Among ways seminaries adapt to changing times, one is to revisit their goals and reconsider the "outcomes" relative to their graduates. This process has implications for seminaries' curricula. If one were to compare any seminary course catalog from 15 years ago with a current one, he would inevitably find major differences.

Imagine, for example, a catalog from the 1970s with titles like "Online Technologies and Digital Media in Ministry" and "Cyberevangelism: Reaching a New Generation." These are actual courses recently offered at Regent University's Divinity School in Virginia Beach.

"In many ways, ministry does not change," says Donald Tucker, Regent's academic dean. "There is still the one-on-one contact, the prophetic Word calling us back to God and propelling us forward in hope and victory.

"But at the same time," he says, "the way ministry is done is different. A digital generation thinks differently, interacts differently, and participates in transformative communities that were unthinkable in previous generations."

Regent is not alone when it comes to modifying curriculum. Sometimes the modifications go beyond tinkering to major overhaul.

Princeton Theological Seminary unveiled a revised M.Div. curriculum in fall 2008, adding January and May terms taught mostly by ministry practitioners. Princeton's goals were to provide opportunities for more intensive study, and to integrate spiritual formation and issues of diversity.

Recently minted courses include

• "Taize in the North American Context," a course on the spirituality of the Taize community in France, followed by a week spent in that Christian community;

• "Issues in Medical Ethics," a course exploring the physician-patient relationship, suffering and prayer, advance directives and funerals, life support, developmental disabilities, and how pastors offer guidance in these situations;

• "War and the Christian Conscience," which explores the use of violent force, with attention to the development of Christian doctrine and the just-war tradition;

• "Women and the History of American Religion," which explores the role women have played in the founding and continued expression of faith in America; and

• "World Christianity through World Literature," featuring literature from the Global South on the emergence and meaning of Christianity in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific.

Among the recent curricular additions at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis is a course titled "Ministry Leadership," added in response to the concerns of president Bryan Chapell and theology professor Phil Douglass. They noticed that churches were splitting and many ministry leaders were burning out and leaving over seemingly insignificant issues.

Douglass began identifying types of pastors and churches, focusing on correlations and the difficulties they were experiencing. Usually the conflict was rooted not in theological issues but in implementation: worship styles, evangelistic engagement, even schedule changes. The Ministry Leadership course, created by Douglass, focuses on how styles, personalities, politics, and preferences in ministry can be navigated more effectively.

Another addition at Covenant is "Educational Ministries of the Church." While Covenant has offered educational ministries courses as electives for years, this new course is required for master of divinity students. It was developed in response to the seminary's observation of placement trends over the past decade. Robert Burns, dean of lifelong learning and professor of educational ministries, says, "We discovered that the majority of our M.Div. graduates received their first call as 'second chair' pastors, responsible for adult education, youth ministry, and children's ministry."

According to Burns, the course provides perspectives on educational foundations, teaching and learning, and administration in order to assist future pastors in leading these ministries. "We believe that as a result of this class, our students will be better equipped for their first call," says Burns.

McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago has recently modified its master of divinity curriculum after reassessing the context in which today's churches are ministering. Says Jeffrey Japinga, associate dean of the school's doctor of ministry programs, "North American Christian congregations are doing ministry in a culture where denominational labels have become less important but faith identity has not, and where cities and towns and neighborhoods have become increasingly diverse."

The revised curriculum is also shaped by McCormick's assessment of its mission to provide education that is "at once Reformed, ecumenical, cross-cultural, and urban." M.Div. students can take a course in racial identity and white privilege, a course designed specifically to prepare students to minister in a diverse context. And students take this course in a diverse classroom setting wherein no racial group holds majority status.

McCormick students look at religious diversity in a course team-taught by a faculty member and a Muslim theologian. They can study biblical interpretation from a variety of cultural locations. They can also explore global Pentecostalism with a recognized expert in the field. And the class "Christian Daily Prayer" introduces Protestant students from many backgrounds to practices of daily prayer in various Christian traditions. It includes a week at a Trappist monastery.

Japinga notes that these new courses are "not in response to fads or trends," but rather in response to "specific contexts for ministry in which our graduates will find themselves, and in consideration of the skills students will need to minister in those places."

Another sign of the changing times is evident at Reformed Theological Seminary. Through iTunesU, users can now download classes for free. According to David Gordon, senior vice president for enrollment management and extensions, the seminary has been averaging about 60,000 downloads per month. "This has been a great resource to both pastors and laypeople," says Gordon. Those wanting to take the courses for credit need to apply to a degree program. This being the case, Gordon says iTunesU has been "a great tool for recruiting."

All of these changes are the result of seminaries' quest to be relevant to the churches they serve. New courses reflect the understanding that a seminary education must go beyond acquiring knowledge and include spiritual formation and understanding the dynamics of pastoral ministry and the times in which we live. As Regent's Tucker puts it, "In an increasingly interconnected world, it is important for students to understand that ministries are not isolated from their global impact and cultural context."

Part 1: Preparing the "Perfect" Pastor

Part 3: Helping Future Pastors Flourish

Part 4: Theology for the Non-Pastor