The Brehm Center has designed a six course (24 quarter unit) certificate for Fuller Theological Seminary that will be offered through the School of Theology. This certificate serves two purposes: first, it gives artists-of-faith (and those interested in issues of faith, art and culture) considering graduate school an opportunity to deepen the theological foundations of their faith as they prepare for further studies. The benefit of the certificate is that some in this program may opt for completing a degree at Fuller, while others may continue to pursue graduate studies through another degree such as a Masters in Fine Arts (MFA). Secondly, it gives working artists, interested laywomen and men, and ministers not able to pursue a full theological degree an opportunity to form a theological foundation for their work. Professional artists, ministers, church musicians, and leaders who cannot relocate or leave their current job will have access to Fuller courses and faculty through the use of immersion-hybrid and online courses.

Through the course of their studies in this program, students will develop an integrated theological foundation for their artistry or ministry. This will be accomplished through opportunity to take core theology courses, as well as courses that require participants to integrate the study of theology with the study of art, culture, and worship practices. Threaded throughout these courses will be the ability for students to respond creatively through their own work to their theological studies. These three learning outcomes are the pillars of this program - a theological foundation to draw from and reflect on, the ability to integrate theology, worship, arts, and culture, and the validation of creative response to theological studies. To complete their experience in pursuing the certificate, students will take a course that asks them to explore the relationship between their theology and their vocation, asking questions like:

• What does my current profession have to do with my vocation?
• Regardless of my vocation, how exactly does God fit into the work that I do and the life that I lead?
• How do I walk faithfully as a committed Christian—as an artist, minister or lay professional—in a context that is often suspicious or even antagonistic against religion and people of faith?
• How do I better integrate the arts with theology and worship (belief and practice) in my community?

The 24-unit Certificate in Theology and the Arts consists of the following: 

• 4 courses (16 units) that fall under the categories of Theology and Culture (TC) or Worship Studies (WS).  One of these 4 courses must be from the following: 
• TC516: Theology, Worship, and Art 
• TC517: Theological Method for Worship & the Art 
• TC581: Worship Theology and Arts Touchstone 
• 2 elective courses (8 units) of your choice, i.e. ET501 Christian Ethics
• Students enrolled in the certificate are strongly encouraged to take two hybrid-intensive courses we are offering in New York City between July 8-19, 2013. The courses are experiential in nature and specifically contextualized to New York City.
• Course 1 (meeting in New York July 8-12): Theological Methods for Worship and the Arts
• Course 2 (meeting in New York July 15-19): Calling: the History, Theology, and Experience of Christian Vocation
• Please note that if you are accepted as a special student, you are required to take ST511 Introduction to Theological Studies during your first quarter of enrollment at Fuller. Subsequently, ST511 will take the place of one of your electives.