Doctor of Missiology

The doctor of missiology program, building upon the foundations of an appropriate master's degree, is designed to advance the student's knowledge in the theological, contextual, spiritual and strategic literatures related to the field of missiology, to facilitate an advanced specialization within the field, and also the application of knowledge to a specific mission challenge, and thus prepare students for the faithful, informed and effective practice of mission within community and across cultures, for evangelism within the student's own culture, and for leadership in the field or the academy.

The D.Miss. program prepares knowledgeable leaders for the church and its institutions and movements whose service warrants advanced missiological knowledge and strengths in missiological field research. Modeled after the Ed.D. degree, the D.Miss. program prepares people for informed mission practice, for advanced field leadership and for teaching in the academy.

The D.Miss. program shares the five core courses and the competency examinations with the Th.M. program, but a Th.M. degree is not a phase of the D.Miss. program. Nevertheless, applicants for the D.Miss. program who hold a Th.M. (or its equivalent) in mission and evangelism, or in a related discipline, may request information concerning the awarding of some advanced standing toward the D.Miss.

More specifically, the D.Miss. program prepares students to:

Demonstrate enhanced understanding of and commitment to personal and social holiness through practices of moral, personal, and spiritual formation, in a context of accountability to a community of faith and dependence on the Spirit of Christ.
Articulate a theology of mission and evangelization, and be able to function within the biblical canon to inform their actual practice of mission and evangelism.
Articulate a comprehension of the historical development of the Christian movement, and of their place and role within that movement in the contemporary world.
Articulate an understanding of the cultural dimensions of effective mission and witness, and be able to exegete a cultural context, value the receptor people and their culture, contextualize the expression of the gospel and the form the Church takes in the respective society, and to value the Church that God raises up among them.
Articulate an awareness of the role of religion in persons, communities, societies, cultures; be knowledgeable of one or more religious traditions; be able to engage in a convincing ministry of witness.
Articulate an informed interdisciplinary perspective for engaging, planning and leading effective ministries of evangelism, and for the growth of churches and Christian movements.
Demonstrate integrative competency, at an advanced level, in the core literatures of missiology.
Achieve advanced specialized knowledge of the literature of one field within the several fields of missiology and evangelization.
Engage in appropriate field research and access, summarize, and apply the body of existing relevant knowledge, particularly the student's advanced specialized knowledge, to a specific problem or opportunity within mission or evangelism, with appropriate theoretical reflection, critique and recommendations, presented through effective academic writing.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

In addition to the general admission requirements for postgraduate studies programs, the following specific requirements are necessary for admission to the doctor of missiology program.

A grade point average of 3.30/4.00 in previous work is required.
Two years of ministry experience, in a culture different from the applicant's home culture.
Knowledge of the field language in which the applicant will serve and/or do research.
Submission of a satisfactory reflection paper and research paper on Ministry and Culture.
For applicants whose native language is other than English, a TOEFL score of 577 or an IELTS score of 7 is required for admission. TOEFL and IELTS will not be waived.

To remain in the D.Miss. program in good standing, a student must achieve at least a 3.30/4.00 grade point average in the first 12 hours of study and must pass the competency exam.

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

In addition to the general graduation requirements, the following specific requirements are necessary to receive the doctor of missiology degree:

Complete 45 semester hours of course work, including the required core courses and four or more course within one of the majors.
Attain a grade point average of 3.30/4.00.
Pass the comprehensive exam.
Write and defend a dissertation proposal.
Complete and defend a dissertation.
Fulfill all degree requirements in not more than eight years from date of matriculation, and in not more than five years after passing qualifying examinations.
Apply for graduation online.

DEGREE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

(45 hours, Kentucky campus only)

CORE REQUIREMENTS (24 hours)

MI730 Biblical Theology of Mission (3)
MI700 History of Christian Mission (3) *
MB700 Anthropology for Christian Mission (3) *
ME700 Principles of Church Growth (3)
MW725 Primal and Folk Religions (3) *
MB 800 Research Methods in Missiology (3)
Doctoral Seminar in Evangelization or Doctoral Seminar in Mission (3)
Area Study (3)

MAJOR STUDIES (12 hours)

GENERAL ELECTIVES (9 hours)

600, 700, 800 level courses in world mission and evangelism.

* Indicates courses upon which the Competency Exam is based.

Asbury Theological Seminary

Academic Catalog