Addresses the worldwide experience of suffering through a biblically-informed perspective for the sake of the Church’s mission to a hurting world. Topics addressed in this course will include pastoral care, nursing, healthcare, and healing (both spiritual and physical) as they pertain to disease and disability. Students will be assessed on the readings and lectures through online discussion, case-studies, and service projects.
Any student involved in the medical field, nursing, healthcare, etc, will be equipped for appropriate Christian ministry in these areas with a theological framework for appropriate counsel and care. Beyond this, since everyone faces forms of suffering, hardship, and disease in this world, this course will help students place these ubiquitous experiences into the larger theological framework of God’s purposes and plans for his creation.
Suffering is a universal experience, and our missional efforts will inevitably have to face the challenges posed by pain. For this reason, we must be equipped with a proper theological framework about such matters so that we can know best how to love, serve, and provide care in whatever capacity we can in accordance with our gifts and callings.
Illness and healthcare will be addressed from a theological perspective that is rooted in a biblical worldview about creation, sin, and restoration.
This course will consider the important role of healthcare, medicine, healing, nursing, etc, within world missions as part of God’s own mission to restore his creation.
Data from various contexts pertaining to diseases, healthcare, disabilities, etc, will be utilized to help discern how to approach these matters appropriately and sensitively.
We will address global issues pertaining to healthcare, and local issues facing distinct cultures.
The course will address ways to promote healing in local settings and ways to embolden practitioners of medicine and healthcare to implement their training for missional purposes.
Students will be spurred on to live out a theology of healing and restoration through ministry activities designed to create hearts of compassion for lifelong ministry.
