New Brunswick Theological Seminary

In their first revised core course, NBTS plans to provide scientific information that will enable students to understand the “how” of prejudice, such as how the imprinting of racism, sexism, classism, etc. is in the brains of everyone involved. A second related focus will confront some of the pseudoscience that has forged the pillars of systemic racism, sexism, and homophobia. The second revised core course will introduce student to social science methodologies that they will use to conduct place-based research and critical analysis of their social contexts. At the same time the course will provide a framework whereby students critically examine and formulate public expressions of faith that foster the transformation of the very contexts in which they serve.

The campus-wide event will cover three topics: The science of prejudice; Pseudo-science and minoritized peoples, and Pseudo-theology – interrupting the colonial agenda. The science of Prejudice will consider how people’s bodies are marked by prejudice such as the neurological wiring of the brain. The Pseudo-Science and minoritized peoples section will consider how science has been used as tool of oppression and the destruction of people of color, particularly in urban spaces, within the US and across the globe. Psuedo-Theology – interrupting the colonial agenda, allows participants to interrogate the way theology has been and continues to be complicit in the colonization and exploitation of peoples with and without the help of pseudo-science. In many theological institutions the western hegemony on meaning-making about the divine remains sacrosanct. There is the need to interrupt this process and decolonize the minds, bodies and theological spaces to become bodies and spaces committed to liberation.

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Analyzing Systems of Privilege

This class, taught by Beth Tanner and Micah McCreary at New Brunswick Theological Seminary, is the second portion of IN 331. During the semester, students will engage in readings, videos, and class interactions around the issues of privilege in all forms of oppression. The class will focus on the ways the sciences and theology have…
  • Course Categories: Pastoral Theology
  • Science Topics: Social Sciences
  • Seminaries: New Brunswick Theological Seminary
  • Ecclesial Families: Mainline Protestant
  • Syllabus: Analyzing Systems of Privilege
  • Tags: oppression, race, socioeconomic status, racial justice, privilege

Contextualized Ministry and Public Faith

This senior-level course, taught by Janice McLean-Farrell at New Brunswick Theological Seminary, is designed to view Christian ministry as faith and witness in a multidimensional context. Christian spirituality and ministry today must engage in living dialogue with multiple publics, secular disciplines, and pluralistic religious and cultural traditions in search of the common good and beloved…
  • Course Categories: Pastoral Theology
  • Science Topics: Social Sciences, Neuroscience, Brain, & Mind
  • Seminaries: New Brunswick Theological Seminary
  • Ecclesial Families: Mainline Protestant
  • Syllabus: Contextualized Ministry and Public Faith
  • Tags: social science, Research Ethics, scientific method, developmental psychology

Framing a Theology of Prophetic Urban Ministry

In this course, taught by Janice McLean-Farrell at New Brunswick Theological Seminary, students will begin to lay the foundation for an integral, liberating, and transformative theology of prophetic urban ministry through interdisciplinary reading and critical reflection, along with on-the-street engagement of contemporary events. An examination of 21st-century urban contexts and ministry strategies employed in these…
  • Course Categories: General Theology, Pastoral Theology
  • Science Topics: Technology & AI, Social Sciences
  • Seminaries: New Brunswick Theological Seminary
  • Ecclesial Families: Mainline Protestant
  • Syllabus: Framing a Theology of Prophetic Urban Ministry
  • Tags: inequality, gender, socioeconomic status, technology, race, science education, urban ministry

History of Global Christianity I

This course, taught by Nathan Jérémie-Brink at New Brunswick Theological Seminary, explores the history of Christianity from the second century to the middle of the fifteenth century. We will identify formative stages in Christianity's development as a world religious movement and engage in various methods to consider key theological texts, terms, and traditions in historical…
  • Course Categories: Church History
  • Science Topics: Health & Wellness, History & Philosophy of Science
  • Seminaries: New Brunswick Theological Seminary
  • Ecclesial Families: Mainline Protestant
  • Syllabus: History of Global Christianity I
  • Tags: Crusades, plague, biology, medicine, suffering, public health

History of Global Christianity II

This course, taught by Nathan Jérémie-Brink at New Brunswick Theological Seminary, explores the history of Christianity from 1450 to the present. We will identify the key themes and formative stages of Christianity's global development from the era of reformations of Christian institutions and practices that followed, and the development of the Christian tradition as a…
  • Course Categories: Church History
  • Science Topics: Health & Wellness, History & Philosophy of Science, Life Sciences
  • Seminaries: New Brunswick Theological Seminary
  • Ecclesial Families: Mainline Protestant
  • Syllabus: History of Global Christianity II
  • Tags: epidemics, evolution, ecology, biology, scientific method, medicine, public health, virology, pandemics

Introduction to Old Testament

This course, taught by Terry Ann Smith at New Brunswick Theological Seminary, will offer a brief but comprehensive overview of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament by examining the text’s historical, literary and theological origins in the life of ancient Israel. The Old Testament/Hebrew Bible is formative for Christianity (and Judaism) and used as a guide by…
  • Course Categories: Biblical Studies
  • Science Topics: Social Sciences, Earth Science & Environment
  • Seminaries: New Brunswick Theological Seminary
  • Ecclesial Families: Mainline Protestant
  • Syllabus: Introduction to Old Testament
  • Tags: environmental justice, racial justice, ecology, creation care, natural sciences, gender

Power and Privilege: A Theology and the Science of Change

This course, taught by Beth Tanner at New Brunswick Theological Seminary, explores the biblical, theological, social, psychological, spiritual, and physical impact of racism, xenophobia, sexism, classism, and homophobia on American society, with an earnest focus on pastoral and ministerial leadership and intervention around these critical matters. It surveys biblical responses to racism, sexism, classism, homophobia,…
  • Course Categories: General Theology, Pastoral Theology
  • Science Topics: Health & Wellness, Social Sciences, Neuroscience, Brain, & Mind
  • Seminaries: New Brunswick Theological Seminary
  • Ecclesial Families: Mainline Protestant
  • Syllabus: Power and Privilege: A Theology and the Science of Change
  • Tags: homophobia, health, psychology, spirituality, wellbeing, racism, xenophobia, sexism, classism

Spirituality of the Twelve Steps

This course, taught by T. Patrick Milas at New Brunswick Theological Seminary, explores the problem of addiction and mandate for the Church in the solution: the embrace and elevation of healing ministry using the Twelve Steps. The course begins by reviewing the latest scientific evidence of addiction to delineate the scope of the problem in…
  • Course Categories: Pastoral Theology
  • Science Topics: Health & Wellness, Neuroscience, Brain, & Mind
  • Seminaries: New Brunswick Theological Seminary
  • Ecclesial Families: Mainline Protestant
  • Syllabus: Spirituality of the Twelve Steps
  • Tags: pastoral care, addiction, alcoholism, drug addiction, therapy
Learn about the other Participant Schools

In furtherance of the AAAS mission of advancing science in service to society, AAAS|DoSER’s role in the Science for Seminaries project is to support efforts to integrate science into seminary education. AAAS|DoSER does not advise on or endorse the theological content of the participating seminaries.