Department Mission & Purpose Statement

The Theology and Religion Program cultivates continued growth in faith among our students and provides theological resources for the wider EMU community. Specifically, the department seeks to:

• model and encourage personal trusting in and following Jesus Christ in everyday life and in transformative work in the broader world
• grow in understanding of and commitment to the churches’ tasks as God’s community for the world
• study, teach, and apply the message of the Bible as it reveals God’s healing intentions for all of life
• investigate the history of the church and to appreciate how it informs our present-day faith, including and appreciation of EMU’s Anabaptist-Mennonite heritage
• become aware of critical philosophical-theological issues in the Western tradition and their relevance to contemporary Christian faithfulness
• explore how our Christian faith might relate with other religions and ideologies and how we might engage in the mission of witnessing to Jesus’ message
• foster increased awareness of the widespread injustices in our world and to heighten a commitment to constructive peacemaking as we prepare students for ministry in the church and broader society.