TR

and Beauty Choose One: 3

Subject

TR

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

www.unitedseminary.edu

Prerequisite for this course: TR1001. Planned frequency of offerings: biennially (every other year)​ This course traces the history of Universalists and Unitarians down to the present and explores polity structures and issues of the Unitarian Universalist Association.

Subject

TR

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

www.unitedseminary.edu

Previous Course Number: TR2007 Prerequisite for this course: TR1001. Planned frequency of offerings: biennially (every other year)​ Students engage in an intensive study of various Unitarian and Universalist theologies and the liberal theological tradition in which they are rooted, developing familiarity with the historical, ethical, philosophical, and theological resources needed to do theology as religious leaders. Students read works from representative classical and contemporary Unitarian and Universalist theologians as well as from the streams of theological and philosophical thought that flow into and out of Unitarian Universalism. Students use their responses to these works to inform the development of their own theological positions and to interpret the theological context of their call to Unitarian Universalist ministry.

Subject

TR

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

www.unitedseminary.edu

Previous Course Number and Title: TR1002 History of Christian Theologies Corequisite for this course: TR1001. Planned frequency of offerings: annually​ This course introduces students to the history of Christian theology from the beginnings of the patristic period (c. 100 CE) to the eve of the Enlightenment (c. 1650 CE). We will survey the historical development of the three main branches of Christianity (i.e. Eastern Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism, and Protestantism) and read several of the major theological figures associated with them. Our chief purpose is to identify certain perennial issues within the discipline of Christian theology. However, we will also pay special attention to the ways in which classical theologians adapted inherited Christian beliefs to new understandings and cultural situations, balancing fidelity to the past with theological ingenuity. This will both enable us to account for the dynamism and diversity of historical Christian theology and give us insight into how we might become critically reflective theologians in our own right.

Subject

TR

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

www.unitedseminary.edu

Previous Course Number and Title: TR1003 History of Modern Theologies Corequisite for this course: TR1001. Planned frequency of offerings: annually​ Beginning in the 17th Century and coming to full fruition in the 18th, the Enlightenment fundamentally called into question inherited Western notions of religion and theology. Modern Christian theology is basically an attempt to come to terms with these unprecedented challenges posed by the Enlightenment: the full triumph of natural science in explaining how the world works, historical consciousness with its resulting insight into cultural and hence also religious relativity, and a new awareness of our common ethical and political responsibility as human beings for shaping society. In this course, we will study representative figures and movements from the 18th to the 20th Centuries in order to see whether and, if United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities Academic Catalog 2026–2027 7/1/2026​ Page 80

Subject

TR

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

www.unitedseminary.edu

Previous Course Number: TR2003 Prerequisite for this course: TR1001. Planned frequency of offerings: biennially (every other year)​ The formation of the United Church of Christ has been characterized as a special development in church history moving beyond traditional forms of polity in response to the influence of modern ecumenism and the need for a new style of organization appropriate for God’s mission in these times. Polity-in-process best expresses the spirit and form of this model. This course also explores the ecclesiology of the UCC and its implications for the ministry and mission of various UCC settings—local congregations, associations, conferences, and the national church and the role of authorized ministers in these settings. This course completes the UCC History, Theology, and Polity sequence expected by most UCC committees on ministry for authorization.

Subject

TR

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

www.unitedseminary.edu

Previous Course Number: TR2004 Prerequisite for this course: TR1001. Planned frequency of offerings: biennially (every other year)​ This course is designed to equip students to become effective presbyters as ordained ministers of Word and Sacrament. It addresses Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) history, worship, polity, and contemporary issues affecting the life of the church.

Subject

TR

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

www.unitedseminary.edu

Previous Course Number: TR2009 Prerequisite for this course: TR1001. Planned frequency of offerings: biennially (every other year)​ This course will serve as an introduction to the Reformed tradition of Protestant theology with a particular emphasis on the work of John Calvin (1509-1564). Students will be taught to systematically understand Calvin’s theology in its historical context through a close reading of Calvin’s masterpiece – the final edition of the Institutes of the Christian Religion (1559). We will then explore how Calvin’s theology was received and developed by subsequent generations of Reformed theologians, first through the 16th and 17th Century confessions of faith, and then by theologians in modernity. In doing so, students will gain a deeper understanding of the legacy of Reformed theology and its relevance for contemporary theological reflection.

Subject

TR

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

www.unitedseminary.edu

​ Corequisite for this course: TR1001.​ Planned frequency of offerings: biennially (every other year)​ This course investigates the theological and spiritual underpinnings of environmental ethics and activism. We will explore how religious traditions understand the relationship between divinity, humanity, and nature; how religious cosmologies interface with contemporary science and its multidisciplinary story of the unfolding and interconnected universe; and how religious worldviews can (and do) support and sustain the work of ecological justice. We will engage these issues from a variety of Christian theological perspectives—e.g. ecofeminism and ecowomanism, liberation and postcolonial theologies, process theism—and in conversation with several other religious and philosophical frameworks, including indigenous spiritualities, the new animism, queer theory, and varieties of religious naturalism. Ultimately, this course aims to provide theological and spiritual resources for addressing the daunting planetary crises of the Anthropocene (climate change, loss of biodiversity, the collapse of ecosystems, etc.) and United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities Academic Catalog 2026–2027 7/1/2026​ Page 81

Subject

TR

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

www.unitedseminary.edu

Previous Course Number: TR1004 Prerequisite for this course: TR1001. Planned frequency of offerings: biennially (every other year)​ What is religion, where did it come from, and why has it been at the center of nearly every culture and civilization since the dawn of human consciousness? This course introduces students to the academic study of religion—i.e. to the multiple ways in which scholars examine and endeavor to explain religion as a human phenomenon. We will explore some research methods for studying actual religious communities and consider a number of classical and contemporary theories of religion, including psychological, historical, philosophical, phenomenological, sociological, and biocultural approaches. Special attention will also be given to the complexities involved in defining “religion” and to the ever-shifting relationship between religious studies and theology.

Subject

TR

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

www.unitedseminary.edu

Prerequisite for this course: TR1001.​ Planned frequency of offerings: biennially (every other year)​ Theologies of religions brings to the students’ attention the ever more pressing reality that we live in a religiously diverse world—a world whose very survival demands that communities of faith learn to live with each other—and invites them to take a critical account of some of the prevailing attitudes toward other religions. Students will explore various theologies of religions (Christian and non-Christian) as well as evaluate their respective denominations’ or religions' position(s) on the issue. This is done with the hope that they may be able to articulate a theology of religions and a notion of mission and ministry that is both faithful to their religious traditions and responsive to our religiously pluralistic context.

Subject

TR

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

www.unitedseminary.edu

Previous Course Number: TR3010 Prerequisites for this course: RT1001, TR2003 or TR2004. Planned frequency of offerings: annually​ This course provides a basic introduction to the nature, content, and methods of “constructive theology,” an approach to theology that emphasizes the ways in which theological discourse is both constructed and engaged in an ongoing process of reconstruction. Students will be exposed to the rich diversity of Christian theological interpretation, both ancient and modern, explore classical as well as current perspectives on major doctrines, themes, and issues, and read a variety of contemporary constructive theologies, all with the expectation that they will acquire the necessary background and hermeneutical tools for finding and developing their own theological voices.

Subject

TR

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

www.unitedseminary.edu

Previous Course Number: TR2016​ 3 Credits.​ Planned frequency of offerings: TBD​ This course surveys the history, practices, and denominations of the contemporary Pagan (Neo-Pagan) movement in the US. The course aims to support students venturing into interreligious work, Pagan ministries or Pagan academic studies, and ministries incorporating contemporary Paganism into other ecumenical settings (Unitarian Universalist or other inclusive traditions), as well as students who simply want to learn about Paganism as a world religion. The course encourages critical thinking regarding United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities Academic Catalog 2026–2027 7/1/2026​ Page 82

Subject

TR

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

www.unitedseminary.edu

Prerequisites for this course: EJ1001 or EJ1002.​ Planned frequency of offerings: biennially (every other year)​ Theology—the study of the Divine and of Meaning—calls us to make connections between reason and experience, history and contemporary life, and between our own traditions and practices and those of others. It is a practice by which we grow in deeper understanding of our relationships with the divine and with others, which then informs how we live. This class explores and develops students' personal theologies through encounters with voices in modern Paganism, Western theological ideas, and earth-centered and feminist Christianity/post-Christianity, as well as develops their expertise with theological terminology. By developing their own theological frameworks, students develop skills to engage in informed and intelligent theological discussions with those from other religious traditions.

Subject

TR

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

www.unitedseminary.edu

Previous Course Number: TR2013 Prerequisite for this course: TR1001. Planned frequency of offerings: biennially (every other year)​ No theologian or scholar of religion in the contemporary West can afford to ignore Islam as a vital religious, cultural, social, and political force today. This course introduces students to the history and main theological tenets of Islam. Attention will be paid to the Qur’an as revealed scripture, the Hadith as normative tradition, and the main division within Islam between Sunni and Shiite. Finally, comparisons will be made between Islam and the other two monotheistic religions descended from ancient Israel’s heritage: Judaism and Christianity.

Subject

TR

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

www.unitedseminary.edu

Previous Course Number: TR2014 Prerequisite for this course: TR1001. Planned frequency of offerings: TBD​ Modernity offered a new opportunity for Jews to become full participants in Western civilization and occasioned serious internal controversy among Jews as to how they should respond to modernity. This course examines the various movements that arose in response to modernity (Orthodoxy, Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist) as well as interrogates various Jewish responses to the failure of modernity to integrate Jews represented by the Holocaust as well as to the founding of the state of Israel. The basic question to be addressed is: What does it mean to be a Jew today?

Subject

TR

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

www.unitedseminary.edu

Previous Course Number: TR2012 Prerequisite for this course: TR1001. Planned frequency of offerings: TBD​ Modern atheism has posed a fundamental challenge to Christian theology by calling into question its underlying premise of the reality of God. This seminar will examine in depth varieties of modernatheism from the eighteenth century to the present day as well as consider various ‘radical theologies’ that have been developed in response and in which the question of what ‘God’ means is thought through anew.

Subject

TR

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

www.unitedseminary.edu

​ May be completed in place of EJ2005 or EJ2006 as a required core degree course.​ Prerequisite for this course: TR1001​ United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities Academic Catalog 2026–2027 7/1/2026​ Page 83

Subject

TR

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

www.unitedseminary.edu

Planned frequency of offerings: TBD​ This course confronts one of religion’s most vexing problems: the reality of evil and suffering. What is evil and how do we cope with it? Why is there so much suffering in the world? Where is God in the midst of trauma, injustice, tragedy, and death? How do our experiences of evil and suffering affect our conceptions of divinity? What are our responsibilities—ethical, political, spiritual—in the face of evil and suffering? Students study and critically assess a variety of theological, philosophical, and religious perspectives on these daunting questions and develop their own constructive response to the problem of evil and suffering.

Subject

TR

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

www.unitedseminary.edu

Planned frequency of offerings: TBD​ This course explores the presence of trees in a number of religious traditions from around the world. Themes include the symbolism, ritual uses, and scriptural mentions of trees. This course aims to develop our understanding of trees in the illuminative light of religions and to develop our understanding of religions themselves through the largely understudied theme of trees.

Subject

TR

Credits (min)

3

Credits (max)

3

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

www.unitedseminary.edu

Prerequisite for master’s students: TR1001, instructor approval Planned frequency of offerings: biennially (every other year)​ The course argues for an understanding of theology as a public discipline, one that is attentive to issues emerging from and pertaining to society and other public spheres (rather than merely the church). This course builds on the idea that pastors, ministers, and other religious leaders are by definition public theologians. Students will gain competence in the discipline of public theology and in methods for applying knowledge of the discipline to the practice of ministry.

Subject

TR

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

www.unitedseminary.edu

Prerequisite for master’s students: TR1001, instructor approval Planned frequency of offerings: biennially (every other year)​ Liberation Theology is a profoundly influential theological trajectory within modern theology in both Roman Catholic and Protestant traditions. Students will study in-depth the theologies of key liberation theologians across various cultural and social contexts and will apply their learning of liberation theology to their own ministry and/or vocational contexts. United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities Academic Catalog 2026–2027 7/1/2026​ Page 84

Subject

TR

Credits (min)

4

Credits (max)

4

Credit unit

Credits

Type

course

Edition

2026-2027

Source

www.unitedseminary.edu