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Urban Religion

Alfred Johnson, D.Min
Professor of the Study and Practice of Urban Religion.

Dr. Johnson is a retired Bishop of The United Methodist Church, having served from 1996-2004.
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He received an A.A.S. from the Community College of Philadelphia and went on to receive a B.A. from Albright College, Reading, PA; his Th.M. (MDiv Equivalent) from Boston University School of Theology; and a DMin in Urban Ministry from Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, DC. Albright College and Centenary College, Hackettstown, NJ granted him honorary doctorates in Divinity, (DD), and Humane Letters, (LHD) respectively.
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Dr. Johnson was a Visiting Professor of Urban Leadership and Executive Director of the Center for the Study and Practice of Urban Religion at New York Theological Seminary, Manhattan, NY. He has also taught urban ministry in the Bishop in-Residence Program at Drew Theological School, Madison, NJ, lectured on Urban Religion at Claremont School of Theology, mentored United Methodist Students at Princeton Seminary, and taught the UMC Polity course at Yale Divinity School, New Haven, CT.

He served as the Founder/Director of "Jazz in the City: An Urban Institute" (a consortium of theological schools offering a three credit graduate-level seminar using elements of jazz as prototypical leadership competencies for urban leadership). The Institute received funding and support from the UMC General Commission of Religion and Race, the UMC NEJ Multi-Ethnic Center for Ministry, and the UMC NEJ Urban Steering Network.

Master of Arts in Leadership

48 Credits

An accredited degree delivered

in an accelerated format.

Course of Study

Starting Well

Christian Spirituality
Biblical Literacy
Reflection in Community
Christian Theology
Culture & History
Mentored Life
Contextual Project
Continuing Well

Prerequisite: Master's Degree from an accredited institution.

 

NTS Courses have been mapped onto Kairos University degree requirements. 

 

Students who graduate will receive an
ATS accredited
 degree from Kairos University. 

 

Students in this degree apply to NTS and are officially enrolled and admitted to both institutions.

 

— Name, Title

Virtual Meeting

Doctor of Ministry

36 Credits

An accredited degree delivered

in an accelerated format.

Course of Study

 

YEAR ONE:

Starting Well 
Effective Project Design 

Biblical and Theological Understanding 

Integration in Ministry Context 
 
YEAR TWO:

Sociological and Cultural Understanding 

Final Project 

Continuing Well 

 

 

Prerequisite: Master's Degree from an accredited institution.

 

NTS Courses have been mapped onto Kairos University degree requirements. 

 

Students who graduate will receive an
ATS accredited
 degree from Kairos University. 

 

Students in this degree apply to NTS and are officially enrolled and admitted to both institutions.

Publications

Publish Your Doctoral Project

​​​During the Project Experience, students will have the options to complete a Manuscript as their Dissertation.

During the Defense, students defend their Manuscript to their fellow students and visiting faculty.

Following a successful Defense, students will have the opportunity to publish their peer-reviewed Manuscripts in Northwind seminary Press.

Program Outcomes

With a focus on rich theological reflection on ministry practice, the Doctor of Theology will help you develop and deepen your knowledge of theological content, be more fully formed in Christian character, and generate new understandings of the craft of ministry. Through the program, you will develop and demonstrate proficiency in its eight outcomes: Starting Well, Specialized Inquiry: Literature and History, Specialized Inquiry: Concepts and Models, Specialized Inquiry: Practices and Methods, Integration: Macro Context, Integration: Micro Context, Generative Learning, and Continuing Well.

Dissertation

As part of the Doctor of Theology program, you will be invited to generate for dissemination high-level scholarly research within a specialized theological field of inquiry toward the improvement of ministry praxis. You will work alongside a mentor team crafted around your specialized field of inquiry, and your entire learning experience may be individualized and contextualized as much as possible toward exploring your degree concentration and research focus. 

Customized Learning Experiences

Learning experiences in Kairos are built around an invitation for students to explore some aspect of their vocation, Christian thought and practice, or the human experience. As a Doctor of Theology student, you will be able to engage in individualized and guided learning experiences that encourage deep theological reflection on ministry practice within your context and tradition.

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