Major for Master of Theology at JTS
Jakarta Theological Seminary (JTS) offers several majors for the Master of Theology program. This program invites you into a transformative journey of theological inquiry, shaped by decades of ecumenical tradition and a deep commitment to the Indonesian, Asian, and global contexts. Majors in this program are designed to contextually aware leaders who can speak meaningfully to the complex realities of our time. Whether your calling lies in the academy, the church, or the public sphere, the Master of Theology program at JTS provides the foundations you need to serve with wisdom, integrity, and conviction.
Biblical Studies: Old Testament
This course explores the Hebrew Bible as a complex collection of texts shaped by historical, literary, and ideological processes. Particular attention is given to themes such as social, political, economic, cultural, and religious contexts in ancient Israel. Students are trained to engage critical methods, including historical, literary, and ideological approaches, while also examining how the Hebrew Bible texts are interpreted and appropriated within contemporary contexts.
Biblical Studies: New Testament
This major examines the New Testament writings within their socio-political, cultural, and theological contexts. It emphasizes critical analysis of the historical background, literary forms, and theological significance of the texts and contexts. Students explore the Gospels, Pauline epistles, and other New Testament writings through various hermeneutical and interpretations lenses, enabling them to interpret New Testament texts in relation to contemporary issues, derived from students’ contexts.
Systematic Theology
This major engages the critical construction and evaluation of Christian doctrines in dialogue with contemporary intellectual, cultural, and social developments. Rather than treating doctrine as fixed, this major examines how the construction of a theology is historically formed, contested, and reformulated. Students are encouraged to articulate constructive theological positions that are both intellectually rigorous and contextually relevant.
Modern Theology
This major surveys and analyzes major developments in modern and contemporary theology, tracing key thinkers, movements, and debates from the Patristic Era, the Enlightenment, to the present. It critically examines how theology responds to modernity, secularism, and globalization. Students engage theological traditions as dynamic and contested fields of thought.
Public Theology
Public Theology focuses on the role of theology in the public sphere. It explores how theological ideas interact with social, political, and cultural realities, particularly in pluralistic societies. Students are equipped to articulate theological perspectives that contribute to public discourse, addressing issues such as democracy, human rights, interreligious relations, and social transformation.
Christian Ethics
Christian ethics delves into moral reasoning within the Christian tradition in relation to contemporary ethical challenges. It addresses issues such as social justice, environmental crisis, political responsibility, and human dignity. Students are trained to develop ethical frameworks that are both theological grounded and socially engaged.
Science and Theology
This focus explores both modern science and indigenous science, exploring the relationship between scientific knowledge and theological reflections. It critically examines areas of dialogue and tension, including cosmology, evolution, and human identity, also Artificial Intelligence. Students are invited to reflect on how scientific developments challenge, reshape, or enrich theological understanding in a contemporary context. Beyond utilizing modern scientific knowledge, a thorough engagement with indigenous science enhances how theology relates to and understands the land, environment, the world, and the divine.
Christian Education
Christian education explores theories and practices of teaching and learning within Christian communities. The major integrates theological reflections with pedagogical approaches, emphasizing contextual, transformative, and community-based education. Students are equipped to design and evaluate educational practices that nurture faith, critical thinking, and social responsibility.
World Christianity
World Christianity delves into the global expressions of Christianity, with particular attention to non-Western contexts. It explores how Christianity is shaped by diverse cultures, histories, and social realities. Students are invited to critically reflect on issues of power, mission, inculturation, and global-local dynamics within the Christian tradition.
Contextual Theology
Contextual theologies examine theological movements that emerge from specific social, cultural, and political context, such as liberation theology, feminist theology, and postcolonial theology. The major analyzes how theology is re-, de-, constructed by lived experience and struggles for justice and peace. Students are encouraged to develop contextual theological approaches that respond to issues within their own realities.
Islamic Studies
Islamic studies introduces students to key aspects of Islamic theology, history, and practices, particularly within the Indonesian context and the global settings. The major fosters critical and respectful engagement with Islam, enabling students to understand interreligious dynamics and develop theological responses within a pluralistic society.