Orientierung

BA Protestant Theology

BA Protestant Theology

Live in community and study theology,

Mature as a Christian and develop as a personality,

To bring the word of God to the world.

 

The BA Protestant Theology aims to give students foundations for working in the broad field of Christian ministry (church, mission, evangelisation, counselling and much more).

The EH TABOR offers a degree in the context of community and fellowship. Learning and living together offers the opportunity to be in conversation with and be inspired by each other. Alongside all efforts to grow in knowledge, our desire is to share Christian fellowship as a body of students and lecturers.

Concept

The degree in theology lasts 8 semesters and includes:

  • Biblical studies of the Old and New Testaments, including bible surveys, introductions, theology and exegesis.
  • The biblical languages, Greek and Hebrew.
  • Church history: the early church, middle ages, Reformation, Pietism, and Modernity.
  • Systematic theology: dogmatics, bio-ethics and social ethics, Christian faith and the modern world.
  • Practical theology: Children and Youth work, Church development, Preaching (with accompanying preaching placements).
  • Missiology: World religions, ecumenical movements, contextualisation.

Various optional modules enable students to choose special emphases in their degrees, including a specialisation in Journalism and Media.

Studying in TABOR is characterised by a good pastoral relationship between students and lecturers. The whole breadth of the theological disciplines is taught in a well-founded way by qualified subject specialists and made relevant to questions of practical ministry.

Skills and Competencies

A degree at the EH TABOR fosters the development of skills and competencies. For example:

Theological competence: the ability to responsibly address theological questions in the light of the Scriptures and with reference to current cultural and societal contexts.

Professional competence: gaining a comprehensive and professional qualification for a full-time position as church minister in the Protestant fellowship movement (Gemeinschaftsbewegung), as youth worker or other similar fields.

Personal competence: an integrated approach to spiritual life and work with insight for growth and maturity in faith.

Degree Recognition and Accreditation

The EH TABOR is an accredited university of applied sciences (Fachhochschule). Upon successful completion of the degree, students are awarded a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Evangelischer Theologie.

The BA in Protestant Theology is accredited by the Agentur für Qualitätssicherung durch Akkreditierung von Studiengängen e.V. (AQAS e.V.). The accreditation of the course confirms that the quality and level of the course corresponds to the educational goals in accordance with the qualification framework for German degrees of higher education.

Professional perspectives: support at the start of your career

The BA in Protestant Theology qualifies you for a full-time position:

  • As Church minister in the German fellowship movement (Gemeinschaftsbewegung)
  • As Youth worker
  • In Adult education and advisory work in a church context
  • In various positions in diaconic organisations, publishing or journalism

The BA degree at the EH TABOR aims to foster competencies in students:

  • The ability of connect Christian teaching with Christian life
  • The ability to develop your personal and professional gifts
  • To be able to explore the riches of the Christian faith and keep on thinking
  • To make one’s own contribution to the worldwide Christian church

Threefold vision

We also wish for students to develop a threefold vision during their studies. This vision emerges as you study in fellowship with other Christians and listen to God speaking into your life:

  1. A missionary vision – to preach the gospel of Christ and enthuse people for the gospel
  2. A spiritual vision – to accompany people on their journey of faith
  3. An apologetic vision – to be in the position to explain and represent the Christian faith in a secular environment

One special advantage about studying in TABOR is:

Support for the start of your career

The challenge of Christian ministry: One way of realizing this threefold vision after graduation is to work in pastoral ministry in a church – one of the most wonderful, varied and yet challenging professions possible. In this vocation the call is to serve God and people in love: to accompany people on their journey of faith, to stand before people and speak God’s word to them, to teach, to lead the church and build it up. Because the job is about God and people, and because everything depends on being authentic, honest and approachable, yet also to lead and deal with manifold expectations, the job has special challenges.

Support at the start: For this reason, the sponsor of our college, the Stiftung Studien- und Lebensgemeinschaft TABOR, offers graduates who work in church or parachurch ministry a two-year supported start to your job.

The goal of this support is to enable a good introduction to church ministry, apply the vision of your theological studies to practice and develop your role and identity as Christian minister.

At the start in Christian ministry we support your development on different levels, for example:

  • Assistance and accompaniment in the process of application for jobs
  • Mediation of positions in churches
  • Support through a concept for mentoring
  • Training seminars for reflection of praxis
  • Visits
  • Mediation in crisis or conflict situations

… or further study

The state-accredited BA degree enables further study, for example a Master’s degree at the EH TABOR (full-time or parallel to work) or at another German or international university. The EH TABOR offers the following Master’s degrees:

MA Protestant Theology

MA Protestant Church Ministry

MA Religion and Psychotherapy

Costs and Finance

The tuition fees are 335 Euros per month (2010 Euros per Semester).

The cost of the compulsory Semester-Ticket for the Rhein-Mein-Verkehrsverbund is 120 Euros per Semester. You can see the area covered by the ticket in the download area on the left (with thanks to the AStA of the TU Darmstadt for the overview).

The responsibility for financing the degree lies with the student. If not enough money is available to do this, there are different possibilities.

  • The degree is eligible for support from the German government’s BAföG. (cf. www.bafög.de)
  • You can apply for a scholarship (www.stipendienlotse.de)
  • Many banks offer student loans with low levels of interest (cf. www.studentendarlehen.org)
  • At the EH TABOR there are a limited number of mini-jobs.
  • You can work in Marburg. According to the law, students are allowed to work up to 19.5 hours a week.

Living and Eating

The sponsor of the college offers some places on our campus in student accommodation with various price categories (from 180 Euros per month including utilities). Otherwise, one can look for a room in the private market in Marburg.

The TABOR canteen offers different meal-plan options which can be booked at the beginning of the semester.

With whom?

An overview of our professors and lecturers can be found here.

Get to know us

Several times a year we organize open days for which one can register online or by telephone. As well as this, you can arrange to visit individually for one or more days in order to experience life at the college, including lectures and other events, with the opportunity to have personal conversations with lecturers and students.

Prerequisites for study

Students who study the BA Protestant Theology should respect the theological profile of the EH TABOR and be open to life together in everyday life at the college.

Normally, the prerequisite for starting study at the EH TABOR is Fachhochschulreife (according to §54 of the rules for study at an Fachhochschule in the Hessisches Hochschulgesetz). This can be demonstrated by successful completion of one of:

  • Abitur
  • Fachabitur
  • Fachschulabschluss
  • Realschulabschlusss with at least a three-year apprenticeship completed after 1.1.2011 with a grade average of 2.5.
  • Professional Meisterprüfung
  • Higher education entrance test for especially able professionals

In individual cases, and for equivalent international qualifications, we can offer advice.

Furthermore, practical experience in a Christian church is presumed. For this, one should be able to demonstrate a placement of at least 12 weeks or a long-term placement through regular volunteering for at least one year in one or more church groups.

There is no minimum grade (numerus clausus).

The degree can be started each Winter semester.

Recognition of previous modules

It is possible for achievements made in other degrees and examinations in other universities or colleges to be recognised and have them count toward the degree B.A. Practical Theology and Social Work. For this you can make an application to the examination committee of the EH TABOR.

How to apply

To apply for a place at the EH TABOR, send all the following information and documents:

  1. The completed Leitfaden zur Bewerbung (see the left column)
  2. A recent photo (in the standard size for passports)
  3. Copies of certificates and final reports from your school and professional qualifications.
  4. A Curriculum Vitae
  5. A written confirmation of a placement in a Christian church or parachurch organisation
  6. Two addresses of referees, for example group leaders, church leaders or pastors who know you well and are prepared to write a reference in the form of a questionnaires sent by us.
  7. A “Letter of Motivation” (1-2 pages) describing how you decided to apply for the degree at TABOR.
  8. The signed affirmation of the guidelines “Lebenswert” (see left column) by which you confirm that you have read and will respect the basic rules of our life together.

 

Send all these documents together, either to:

Ev. Hochschule TABOR
c/o Jens Pracht
Dürerstr. 43
35039 Marburg

Or in electronic form by email to bewerber[at]eh-tabor.de.

You will then soon receive a confirmation that your application has arrived.

When we have received all the application documents and the external references we will invite you to an interview so that we can get to know you and clear up any remaining questions.

After that, we will tell you on a specified date whether we have accepted the application or not, or if you have been placed on a waiting list.

If you are accepted to study you will soon afterwards receive further information about the start of the degree.

Application deadline

Applications should be received by 30th June each year. Early applications increase the chance of success. Every year we have 25 places. When all the places are filled, you can be placed on a waiting list in case an applicant drops out.

Contact

Advice and questions about your application

Jens Pracht
Dürerstraße 43
35039 Marburg
06421-96 74 32
E-Mail

General questions:

College secretary
Maria Shearn
Dürerstr. 43
35039 Marburg
06421-96 74 37
E-Mail

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