REL 3603a, Elementary Biblical Hebrew I  Eric Reymond

An introduction to the language of the Hebrew scriptures: Biblical Hebrew. Students work through the grammar book, doing exercises and practicing paradigms. Among these exercises is the reading of specific biblical texts. By the end of the year, students should have a basic grasp of this ancient language’s grammar and some experience reading Hebrew.  3 Course cr
MWF 8am-8:50am

REL 3614a, Creating Financially Sustainable Churches and Nonprofits  James Elrod

This six-week seminar examines some of the significant financial challenges faced by churches, schools, cultural institutions, and social services organizations. Utilizing a case study-based curriculum, we explore financial issues that help determine (or undermine) a nonprofit’s ability to realize its mission. Topics include mission alignment, governance, management’s agency in the creation of financial information, financial statement analysis, budgeting, fundraising, and financial sustainability. No prior coursework in finance required.  1½ Course cr
T 3:30pm-5:20pm

REL 3615a, Managing Crisis in Churches and Nonprofits  James Elrod

Financial crisis has become the normative state for many churches and nonprofit enterprises. This six-week seminar explores the unique challenges nonprofit leaders encounter when their organization enters financial crisis. Utilizing a case study-based curriculum, we explore strategies that promote stabilization, turnaround, and long-term recovery. Prerequisite: successful completion of REL 3614 or permission of the instructor.  1½ Course cr
T 3:30pm-5:20pm

REL 3710a, M.Div. Integrative Seminar I  Staff

The first of three small-group seminars required of M.Div. students. This course aims to enable students better to integrate the various aspects of M.Div. learning. This includes making academic connections between courses and areas of study; reflecting on the goals and process of theological education; attending to practices of spiritual formation; and considering how YDS coursework and activities may bear on students’ vocations. The course promotes peer learning, drawing on the experiences and diverse histories of cohort members as source material for overcoming divides between theory and practice and making connections between bodies of knowledge. In this first semester, topics for discussion include the interplay of multiple communities of belonging and responsibility, ways of knowing in theological education, and students’ relationships to sacred texts.
HTBA

REL 3712a, M.Div. Integrative Seminar III  Staff

The final of three small-group seminars required of M.Div. students. This course aims to enable students better to integrate the various aspects of M.Div. learning. This includes making academic connections between courses and areas of study; reflecting on the goals and process of theological education; attending to practices of spiritual formation; and considering how YDS coursework and activities may bear on students’ vocations. The course promotes peer learning, drawing on the experiences and diverse histories of cohort members as source material for overcoming divides between theory and practice and making connections between bodies of knowledge.
HTBA

REL 3713a, Integrative Seminar  Frederick Streets

This course aims to enable students better to integrate the various aspects of M.Div. learning. This includes making academic connections between courses and areas of study; reflecting on the goals and process of theological education; attending to practices of spiritual formation; and considering how YDS coursework and activities may bear on students’ vocations. The course promotes peer learning, drawing on the experiences and diverse histories of cohort members as source material for overcoming divides between theory and practice and making connections between bodies of knowledge. Topics for discussion include the interplay of multiple communities of belonging and responsibility, ways of knowing in theological education, and students’ relationships to sacred texts. This course is required in the new cohort model of learning for M.Div. students.  1½ Course cr
M 3:30pm-4:30pm

REL 3797a, Andover Newton Colloquium I: Ministry Competencies  Sarah Drummond

This one-hour weekly fall colloquium for ministerial formation, taken in conjunction with its spring counterpart (Andover Newton Colloquim II, REL 3798), invites students to explore the integrative nature of the ministry competencies of social justice, compassion, and building community.
Th 4:30pm-5:30pm

REL 3901a, Andover Newton Colloquium III: Reading the Bible in Community  Gregory Mobley

The Andover Newton Colloquium series supplements the curriculum with topics of importance in preparation for service to God in and through the Free Church traditions, such as the ecclesiastical families in the “congregationalist” wing of Christendom, e.g., the United Church of Christ, the various expressions of the Baptist communion, and Unitarian Universalists. This colloquium on Reading the Bible in Community offers students an opportunity to engage in preparation, leadership, and reflection on the study of Scripture in group contexts from a confessional perspective. It supports the weekly Bible study offered at the Emmaus worship service sponsored by Andover Newton Seminary at Yale Divinity School.
Th 4:30pm-5:30pm

REL 3908a, 10-250: An Emmaus Encounter on Community and Commemoration  Sarah Drummond

In 2016, a group of faculty members and administrators from Andover Newton Theological School relocated to New Haven, and their independent seminary became partnered with—later embedded in—Yale Divinity School. As Andover Newton marks ten years since this move, while the nation marks 250 years, many questions arise regarding commemoration and community-building. Together with partners in Greater Boston, students from Andover Newton Seminary at YDS’s educational program will engage in meaningful dialogue on how communities mark milestones. How can events enrich a community’s sense of connection, among participants and between the present and past, while also acknowledging the complexities that arise when commemoration does not necessarily call for celebration? Andover Newton educational program participants in their second years of study have the right of first refusal to participate.
M 1:30pm-2:50pm

REL 3996a, Part-time Internship with Advanced Practicum I  Staff

The Part-time Internship with advanced Practicum is open to students who have successfully completed a first internship either in ministry or nonprofit settings. The Part-time Internship with Advanced Practicum is taken for two consecutive terms starting in September—Practicum I in the fall term and Practicum II in the spring term. The internship can be arranged as a second year at the same site or at a different site to provide another type of contextual experience. Students work under the mentorship of a trained supervisor, combined with a peer reflection group (practicum) facilitated by a practitioner, for a total of 300 hours over the two terms. The internship is guided by a learning covenant developed by the student in collaboration with the supervisor. In some cases where a site does not have a theologically trained supervisor, the student may also receive supervision from a theological mentor assigned by the director. In addition to performing typical internship responsibilities, each intern creates a unique major project that involves substantive research and is presented to other students in the advanced practicum. The Part-time Internship with Advanced Practicum carries 3 credits for the year—1.5 credits for Practicum I and 1.5 for Practicum II—and offers a student stipend. Prerequisites: REL 3986 and REL 3987, or REL 3988  1½ Course cr
HTBA