Courses

This course affords students who have a solid understanding of Islam to deepen their understanding through an in-depth exploration of contemporary and controversial themes. You will be provided with a selection of themes, being required to select two and frame a research paper (argumentative essay) addressing each. Themes might include topics like the origins of Islam, the status of women in Islam, the legitimacy of insider movements as a mission strategy amongst Muslims, the Islamic Reformation, or the inspiration, transmission and organisation of the Qur’an.

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to Islam. The opening unit provides a general overview of Islam’s origins, beliefs and practices. The second unit examines the life of Muhammad in considerable detail, while the third compares the God revealed in the Qur’an (Allah) with the God of the Bible. Unit 4 examines the mission of Islam (Islamisation), noting the objectives and strategies involved. The final unit presents some current approaches Christians use to present the gospel to Muslims.

This course will give you an introduction to missiology that is not limited to the “biblical foundation of mission” or to a pragmatic “how to” approach of “doing mission”, but which combines these (and other) key dimensions of missiology in an integrated perspective. It also combines the dimensions of spirituality and practical planning. Upon completion of this course you will be able to:

• Explain the understanding of Christian mission as God’s mission
• Explain the “praxis matrix” approach to missiology
• Analyse the mission practices of a Christian movement
• Demonstrate the impact of the praxis matrix on your own missiological approach and mission experiences.

The objective of this course is to equip and empower Christians and Church leaders to understand Islam and to engage Muslims in ways that are faithful to Christ's values and mission. By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Demonstrate foundational knowledge of the origin, history, writings, doctrine, and structure of Islam.
• Critique the claim that Yahweh and Allah are the same God.
• Compare and contrast the character and role of Muhammad (the founder of Islam) with that of Jesus Christ (the founder of Christianity).
• Compare and contrast the missional objectives and strategies of Islam with those of Christianity.
• Formulate a biblical and practical response to Islamization in your context.
• Critique methods and models of presenting the gospel of Jesus Christ to Muslims.

This course examines the basis for current church growth theory and practice and compares them with Biblical principles. By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Describe the Biblical warrant for church growth and to be able to identify the signs of a healthy church.
• Identify the principles of church growth and to know how to apply them within the South African situation.
• Recognize possible socio-economic and cultural limitations that may affect the growth of a church in South Africa.
• Know how to collect and evaluate church growth data and how to plan for and lead the church into growth so that you will be able to develop a plan for the growth of your church.

This course provides an introductory level overview of the five major world religions, namely, African Traditional Religions, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism. By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Describe the critical characteristics of the African people and the differing religious views they hold.
• Identify and explain pertinent aspects of Islam.
• Explain Jewish Messianic expectations and views about Jesus Christ.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the foundations and critical influences of Buddhism.
• Explain the origins, worldview, and significant points of the belief system of the Hindu people.

This course is a study of the central mission of God evaluating His interaction with humanity through missions in a global context. By the end of this course, you should be able to:

• Define the mission of God (Missio Dei) and identify its various dimensions.
• Articulate the biblical bases for engagement in the mission of God.
• Identify the implications of major global trends for the mission strategy of twenty-first-century churches.
• Identify missional challenges for the church in the Global South and develop Bible-based, Christ-centred theological responses.
• Describe the missions’ strategies and methods of a church or a Christian organization in your local context.

This course is a study on the history of missions, briefly discussing the expansion of Christianity throughout the last 2000 years. By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Describe the goal and motives of missions history.
• Explain the significant eras in missions history.
• Define key strategies for the expansion of the World Christian Movement.
• Identify key players in the history of modern missions.
• Critically evaluate the growth of Christianity.

This course is a study of the issues that are critical in missions today and will help the student to develop a passion for missions in the 21st century. By the end of this course, you will be able to:

• Describe contemporary issues in missiology.
• Describe globalization and its impact on missions.
• Explain migration and its role in the transformation of global Christianity.
• Evaluate selected issues in contemporary missions.
• Research contemporary issues in your area that could affect the missionary purpose.