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Theological Studies and Christian Ministries
Minor
Read the Texts, Ask the Hard Questions
Theology here means asking hard questions, not memorizing easy ones.
The Theological Studies and Christian Ministries minor at Goshen College centers on four areas. Specifically, you study biblical texts, theology, Christian ethics, and church history.
You’ll read scripture as literature and history. You’ll also argue about ethics. Throughout, you’ll trace how the church got from the first century to now while taking faith seriously.
That work shows up in peace building, service, and care for people. It also pairs well with several majors. These include Religion, Education, Music, Peace and Justice Studies, and Social Work.
What the Minor Covers
- Biblical Texts: Read scripture closely as literature, history, and argument.
- Theology and Ethics: Wrestle with the big questions where disagreement is the point.
- Church History: Trace two thousand years of the church including the Anabaptist-Mennonite story Goshen comes from.
- Ministry Practice: Move from text to practice through worship leadership on campus.
View the complete program requirements in our catalog.
Theology Minor Student [YEAR]
Goshen College Alumni
Do the Work, Not Just the Reading
Through the Ministry Inquiry Program, you spend a summer in a mentored pastoral internship somewhere across the U.S., with support and a mentor the whole way. It is supervised real work, not observation from the sidelines.
On campus, you can lead chapel, coordinate prayer and worship gatherings, and join service projects through Campus Ministries. Classes and the academic spaces for worship planning sit in GC’s Church-Chapel, the center of spiritual life on campus.
Paying for Goshen
It’s worth asking about early. Goshen is committed to affordability, and all students are automatically considered for academic scholarships based on GPA and test scores, alongside need-based aid. To see your own price after aid, run the net price calculator and talk with a real person in the financial aid office.
Common Questions About the Theological Studies and Christian Ministries Minor
You study biblical texts, theology, Christian ethics, and church history, read through the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. Courses include Biblical Themes of Peace, Ethics and Morality, History of Christianity, Introduction to Theology, Jesus and the Gospels, Spiritual Formation, and Worship and Preaching. See the course catalog for the full requirements.
No. The minor treats faith as a subject to study closely, its texts, ethics, and history, not a belief you must hold. Goshen students represent 38 Christian denominations and many other backgrounds, so you join a room that asks hard questions rather than one that assumes shared answers.
Through the Ministry Inquiry Program you spend a summer in a mentored pastoral internship somewhere across the U.S., with support throughout. On campus you can lead chapel, coordinate worship and prayer gatherings, and join service projects through Campus Ministries. The work is supervised, real, and reflective, not observation from the sidelines.
The minor is interdisciplinary and pairs well with Bible and Religion, Education, Music, Peace and Justice Studies, and Social Work. It adds a grounding in ethics, texts, and church history to almost any field, and Goshen graduates have gone on to Harvard Divinity School, the University of Chicago Divinity School, and Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary.
Ready to get started?
Luke Kreider
Associate Professor of Religion and Sustainability
Elizabeth Miller
Director of the Institute for the Study of Global Anabaptism
Assistant Professor of History
& Convocation CoordinatorBreanna Nickel
Associate Professor of Bible & Religion
