Start a Life of Ministry with our Religious Studies: Theology and Apologetics Degree
Do you feel a calling on your life to pursue a career in ministry? Our Bachelor of Science in Religious Studies: Theology and Apologetics degree will equip you with the foundational knowledge you need to pursue ministry as a career. By earning our religious studies degree, you’ll gain an understanding of biblical teachings while exploring the specifics of Christian theology and apologetics in comparison to oppositional teachings.
Maybe you want to attend seminary to become a pastor or church administrator. Maybe you’re interested in starting a career in ministry upon graduation, going overseas to pursue biblical archaeology, or penning the next great Christian novel. Whatever your goal is in ministry, you’ll receive what you need to pursue it with our religious studies degree in theology and apologetics.
So what are you waiting for? Ministries are desperate for people like you—someone who is passionate about God’s Word and well-educated. You already have the desire, and we have the training you need to meet your career objectives.
Award-Winning Campus
At Liberty, you’ll find an affordable, high-quality education that equips students like you for the real world. Our commitment to excellence helped us rank among Niche.com’s Top 3 college campuses in America. Earning your degree from a nonprofit university with state-of-the-art resources like ours can help set you apart from your peers.
Why Choose Liberty’s Religious Studies: Theology and Apologetics Degree?
At Liberty, we want to provide you with a degree that gives you what you need to excel in your chosen career field. One of the ways we do this is by providing experienced and knowledgeable professors and unique resources.
Wondering what’s so great about our professors? They are each professionals in their field with years of life experience pastoring churches, doing missions work, working in various ministries, and writing/publishing theology books, textbooks, and scholarly articles. Most have already obtained their doctorate degrees, while others are actively pursuing this credential in a ministry-related field. They are excited about passing on the knowledge they’ve gained to you as you’re guided, mentored, and supported throughout your academic journey with us.
Another great resource available to you is the internship opportunities you have with churches, parachurches, and nonprofit organizations locally, nationally, and abroad. Additionally, you can use some of the latest technology and resources to practice your craft in our 7-projector immersive classroom, an interactive classroom that utilizes teleconferencing capabilities and state-of-the-art homiletics teaching lab.
What Will You Learn in Our Religious Studies: Theology and Apologetics Degree?
Our desire is to provide you with a curriculum that is robust, challenging, and preparatory. When you earn your degree and start the next chapter in your academic or professional pursuits, we want you to be well-equipped and confident in the education you received.
Since you’re going into ministry, you need a strong foundational knowledge of the Bible. That’s why the courses in this degree cover topics like hermeneutics, the history of the Christian Church, fundamental theological issues, and world religions.
If you choose to pursue the theology and apologetics concentration, you’ll have a better understanding of how to defend the principles and foundations of your faith. Some of the courses you’ll take in this degree include:
- Christianity and the Cults
- The Church: Its Mission and Hope
- Foundational Issues in Apologetics
- Logic
- Modern and Contemporary Theology
View the Degree Completion Plan, and check out our featured courses below for more information!
Featured Courses
Here’s what you’ll learn:
- An introduction to the basic steps and tools involved in the inductive study of the Bible
- The skills needed to practice a methodical approach to the observation, interpretation, application, and correlation to Scripture
- BIBL 425 – Romans
Here’s what you’ll learn:
An analytical and exegetical study of Romans, giving attention to the following doctrinal issues:
- Condemnation
- Justification
- Sanctification
- The place of Israel
- Practical Christian living
- BIBL 480 – Hermeneutics
Here’s what you’ll learn:
- A study of the nature, methods, and issues of biblical interpretation
- A variety of different approaches to biblical interpretation
- Demonstration of the crucial importance of hermeneutics
- The role genre plays in interpretation
- Students will develop their own hermeneutical method
Here’s what you’ll learn:
- The basic principles and practices of the most significant world religions
- Points of contact and cultural opportunities for the following: effective communication, understanding, and engagement
THEO 350 – Fundamental Theological Issues
Her’es what you’ll learn:
The major theological questions which arise in the defense of the following:
- Biblical inerrancy
- Scriptural separation
- Creationism
- Dispensationalism
Contemporary issues such as:
- The charismatic movement
- Feminism
- Situation ethics
Highlights of Our Religious Studies: Theology and Apologetics Degree
- John W. Rawlings School of Divinity professors are active in the classroom, as well as in research and publishing original works.
- Our School of Divinity is committed to the authority of Scripture and conservative evangelical theology.
- Benefit from the teaching and professor involvement of a small bible college with the experience and amenities of a university.
- Internship opportunities with churches and parachurches locally, nationally, and globally.
- The Freedom Tower, home for the School of Divinity, houses a 7-projector immersive classroom, an interactive meeting space that utilizes teleconferencing capabilities, and a state-of-the-art homiletics teaching lab.
- The Rawlings Foundation’s rare book collection is valued at over 1 million dollars and contains a 111-foot long Torah scroll dating back to the 16th century and a functioning Gutenberg Printing Press replica.
Religious Studies: Theology and Apologetics Degree Information
- Residential format
- 120 total hours
- Transfer in up to 75% of your total degree
- This program falls under the John W. Rawlings School of Divinity
- View the Degree Completion Plan
- View our course catalog
Career Opportunities for Religious Studies: Theology and Apologetics Graduates
- Author
- Christian educator
- Church administrator
- Evangelist
- Para-church ministries leader
- Pastor
- Theologian
Admission Requirements for Undergraduate Degrees
Every application is reviewed by the admission committee on a case-by-case basis, meaning there are no set minimums for acceptance. However, all applicants must submit the following documents* for admission:
- Admission application
- Official high school transcripts
- Official college transcripts (if applicable)
- Results from the CLT, SAT, or ACT are not required for admission, but may be used in consideration for merit-based aid.
- Admission essay
*Note that additional documentation may be requested by the admission committee after your application has been received.
