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MILLIGAN, Tenn. (June 22, 2020) — Beginning fall 2020, Emmanuel Christian Seminary at Milligan will offer a new concentration in the Master of Divinity program. The new concentration, Christian Spiritual Formation, will provide a professional course of study focusing on the processes and traditions of practice that support a transformative, flourishing and joyful life of Christian discipleship.
The Christian Spiritual Formation concentration will be strongly grounded in the Bible and theology, contemporary knowledge of human development, and the history and practice of Christian spirituality.
“Spiritual formation is at the core of what we do at Emmanuel, and it is a central task of the church,” said Dr. Gary Selby, professor of ministerial formation. “As we prepare the next generation of men and women in ministry, we aim to strengthen spiritual formation in a way that is informed by Scripture, theology and traditions of Christian spirituality, as well as the most cutting-edge knowledge about human, social and psychological development that we have available to us.”
The concentration will include a variety of courses that share a common understanding of spiritual formation as holistic, incarnational and communal. Coursework will be rooted in knowledge but also in experiential, embodied practices. Students will be introduced to the history of Christian spirituality, explore traditions of spiritual practice, and gain the knowledge and skills needed to cultivate formation in the local church and in other organizational settings.
Emmanuel’s Master of Divinity is a three-year degree program which provides a breadth of education in all areas of theological learning with a special focus on the practice of pastoral ministry. This degree is considered the standard program of ministerial education and is formally required for ordination by many churches. Emmanuel offers nine concentrations within the Master of Divinity degree.
For more information on this new concentration and other graduate programs at Emmanuel Christian Seminary at Milligan, visit ecs-new.milligan.edu.