Units (Subjects)
See below for the individual units (subjects) currently available. Please go to Courses for information on our undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
We encourage you to contact our registrars on +61 2 9747 4780 or email to have a conversation about what units might best suit your course.
AQF levels (Australian Qualifications Framework) specify the standards for educational qualifications:
AQF 5 = Foundational undergraduate level
AQF 6 = Advanced undergraduate level
AQF 7 = Advanced undergraduate level + Foundational postgraduate level
AQF 8 = Advanced postgraduate level
AQF 9 = Advanced postgraduate level
AQF 10 = Doctorate postgraduate level
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Foundational Unit
2019 Semester 2 Monday Daytime Unit
Being a Christian involves ‘following’ the Lord Jesus, not around Galilee and Judea, but in the course of our daily lives. The four Gospels provide four different records of what Jesus said and did. They are the foundation for knowing and understanding what he has done for us, as well as what he said about God and his will. If we really want to ‘follow’ Jesus, if we really want to be salt and light in our world, then the Gospels need to be our regular reading matter...
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Foundational Unit
2019 Semester 2 Monday Daytime Unit
'Get Wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.’ (Proverbs 4:7). Would you like to grow in your understanding of the Old Testament’s wisdom and prophecy books? Would you like to deepen your knowledge of God, as well as be equipped with tools for doing your own study and teaching of some of the least read books of the Bible?
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Prerequisite: LA003A
2019 Semester 2 Monday Daytime Unit
LA003B continues building a framework for engaging with Biblical Hebrew texts in their original language. By completing both Biblical Hebrew LA003 A and B, students will be in position to work directly with the Hebrew scriptures, and to continue translation and exegesis of Old Testament texts. After these units, students will be able to take Old Testament exegesis units in the Hebrew stream...
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2019 Semester 2 Monday Daytime Unit
Do you want to teach and disciple people from another culture than your own? We often find ourselves want to teach and disciple others from very different cultural backgrounds than our own in exactly the same way as we were taught and discipled. Soon we find out that this doesn't work very well...
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Prerequisites: OT423 = OT302, OT433 = OT302 + LA003A/B, OT623 = OT502, OT633 = OT502 + LA003A/B
2019 Semester 2 Monday Daytime Unit
Our study of exilic prophecy will focus on the often-neglected book of Ezekiel. While this book offers a number of challenges for modern readers with its bizarre sign acts, oracles of judgment, and fantastic visions – these features communicate a unique and important message that should contribute to our picture of God and his relationship with his world. In particular, the book of Ezekiel portrays the holiness of God and the betrayal of his people in confronting and shocking language...
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Prerequisite: LA004A
2019 Semester 2 Monday + Thursday + Friday Daytime Unit
In this unit we continue our introduction to reading the language in which the New Testament was written. This prepares you to read straightforward parts of the Greek New Testament for yourself, be equipped for consulting New Testament commentaries based on the Greek text and reading books which discuss or refer to Greek words and expressions. New Testament Greek is a prerequisite for study of degree New Testament units with Greek exegesis in the Bachelor of Theology and Master of Divinity.
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Prerequisites: 8cp of foundational NT/OT and 4cp of CH/TH
2019 Semester 2 Tuesday Daytime Unit
Theology affects all of life. It is intensely practical. It answers the meaning of life questions such as, “Who am I? What is my purpose? How can I live well?” – by stepping back to see the centrality of God himself to our lives and the universe. As Augustine said, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you”...
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8cp of foundational NT/OT and 4cp of CH/TH
2019 Semester 2 Tuesday Daytime Unit
There is no more important question in life than, “What must I do to be saved?” The doctrines of grace are concerned with God’s plan of salvation from election through to glorification, through which he brings about his eternal purposes for his creation, and in particular, for those he has chosen by grace to be his people. They also describe how the finished work of Jesus Christ is applied by the regenerating and sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit to the believer, who by virtue of their union with Christ, is justified, adopted and perfected to share in his glory...
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2019 Semester 2 Tuesday Daytime Unit
Pastoral Theology seeks to provide students with an overview of the structure and content of Christian theology. In doing so, the focus of the subject is upon the personal impact of the knowledge of God upon the student's mind, heart and life. It is a thought provoking unit seeking to help a student understand the implications of theology for the way they live, with the spiritual formation of the student as its primary goal.
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2019 Semester 2 Tuesday Daytime Unit
Our God is a God of mission. The gospel is for people of every nation, tribe and tongue, in Australia and to the ends of the earth. We all affirm it but how should it impact our lives and our churches here? Should we just focus on our own neighbourhood and let others work out the rest? What does it look like to faithfully serve God’s global mission at home? What is our role locally and further afield?...
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Prerequisite: LA004A
2019 Semester 2 Tuesday + Thursday (Tutorial) + Friday Daytime Unit
In this unit we continue our introduction to reading the language in which the New Testament was written. This prepares you to read straightforward parts of the Greek New Testament for yourself, be equipped for consulting New Testament commentaries based on the Greek text and reading books which discuss or refer to Greek words and expressions. New Testament Greek is a prerequisite for study of degree New Testament units with Greek exegesis in the Bachelor of Theology and Master of Divinity.
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Prerequisites: NT301/501, LA004B
2019 Semester 2 Wednesday Daytime Unit
Luke was a doctor, a theologian, a careful historian and a follower of Jesus – the evangelist who recorded Jesus’ momentous words to Zacchaeus, “Today salvation has come to this house.” This unit studies the Gospel of Luke in its context as one of the three Synoptic Gospels, considering the question of what kind of writing the Gospels actually are...
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Prerequisite: NT301/501
2019 Semester 2 Wednesday Daytime Unit
Luke was a doctor, a theologian, a careful historian and a follower of Jesus – the evangelist who recorded Jesus’ momentous words to Zacchaeus, “Today salvation has come to this house.” This unit studies the Gospel of Luke in its context as one of the three Synoptic Gospels, considering the question of what kind of writing the Gospels actually are...
More info
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2019 Semester 2 Wednesday Daytime Unit
God has a global mission! And that means that we, as God’s people, also have a mission. But to know how we fit in, we need to understand what God has done, is doing and will do...
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2019 Semester 2 Wednesday Daytime Unit
'Get Wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.’ (Proverbs 4:7). Would you like to grow in your understanding of the Old Testament’s wisdom and prophecy books? Would you like to deepen your knowledge of God, as well as be equipped with tools for doing your own study and teaching of some of the least read books of the Bible?...
More info
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2019 Semester 2 Wednesday Daytime Unit
Being a Christian involves ‘following’ the Lord Jesus, not around Galilee and Judea, but in the course of our daily lives. The four Gospels provide four different records of what Jesus said and did. They are the foundation for knowing and understanding what he has done for us, as well as what he said about God and his will. If we really want to ‘follow’ Jesus, if we really want to be salt and light in our world, then the Gospels need to be our regular reading matter...
More info
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2019 Semester 2 Thursday Daytime Unit
Are you interested in helping a church, or cluster of churches, come into being where they don’t yet exist, and especially where Christ is not known? This unit will help you develop a biblical framework for church planting. We’ll wrestle with the whys, whats, and hows of starting churches from scratch...
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2019 Semester 2 Thursday Daytime Unit
Theology affects all of life. It is intensely practical. It answers the meaning of life questions such as, “Who am I? What is my purpose? How can I live well?” – by stepping back to see the centrality of God himself to our lives and the universe. As Augustine said, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.”...
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Prerequisites: OT202/302/502, plus LA003A/B for OT436/636
2019 Semester 2 Friday Daytime Unit
We live in beautiful but broken world, a world full of blessing and loss. In every circumstance, we are called to trust in a God who is sovereign and good, a God who has promised to save and protect his people. How do we respond when our prayers to God go unanswered? How do we live faithfully before God in times of blessing and in times of loss?...
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Prerequisite: OT202/302/502
2019 Semester 2 Friday Daytime Unit
We live in beautiful but broken world, a world full of blessing and loss. In every circumstance, we are called to trust in a God who is sovereign and good, a God who has promised to save and protect his people. How do we respond when our prayers to God go unanswered? How do we live faithfully before God in times of blessing and in times of loss?...
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2019 Semester 2 Friday Daytime Unit
Roughly 2.5 billion people in the world follow Islam or Buddhism. Perhaps God has given you an interest in helping Muslims or Buddhists find Jesus? This unit will help you do that. In it, we explore the basic beliefs, practices, and some deeply held assumptions of Muslims and Buddhists...
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2019 Semester 2 Friday Daytime Unit
"Everyone is a theologian...they just don't know it!" If that's so, then the real question is whether you're doing good or bad theology. Theology absolutely matters. That's because what lies at the heart of life, love and the universe is the reality of the Triune God and his plan to create, redeem and perfect the world he has made for his glory...
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AQF: 5/7
INTENSIVE
Lecture Week: 13 - 17 January 2020
What does it mean to live a life worthy of the gospel? How can we discern what is ‘right’ and ‘good’ – and how should we seek to apply that understanding in our post-Christian world? The aim of this unit is to apply the Bible to develop a coherent theological framework for how we should think and act, live and love, do and desire as disciples of Christ...
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AQF: 6/7/8 Prerequisites: 2 x OT/NT foundational units + 1 x CH unit
INTENSIVE
Lecture Week: 13 - 18 January 2020
Can we know God? And if so, then how? Who wrote the Bible? Is it a divine book? Or a human book? How reliable and trustworthy is the Bible? Can we rely on it to tell us the truth about all things, or just some things? Does God foreknow the future? All of it, or just some of it? If everything happens according to God's will, why is there still suffering and evil in the world? What exactly does it mean to be created in God's image?...
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AQF: 8/9 Prerequisites: not less than 2 x biblical foundational units
INTENSIVE
Lecture Week: 20 - 24 January 2020
What does it mean to be created in God’s image, and the effect of that on our distinctive human identity and vocation? Do the constructs of human identity and human nature differ, and how do they inform a biblical anthropology? This unit explores human identity from the perspective of Genesis 1-3, and the unfolding biblical narrative. But alongside the unfolding of our identity lurks the inverted narrative of human idolatry: the disruption of the image of God – from creation to the golden calf idolatry of Exodus, through to redemption in Christ as perfect image...
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AQF: 6/7/8
SEMI-INTENSIVE
Lecture evenings: Mondays 9, 16, 23 March; 4, 11, 18 May 2020
Lecture days: Tuesday 21 - Thursday 23 April 2020
Chaplains have played a significant role for many years in sharing and modelling the Christian faith in places of education in this country. With much recent media discussion about the role of chaplaincy, this unit will give you the opportunity to explore the practice and theology of chaplaincy...
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AQF: 8/9 Prerequisites: not less than 2 x biblical foundational units + demonstrable experience in ministry and/or leadership
INTENSIVE
Lecture Week: 2 - 6 March 2020
All churches and Christian organisations are at the same moment human entities which need to be well organised and wisely led, and spiritual entities which need to be guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit as they serve the Lord Jesus. This means they need both the best of leadership and management practice, and also the unique insights into leadership which come from Scripture and the mission of God’s kingdom...
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AQF: 5/7
INTENSIVE
Lecture Week: 20 - 24 April 2020
Who we are is very much a product of our personal history and experiences. The same can be said of families, people groups, even whole countries. As Christians, we have a shared collective history of thought and experiences that make up who the church is today. Christian History not only helps us to understand ourselves, but it also reminds us how God has sovereignly worked throughout the centuries...
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AQF: 7/8/9 Prerequisite: Old Testament Prophets and Writings
INTENSIVE
Lecture Week: 20 - 24 April 2020
There's something intriguing and appealing about books like Job, Ecclesiastes and Proverbs. But then they disorient us. The book of Job is sad, Ecclesiastes is sceptical and Proverbs is self-interested. And they don't seem to be about the gospel...
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AQF: 5/6/7/8
This unit includes the SMBC 2020 Study Tour of Israel and Greece on 29 June - 18 July, 2020.
Join us as we visit some of the key archaeological sites relating to important events recorded in the Bible. Come to Caesarea on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea where Gentiles heard the good news from Peter, travel to Galilee to the Mount of Beatitudes and sail from Tiberius to Capernaum, enter Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives and explore the Garden of Gethsemane. Fly to Phillipi where the gospel first came to Europe and then enjoy the sights of Thessaloniki, Athens, and Corinth...
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AQF: 6/7/8 Prerequisite: Jesus and the Gospels
INTENSIVE
Lecture Week: 13 - 17 July 2020
Luke was a doctor, a theologian, a careful historian and a follower of Jesus – the evangelist who recorded Jesus’ momentous words to Zacchaeus, “Today salvation has come to this house.” This unit studies the Gospel of Luke in its context as one of the three Synoptic Gospels, considering the question of what kind of writing the Gospels actually are...
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AQF: 8/9
INTENSIVE
Workshops: 13-16 July, 11 September, 20 October 2020
We live in an era when Christian leadership is intensely challenging. It is more important than ever for leaders to find competent support for effective ministry and personal development. Christian Mentoring is an intentional 1 to 1 ministry that helps good leaders flourish as thoughtful and secure Christian disciples in the midst of the challenges of ministry and life...
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AQF: 7/8/9 Prerequisites: 2 x OT foundational units
INTENSIVE
Lecture Week: 10 - 14 August 2020
1 & 2 Samuel are often seen as the most literarily sophisticated books of the Bible. Gripping stories of Samuel, Saul and David combine to describe the dawn of Israel's monarchy. The central character of these stories, however, is God himself. And the goal of recounting Israel's history is made subordinate to the goal of presenting life-changing theology. Ultimately, God's choice of David as king becomes essential background for understanding Jesus as the messiah king...
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AQF: 7/8/9 Prerequisites: 2 x NT foundational units
INTENSIVE
Lecture Week: 7 - 11 September 2020
1 & 2 Thessalonians are the somewhat forgotten books of the New Testament. While many are familiar with Paul's letters written to the Romans, Galatians and the church at Corinth, the letters of 1 & 2 Thessalonians are often less familiar. When we examine these shorter letters, however, we quickly discover they are filled with deep truth that is both encouraging and practical...
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AQF: 5/7
INTENSIVE
Lecture Week: 28 September - 3 October 2020
We can only properly make sense of our present if we understand our past. Our numerous Protestant denominations only make sense if we understand the Reformation of the 16th Century. Whether we identify ourselves as modern or post-modern, we are indebted to the Enlightenment of the 18th Century. Our ability to understand the American Presidential race depends in part on how we well we have grasped the rise of fundamentalism in the 19th Century...
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AQF: 6/7/8 Corequisite: Jesus and the Gospels
SEMESTER 1 2020
Monday Evening Unit - Northern Beaches Centre
**SPECIAL REDUCED AUDIT RATE ON THIS UNIT**
Ever wish you'd been there with Jesus, listening to him in action and even eavesdropping on his conversation with his Father? John was there, and left us his eyewitness record. The Gospel of John is unique: simple and accessible, but also complex and profound. Its purpose, according to John, is ‘that you may believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and by believing you may have life in His name’ (John 20:31)...
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AQF: 6
SEMESTER 1 2020
Monday Evening Unit
In this unit you are introduced to and given experience in reading the language in which the New Testament was written. This prepares you to read straightforward parts of the Greek New Testament for yourself, be equipped for consulting New Testament commentaries based on the Greek text and reading books which discuss or refer to Greek words and expressions...
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AQF: 5
SEMESTER 1 2020
Tuesday Evening Unit
**SPECIAL REDUCED AUDIT RATE ON THIS UNIT**
The church is far from perfect; whether we have in mind the early church or the church today. How did the church get started? What issues did those first Christians struggle with? How did God use his people to spread the light of the gospel from its beginnings in Judea and Jerusalem to the very heart of the Roman Empire?..
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AQF: 6/7/8 Corequisite: Old Testament Foundations
SEMESTER 1 2020
Tuesday Evening Unit
The Pentateuch is the foundation of all biblical revelation, and indeed, of the entire biblical worldview. How was this part of Scripture designed to impact the lives of ancient Israelites? And how does knowing this help us discern God’s enduring message for today?..
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SEMESTER 1 2020
Wednesday Evening Unit
This series of 10 lectures is for all Christians who want to apply biblical wisdom as they confront life's complex issues...
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AQF: 7
SEMESTER 1 2020
Thursday Evening Unit
**SPECIAL REDUCED AUDIT RATE ON THIS UNIT**
The church is far from perfect; whether we have in mind the early church or the church today. How did the church get started? What issues did those first Christians struggle with? How did God use his people to spread the light of the gospel from its beginnings in Judea and Jerusalem to the very heart of the Roman Empire?..
More info
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AQF: 5/7
SEMESTER 2 2020
Monday Evening Unit - Northern Beaches Centre
**SPECIAL REDUCED AUDIT RATE ON THIS UNIT**
'Get Wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.’ (Proverbs 4:7). Would you like to grow in your understanding of the Old Testament’s wisdom and prophecy books? Would you like to deepen your knowledge of God, as well as be equipped with tools for doing your own study and teaching of some of the least read books of the Bible?..
More info
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AQF: 6 Prerequisite: New Testament Greek A
SEMESTER 2 2020
Monday Evening Unit
In this unit we continue our introduction and experience in reading the language in which the New Testament was written. This prepares you to read straightforward parts of the Greek New Testament for yourself, be equipped for consulting New Testament commentaries based on the Greek text and reading books which discuss or refer to Greek words and expressions...
More info
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AQF: 5
SEMESTER 2 2020
Tuesday Evening Unit
**SPECIAL REDUCED AUDIT RATE ON THIS UNIT**
Being a Christian involves ‘following’ the Lord Jesus, not around Galilee and Judea, but in the course of our daily lives. The four Gospels provide four different records of what Jesus said and did. They are the foundation for knowing and understanding what he has done for us, as well as what he said about God and his will. If we really want to ‘follow’ Jesus, if we really want to be salt and light in our world, then the Gospels need to be our regular reading matter...
More info
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AQF: 6/7/8
SEMESTER 2 2020
Tuesday Evening Unit
In our churches every week there are people wrestling with life’s difficulties. The problems of death, disease, political unrest and terrorism create considerable angst and fear. In today’s church how do we address God’s people dealing with such turmoil? How do we communicate the timeless truths of the gospel and connect them with our broken world? How does Christ make a difference? In what ways do people best hear and understand these truths? How does the Bible speak to our deepest longings?..
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AQF: 6/7/8 Prerequisites: 2x foundational NT/OT units + 1 x CH/TH unit
SEMESTER 2 2020
Wednesday Evening Unit
There is no more important question in life than, “What must I do to be saved?” The doctrines of grace are concerned with God’s plan of salvation from election through to glorification, through which he brings about his eternal purposes for his creation, and in particular, for those he has chosen by grace to be his people. They also describe how the finished work of Jesus Christ is applied by the regenerating and sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit to the believer, who by virtue of their union with Christ, is justified, adopted and perfected to share in his glory...
More info
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AQF: 7
SEMESTER 2 2020
Thursday Evening Unit
**SPECIAL REDUCED AUDIT RATE ON THIS UNIT**
Being a Christian involves ‘following’ the Lord Jesus, not around Galilee and Judea, but in the course of our daily lives. The four Gospels provide four different records of what Jesus said and did. They are the foundation for knowing and understanding what he has done for us, as well as what he said about God and his will. If we really want to ‘follow’ Jesus, if we really want to be salt and light in our world, then the Gospels need to be our regular reading matter...
More info
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AQF: 5
SEMESTER 2 2020
Thursday Evening Unit
This is a unit of learning and practical skills related to the planning and conduct of effective children’s ministry. Areas of study include: skills and techniques for communicating with children; pastoral care of children and families; children and worship; children’s ministry teams; training children for ministry; group management of children; duty of care requirements...
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