This week I am in the midst of teaching an intensive block class called “Biblical Foundations of Worship and Culture.” Although teaching 8:30-4 each day is tiring, I actually enjoy classes like this that enable me to communicate a lot of big ideas in a short amount of time, which I think helps students grasp some connections that are often otherwise more difficult over the course of a semester.
I also enjoy it because it allows me to interact with and impact students who are not on campus during the normal semester since their current ministry position prevents relocation at this time.
This course is part of a degree called the Master of Arts in Worship, which allows pastors, church musicians, and other church leaders to pursue education in theology and worship without having to end their ministry and relocate to Fort Worth. Students take all of their theology and biblical studies courses (including Systematic Theology I & II, OT, NT, and Baptist History) online, and then they come for week long blocks in January and July to take their worship and practical courses.
The worship courses, which I am involved with teaching, include the following:
- Biblical Foundations of Worship and Culture
- Congregational Song: Ancient and Future
- Dynamics of Worship and Philosophy
- Worship Arts: Authentic Expressions and Faith
If you would like education in theology and worship studies, but cannot relocate due to current ministry or employment, I’d highly recommend that you consider enrolling in this degree! You can find more information here.
About Scott Aniol
Scott Aniol is the founder and Executive Director of Religious Affections Ministries. He is director of doctoral worship studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he teaches courses in ministry, worship, hymnology, aesthetics, culture, and philosophy. He is the author of Worship in Song: A Biblical Approach to Music and Worship, Sound Worship: A Guide to Making Musical Choices in a Noisy World, and By the Waters of Babylon: Worship in a Post-Christian Culture, and speaks around the country in churches and conferences. He is an elder in his church in Fort Worth, TX where he resides with his wife and four children. Views posted here are his own and not necessarily those of his employer.
