During the course of the day students gather to discuss different topics from the classes they are taking together. This is a great time to exchange ideas and to stimulate new thoughts.
Areas of Study
Overview
I say interiorly, because the idea of God enters into all things of the church, religion, and worship; and theological matters have their residence above all others in the human mind, and the idea of God is in the supreme place there. (Brief Exposition 40)
Every person has a concept of God, even the atheist who believes that He does not exist. This concept is normative in everyone’s thinking, even when they are not consciously aware of it, for the idea of God informs the view people have of the world and how it works. It colors their ideas about themselves and other people and influences their perspectives of both past and present.. It follows then, that life takes on a different quality according to the way someone thinks of God.
The New Church offers a thinker an extraordinary view of God. Those who study the New Church find themselves in a very different theological environment than is commonly found. Swedenborg’s Theological Writings, cover an enormous range to topic, from discussing the essential qualities of the Divine Love to the appearance of God’s wisdom in the physical things of the universe. Fundamentally important is the relationship between God and human beings, a relationship that is deep, intellectually and emotionally satisfying, but which explains the workings of the human mind in a way that modern psychologists are beginning the describe. A serious student finds him or herself as part of a fascinating dialogue between religion and life, between revealed and natural truth, between abstract thoughts and concrete experience.
There is another side to New Church teachings, though: the personal religious experience that arises as people incorporate these teachings into their lives. When an intellectual God becomes a personal savior, and when the relationship between God and human being requires people to alter the direction of their lives. This side of the doctrine is deeply personal, and affects the way people, live, how they do their work, the quality of their marriages and child-raising.
The Academy of the New Church Theological School presents two programs to address these two needs. For the academically minded, who wants to explore the teachings of the New Church from interest, with a view to enriching their personal or professional lives, the Master of Arts offers an excursion into the Doctrines with connection points to secular studies and skills. For men whose goal is to help others in their spiritual journeys, the Master of Divinity connects the Doctrines with the pastoral skills of teaching, leading and guiding.