A variety of message construction types will be studied, and students will have opportunity to speak and receive student and instructor evaluation. This course will cover sermon preparation and delivery, devotional and inspirational speaking, extemporaneous sharing, and broader aspects of communicating Christian truth.
A comparative study between Christianity and other prominent religions of the world, such as Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, and contemporary kinds of alternative religion.
This advanced course will focus on contemporary issues relevant to the research interests and specialties of George Fox University faculty in Christian Ministries and will offer an opportunity for students and faculty to collaborate in the dual process of research and personal transformation. Specific topics rotate, and the course can be taken more than once with different topics.
Supervised internship or other experience in the areas of Christian ministry, biblical studies, philosophy, teaching, or other related fields as appropriate to the student’s discipline. Administered by application or instructor permission as required by a student’s academic program. Graded Pass/No Pass
This course is designed to introduce students to what it means to think and live philosophically. There are a number of different variations of this course. Each variation picks a different topic through which to explore how philosophy be a tool for interpreting, understanding and interacting with the world. Not only that, we will also examine how philosophy can shape the way in which we live out our lives. Each course includes some reading of Plato and at least one other major philosophy in the tradition. Examples of different variations of this course include: "God, Freedom and Evil", "Simplicity", "Socrates and Plato", "Land and Humans", and "Virtue and Faith".
Logic involves a study of Aristotelian forms of deductive reasoning, including the syllogism, inductive reasoning, fallacies, and some aspect of symbolic logic, including Venn diagrams and truth tables. Its goal is to facilitate sound thinking that is both creative and critical.
This course will explore questions about how we ought to live and what kind of person we ought to be. Questions may include: What is the good life—the life worth living? What makes an action the morally right thing to do? Is there even such a thing as the morally right thing to do? And if there is, isn’t it all relative? What’s God or religion have to do with the good life and the right thing to do? Can we know right from wrong? How should we think about specific ethical dilemmas?
This course is an introduction to metaphysics, exploring questions about the fundamental nature of reality, including some questions that overlap with philosophy of religion, philosophy of mind, and theology. Questions may include: What is the nature of being and existence? What is time and is time travel possible? What is human free will? What determines personal identity over time? Is the mind material? What is gender? Is there a necessary foundation to reality, and if there is, must it be divine?
This course is an introduction to epistemology, exploring questions about the nature of knowledge, and rational belief. Questions may include: How should ‘knowledge’ be defined? What can we know? What does cognitive science teach us about the rationality of our beliefs? Should we generally trust what people say? To what extent can reasonable people disagree? And does being intellectually virtuous have anything to do with knowing? Is faith opposed to knowledge or can we know religious truths?
Philosophy is an attempt to answer the Big Questions. In this course we will attempt to answer some of the big questions of religion. These questions are of immense importance; the course of millions of people’s lives rests on certain answers to these questions. Is there a God? What evidence is there for the existence of God? Does the existence of evil rule out God’s existence? If God existed, wouldn't it be more obvious? Could religious experience provide grounds for rational religious belief? Has science undermined reasonable belief in God and miracles? Is faith just inherently irrational as such? Apologetics is a defense of the Christian faith, and throughout this class Christian responses to these questions will be explained, interrogated, and defended.
Complete 6-hours of the following course with different topics:
Theology and Philosophy are vibrant and dynamic fields of study, with profound implications not only for communities of faith but also for the study of politics, literary studies, philosophy, history, and popular culture. This advanced course will focus on contemporary issues relevant to the research interests and specialties of George Fox University faculty in theology and philosophy and will offer an opportunity for students and faculty to collaborate in the dual process of research and personal transformation. Specific topics rotate, and the course can be taken more than once with different topics.
Jenna Richards
Class of 2020, current student at Princeton Theological Seminary
George Fox prepared me to engage with those across the spectrum of religious thought in a way that is sensitive to differences while remaining academically rigorous. I learned ways in which my ‘head knowledge’ has practical and serious meaning for vulnerable, oppressed, and marginalized people. The field of theology is immensely political, relational, and has the potential to be socially radical. I feel most myself when learning, in all forms. I see wholeness in the intellectual tradition of my faith communities. At its best, a Christian education is a ministry of hospitality, and the School of Theology invites you in and teaches how to invite others into the world of theology, faith and academics.
What’s after George Fox
Our graduates have gone on to careers in ministry, business, theater/acting, social work, nonprofit leadership, law school, marketing, nursing, and graduate degrees at all levels around the world.
Data shows that those majoring in topics like religion, ancient languages and history, and philosophy rank near the top of test scores on the LSAT as well as the GRE. Courses within our department specialize in the exact skills that are now ranked as the most desirable for companies hiring new employees, such as problem solving, processing complex information, verbal and written communication, teamwork, and the ability to influence others.
Grad’s passion for racial reconciliation is changing lives in Philadelphia
If there’s ever the temptation to get discouraged and give in – to let all the brokenness and heartbreak around him derail the work at hand – Jael K.D.L.V. Chambers doesn’t let on. He can’t afford to. The need is too great, the stakes too high.
As associate regional director for Young Life in Philadelphia, Chambers sees it all: the fatherless homes, the desperation of “the hood,” the palpable racial and political tension in the city. And yet, he remains unfazed. He’s witnessed too many instances of restoration and reconciliation to lose hope now.
