The King’s College Announces Religious and Theological Studies Major

NEW YORK CITY – May 27, 2015 – The King’s College is pleased to announce the addition of a fifth major to its offerings, beginning in the Fall 2015 semester. The Bachelor of Arts in Religious and Theological Studies will provide a solid liberal arts education to students while encouraging them to think about a variety of texts and topics through a theological lens.

The program is chaired by Dr. Anthony Bradley, Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Director of the Center for Human Flourishing at King’s. Bradley is also a research fellow at the Acton Institute and a prominent author and lecturer who often speaks on topics related to theology and culture.

The RTS program at King’s is distinctive in several ways. Students will gain first-hand, practical experience in the culture of New York City through a required year-long internship that will help them practice what they learn in the classroom in one of the most religiously diverse places in the world.

“There is no better place for college students to test the claims of orthodox Christianity against those of other worldviews than New York City, the most influential city in determining the course of religious faith and practice in American history,” said Bradley. “The Religious and Theological Studies major seeks to cultivate a new generation of men and women to help shape the direction of faith and practice in the U.S. and around the world in the years to come.”

The RTS curriculum is also distinct from similar majors at other institutions for its interdisciplinary emphasis. Through minors, concentrations, and electives, the degree emphasizes the interdisciplinary connections between religion and theology and other areas of major study at King’s: politics, philosophy, and economics; media, culture, and the arts; and business and finance.

Along with all other majors at King’s, RTS students will study the politics, philosophy, and economics common core, which comprises half of their degree. This core curriculum will be accompanied by studies in Hebraic and Christian thought, hermeneutics, comparative religions, apologetics, and cultural anthropology and interpretation. Bradley said, “The RTS major not only forms a Christian mind but also biblically and theologically prepares students to be virtuous adults in every aspect of culture in the U.S. and around the world.”

Dr. Mark Hijleh, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty at King’s, said that the program “will allow students and faculty to engage with theological and religious ideas in our distinctive interdisciplinary context, with media, arts, politics and government, business, and many other key areas of society.”

The RTS faculty, whose areas of specialty include Biblical Studies (both Old and New Testament), Theology, and World Religions, will be able to teach, research, and publish students who come to study under their expertise. As a result, graduates will be prepared for a variety of graduate school and career options.

“Bringing this program to The King’s College accomplishes many things,” said Hijleh. “It was part of the original vision when the College was reborn in Manhattan, and so now that vision is more fully realized.”

“The RTS program makes even clearer our identity as a Christian educational institution that understands the importance of leadership and strategic thinking in the Church for strong cultural impact,” Hijleh continued. “In conjunction with our developing Center for the Study of Human Flourishing, this synergy will be especially dynamic.”

“According to the World Health Organization’s best projections, nearly 75% of the world’s population will be in urban centers by the year 2030,” said Dr. Gregory Alan Thornbury, President of The King’s College. “Add to this the fact that globally, religion is on the rise, not the decline, contrary to popular opinion.”

He continued, “So, if you want to learn about the future of people of faith, and how best to serve among them, and to them, you probably need to study in a megacity – and what better place to do so than in the city that leads all cities: New York? The King’s College stands ready prepare the next generation of leaders for the Church.”

“RTS students are prepared for service in the classroom as well as in practice before they graduate,” said Bradley. “They will leave New York City knowing that they made a contribution to New York being a better place.”

For details on this program, click here.