Master of Arts in Religious Studies
Graduate Programs in Religious Studies
Bryn Athyn College is not currently accepting applications for this program for the 2024-2025 academic year. Please return to this page for updates about the next available start date.
Bryn Athyn’s graduate programs in Religious Studies provide opportunities for those with BA or BS degrees to do intensive study of important questions of religion at a graduate level, framed by principles of Swedenborgian theology. Emanuel Swedenborg’s “New Church” theology teaches:
- There is a deeper meaning to the Bible which speaks to our individual spiritual journeys
- There is a universal God, who is love itself, who walks that spiritual journey with us and is Divinely Human
- The ultimate spiritual journey is about learning to live with good will in useful service to others
Our programs encourage students to explore these ideas, looking for ways to apply comparative principles of theology to various topics, themes, disciplines, and vocations.
We offer three programs:
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Our 30-credit Master of Arts in Religious Studies program provides students a broad study of religious questions, informed by a Swedenborgian thought perspective, culminating in a multi-disciplinary thesis. |
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Our 9-credit Graduate Certificate in Spiritual Growth Studies provides students the opportunity to explore spiritual growth from multiple disciplinary perspectives, framed by principles of Swedenborgian thought. |
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Our 9-credit Graduate Certificate in Biblical Interpretation provides students the opportunity to explore Biblical interpretation from multiple disciplinary perspectives, framed by principles of Swedenborgian thought. |
Our graduate programs in Religious Studies are ideally suited for those preparing for further graduate study in religion or theology, those looking for professional development in the work of ministry, teaching, ethics, and leadership, those with background in Swedenborgian theology looking to deepen their knowledge, or those seeking personal spiritual enrichment.
Students may attend online or in person. Our graduate courses may also be taken or audited individually.
For more information, contact
Rev. Thane P. Glenn, Ph.D.
Head of Graduate Programs in Religious Studies
267-502-4844
thane.glenn@brynathyn.edu
Master of Arts in Religious Studies
Our 30-credit Master of Arts in Religious Studies program provides students a broad study of religious questions, informed by a Swedenborgian thought perspective, culminating in a multi-disciplinary thesis.
Program Goals and Outcomes
All Bryn Athyn College graduate Religious Studies programs are driven by the following goals. Students will
- Explore the ways in which Swedenborgian theology provides a fruitful framework for understanding and engaging with a broad array of disciplines, practices, and pursuits.
- Explore manifestations of the relationship between the Divine and the Human in human culture, experience, and thought.
- Engage in multi-disciplinary research in religious studies.
All Bryn Athyn College graduate Religious Studies programs offer the following outcomes. Students will
- Understand and articulate major principles of Swedenborgian theology.
- Apply principles of Swedenborgian theology to various topics, themes, disciplines, and/or vocations.
- Understand comparatively principles of Swedenborgian theology in relation to other theologies, ideologies, and conceptualizations of spiritual life.
- Combine critical self-reflection with the study of various conceptualizations of spiritual life.
- Conduct multi-disciplinary research in religious studies, using research methods appropriate to content area to produce competent analysis of material and effective presentation thereof.
Key Program Features
- Attend online or in person
Admission Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution or the equivalent
- Transcript of all courses and grades from each college or university attended
- Undergraduate GPA of at least 2.5 on a scale of 4. If the GPA is below 2.5, a Graduate Record Exam score may be accepted instead.
- Three letters of recommendation. Recommendations should not be from close family members.
- Statement of intent and purpose
- Optional but recommended: Interview with program head
Program Course Requirements: 30 Credits
This course is an introduction to research methods that are of value in investigating topics in religious studies. Includes particular focus on scriptural hermeneuticsand historical methods.
The essential nature of the Divine, the incarnation and glorification, the Lord’s temptations and presence with the human race through the Divine Human.
Thesis research and writing.
Graduate Certificate in Spiritual Growth
Our 9-credit certificate program provides students the opportunity to explore spiritual growth from multiple disciplinary perspectives, framed by principles of Swedenborgian thought.
Program Goals and Outcomes
All Bryn Athyn College graduate Religious Studies programs are driven by the following goals. Students will
- Explore the ways in which Swedenborgian theology provides a fruitful framework for understanding and engaging with a broad array of disciplines, practices, and pursuits.
- Explore manifestations of the relationship between the Divine and the Human in human culture, experience, and thought.
- Engage in multi-disciplinary research in religious studies.
All Bryn Athyn College graduate Religious Studies programs offer the following outcomes. Students will
- Understand and articulate major principles of Swedenborgian theology.
- Apply principles of Swedenborgian theology to various topics, themes, disciplines, and/or vocations.
- Understand comparatively principles of Swedenborgian theology in relation to other theologies, ideologies, and conceptualizations of spiritual life.
- Combine critical self-reflection with the study of various conceptualizations of spiritual life.
- Conduct multi-disciplinary research in religious studies, using research methods appropriate to content area to produce competent analysis of material and effective presentation thereof.
Specifically, the student completing a graduate certificate in spiritual growth will
- Understand and articulate Swedenborgian thought on the relationship of the Divine and the Human, the central importance of human freedom, the process of regeneration or spiritual growth, Divine action in human lives and history, the relationship of the individual to the communal and universal (Outcome 1)
- Understand the role of the Bible in spiritual development and human choice, particularly applicable to work in ministry, teaching, ethics, and leadership (Outcomes 2, 4)
- Understand the role of the Decalogue in the work of education (Outcomes 2, 3, 5)
- Understand the relationship between cognitive development and spiritual growth, particularly applicable to work in ministry, teaching, ethics, and leadership (Outcomes 2, 3, 4, 5)
Key Program Features
- Attend online or in person
- Complete in a year
Admission Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution or the equivalent
- Transcript of all courses and grades from each college or university attended
- Undergraduate GPA of at least 2.5 on a scale of 4. If the GPA is below 2.5, a Graduate Record Exam score may be accepted instead.
- A letter of recommendation. Recommendations should not be from close family members.
- Statement of intent and purpose
- Optional but recommended: Interview with program head
Program Course Requirements: 9 Credits
The essential nature of the Divine, the incarnation and glorification, the Lord’s temptations and presence with the human race through the Divine Human.
Faith, charity, free will, repentance, reformation and regeneration, imputation, baptism and the holy supper, the second advent, and the New Church. Text: True Christian Religion.
Other courses may be designated to fulfill the program, at the discretion of the program head.
Graduate Certificate in Biblical Interpretation
Our 9-credit certificate program provides students the opportunity to explore Biblical interpretation from multiple disciplinary perspectives, framed by principles of Swedenborgian thought.
Program Goals and Outcomes
All Bryn Athyn College graduate Religious Studies programs are driven by the following goals. Students will
- Explore the ways in which Swedenborgian theology provides a fruitful framework for understanding and engaging with a broad array of disciplines, practices, and pursuits.
- Explore manifestations of the relationship between the Divine and the Human in human culture, experience, and thought.
- Engage in multi-disciplinary research in religious studies.
All Bryn Athyn College graduate Religious Studies programs offer the following outcomes. Students will
- Understand and articulate major principles of Swedenborgian theology.
- Apply principles of Swedenborgian theology to various topics, themes, disciplines, and/or vocations.
- Understand comparatively principles of Swedenborgian theology in relation to other theologies, ideologies, and conceptualizations of spiritual life.
- Combine critical self-reflection with the study of various conceptualizations of spiritual life.
- Conduct multi-disciplinary research in religious studies, using research methods appropriate to content area to produce competent analysis of material and effective presentation thereof.
Specifically, the student completing a graduate certificate in Biblical interpretation will
- Understand and articulate Swedenborgian thought on the relationship of the Divine and the Human, the correspondence or relationship between material and spiritual realities, the process of regeneration or spiritual growth, interpretive methods (Outcome 1)
- Understand the role of the Bible in spiritual development and human choice, particularly applicable to work in ministry, teaching, ethics, and leadership (Outcomes 2, 4)
- Develop knowledge of interpretive methods and comparative hermeneutics (Outcomes 2, 3, 4, 5)
Key Program Features
- Attend online or in person
- Complete in a year
Admission Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution or the equivalent
- Transcript of all courses and grades from each college or university attended
- Undergraduate GPA of at least 2.5 on a scale of 4. If the GPA is below 2.5, a Graduate Record Exam score may be accepted instead.
- A letter of recommendation. Recommendations should not be from close family members.
- Statement of intent and purpose
- Optional but recommended: Interview with program head
Program Course Requirements: 9 Credits
Introduction to the celestial, spiritual and spiritual-historical meanings of the Word. The ancient churches. The representation of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The Exodus. This course aims for a general knowledge of the first published works of the Doctrines of the New Church, and includes selected readings of approximately 500 pages.
The nature of inspiration and revelation, including the structure and interrelationship of the Old Testament, New Testament and the Writings, and the role of the literal and spiritual sense.
Other courses may be designated to fulfill the program, at the discretion of the program head.