This course will explore the nature, causes, and treatment of criminal behavior through the classical and contemporary criminological theories. The biological, social, psychological, and environmental criminological theories underlying crime and deviance will be explored as well as current approaches to punishment, treatment and prevention. The effects of criminology on policy and leadership management will be emphasized.
Any minister, lay leader, or mission minded believer engaging persons within criminal justice system as well as active community members will inevitably be asked or ask themselves questions related to criminological theories and the implementation of policy by leadership based on those theories. Those within the criminal justice profession seeking to live out a missional calling through their work would benefit from a structured and guided engagement of criminology and the impact on policy and leadership. Due to the current state, members of the community would benefit a better understanding of the criminal justice theories. By understanding criminology, students will learn how to evaluate and analyze and policies and leadership.
The entire Criminal Justice system is a “hot topic.” The pillars of accountability and understanding flow largely out of religious thought and tradition. Secular institutions in the criminal justice system are continually wrestling with hot topic issues and relations with the public, and they are actually wrestling with ideas that have long been explored in the Christian faith. It would benefit the larger mission of God for mission-minded individuals with training in criminological theory for policy and leadership. Criminology can help individuals understand criminal behavior and the impact of crime policies and practices on the community. There is a continuous need for an understanding of criminology.
Criminological theories abound, but not all have a biblical basis. This course could help develop biblically-educated criminologists within their field and community.
If criminal justice practitioners desire to live out their missional calling in the criminal justice field, they will desire to guide and shape their colleagues and institutions to understand criminological theories relevant and meaningful to implementation of policy.
The criminal justice field is a unique ministry context, and a course on criminological theories would help practitioners and the community as a whole apply broader biblical principles to specific criminal justice issues.
A large part of criminological theories focus on the issues of culture and equity. Criminal justice values can change among differing cultures. Understanding these theories allows for policy makers and leadership to take these issues into account.
Criminological theories provide meaningful understanding to current trends implementation of policy based on these trends. It is very practical.
Criminological theory for policy and leadership utilizes specific theories applied to cases or situations. Learners would bring their cases to the table for analysis and learning and return to their practice with the benefit of that learning.
