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 to start a conversation about what units might best suit your needs.
Units are available in the following modes:
AQF: 8/9 hybrid, Prerequisites: For DM003-912i: 48cps Level 8 INTENSIVE
Lecture Week: Monday 5 - Friday 9 July 2021
DM003-812i/912i
The human experience of disability keeps turning up on the pages of the Bible and raises questions about the core concerns of theology. What are God’s purposes? What does it mean to be human? How do faith and cognition connect? Who belongs at my church? What answers are on offer in Christianity and other systems of belief?..
AQF: 6/7/8/9 hybridINTENSIVE
Lecture Week: Monday 5 – Saturday 10 July 2021
EM014-612i/712i/812i + EM205-912i (Capstone)
Are you teaching, training, or discipling anyone from a different cultural background than your own? Or do you think you might be in the next few years? If so, this unit is designed to equip you to do this well. We will explore biblical concepts, principles, and examples of teaching and learning, engage with key adult education theorists and practitioners from both western and non-western contexts, and examine case studies of cross-cultural teaching and learning...
AQF: 6/7/8 hybrid, Corequisites: OT002 or OT003SEMESTER 2 2021
Monday Daytime Unit
OT014-612/712/812
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...
AQF: 6/7/8 hybrid, Prerequisite: LA004 Corequisite: OT002 or OT003SEMESTER 2 2021
Monday Daytime Unit
OT015-612/712/812
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...
AQF: 5 hybridSEMESTER 2 2021
Monday Daytime Unit
NT002-512
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?..
AQF: 6/7/8 on-campus, Corequisites: OT001 or OT003SEMESTER 2 2021
Monday Evening Unit - Northern Beaches Centre
OT032-612/712/812
Why did God give us such a boring book? While many may have secretly asked that question when reading through Leviticus, in the end the problem lies more with us. Here is a part of Scripture that has a long history of being neglected, misunderstood, and misapplied. That is a great pity for Leviticus is a consummate work of literary artistry, it is theologically rich, and presents a vital word that God’s people need to hear today. In fact, it is impossible to fully grasp the significance of Jesus without understanding Leviticus...
AQF: 6 off-campus, Prerequisite: New Testament Greek ASEMESTER 2 2021
Monday Evening Unit
LA006-612
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.
SMBC Certificate hybridSEMESTER 2 2021
Tuesday Daytime Unit
CT01
One of the joys of being a Christian is reading God's word and growing in our understanding of what it means to know the Lord Jesus and serve him. One of the challenges that soon becomes apparent and one that many Christians of all stages face is how to apply the various parts of the Bible to the Christian life. Wouldn't it have been great to walk with Jesus along that Emmaus road and hear him explain 'what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself' (Luke 24:27)?..
AQF: 6/7/8/9 hybrid, Corequisites: 6cps TH/CH/PE + 24cps OT/NT/BBSEMESTER 2 2021
Tuesday Daytime Unit
TH103-612/712/812
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...
AQF: 5/7 hybridSEMESTER 2 2021
Tuesday Daytime Unit
CH002-512/712
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...
AQF: 6/7/8 hybrid, Corequisites: NT001 or NT003SEMESTER 2 2021
Tuesday Daytime Unit
NT008-612/712/812
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...
AQF: 6/7/8 hybrid, Prerequisite: LA006 Corequisites: NT001 or NT003SEMESTER 2 2021
Tuesday Daytime Unit
NT009-612/712/812
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...
AQF: 6 on-campus, Prerequisite: New Testament Greek ASEMESTER 2 2021
Tuesday + Thursday Daytime Unit
LA006-612
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. New Testament Greek is a prerequisite for the study of degree New Testament units with Greek exegesis in the Bachelor of Theology and Master of Divinity.
AQF: 5/7 off-campusSEMESTER 2 2021
Tuesday Evening Unit
OT002-512/712
'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?..
AQF: 6/7/8 hybridSEMESTER 2 2021
Tuesday Evening Unit
PC003-612/712/812
Christian ministry is grounded in God’s love for people in the gospel of Jesus Christ. That means Christian ministry is necessarily about loving and caring for people, so that they love, trust and look to Christ. Ministry to people can be challenging at the best of times, and especially when people are faced with a crisis such as relationship breakdown, death, mental illness or domestic violence...
AQF: 5/7 on-campusSEMESTER 2 2021
Wednesday Daytime Unit
OT002-512/712
'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?..
AQF: 6/7/8/9 hybrid, Corequisites: 2x foundational NT/OT units + 1 x CH/TH/PE unitSEMESTER 2 2021
Wednesday Daytime Unit
TH002-612/712/812
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.'
AQF: 6/7/8 hybridSEMESTER 2 2021
Wednesday Daytime Unit
EM021-612/712/812
Over 4 billion people in the world follow traditional religions, Hinduism, Buddhism, or Islam. Perhaps God has given you an interest in helping people in these religions find Jesus?
AQF: 6/7/8 hybrid, Corequisites: NT002-512/712 or NT003-512/712SEMESTER 2 2021
Wednesday Evening Unit – For part-time students only
NT024-612/712/812
Want to explore in more depth the thorny issues raised in Paul's letter to the Corinthians and the theological depth of Hebrews? How did the values in 1st century Corinth impact the Corinthian church and their view of the Christian life and spiritual gifts? Why did the writer to the Hebrews warn them about falling away?...
AQF: 6 on-campus, Prerequisite: Biblical Hebrew ASEMESTER 2 2021
Thursday Daytime Unit
LA004-612
This unit continues building a solid framework for engaging with Biblical Hebrew texts in their original language. By completing both Biblical Hebrew A (Semester 1) and B, students will be in a 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...
AQF: 6/7/8 hybridSEMESTER 2 2021
Thursday Daytime Unit
EM014-612/712/812
Are you teaching, training, or discipling anyone from a different cultural background than your own? Or do you think you might be in the next few years? If so, this unit is designed to equip you to do this well...
AQF: 6/7/8/9 hybridSEMESTER 2 2021
Thursday Daytime Unit
EM026-612/712/812 + EM205-912 (Capstone)
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...
AQF: 6/7/8/9 hybrid, Prerequisite: Preaching I Corequisites: 96cps of study, including 36 cps at AQF level 6SEMESTER 2 2021
Thursday Daytime Unit
PC048-612/712/812 + PC205-912 (Capstone)
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?..
AQF: 6/7/8 hybridSEMESTER 2 2021
Thursday Daytime Unit
EM060-612/712/812
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?..
AQF: 5/7 on-campusSEMESTER 2 2021
Thursday Evening Unit
OT002-512/712
'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?..
AQF: 5 off-campusSEMESTER 2 2021
Thursday Evening Unit
DM022-512
SPECIAL DISCOUNT PRICE FOR AUDIT - $180 off-campus*
These 12 interactive, online lectures will help you develop a toolkit of fresh ideas, approaches and skills for ministering with children...
AQF: 7 hybridSEMESTER 2 2021
Friday Daytime Unit
NT002-712
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?..
AQF: 6/7/8/9 hybrid, Corequisite: OT002 or OT003SEMESTER 2 2021
Friday Daytime Unit
OT020-612/712/812 + OT205-912 (Capstone)
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?..
AQF: 6/7/8 hybrid, Prerequisite: LA004 Corequisite: OT002 or OT003SEMESTER 2 2021
Friday Daytime Unit
OT021-612/712/812
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?..
AQF: 8/9 hybrid, Prerequisites: OT001, OT002 + For OT063-912i: 48cps at Level 8, including 1 x OT unitINTENSIVE
Lecture Week: Monday 9 - Friday 13 August 2021
OT063-812i/912i
Ruth and Esther make exciting Sunday School stories, but if we scratch a bit deeper we’ll find some thorny interpretive issues. Did Ruth the Moabite truly find belonging among the people of God? To what extent was Naomi’s sense of loss mingled with feelings of shame and guilt? Despite their circumstances, did Ruth and Esther go beyond acceptable sexual boundaries? Was ethnic intermarriage acceptable in the Old Testament? Should we view Esther’s actions against her enemies as ‘revenge’? Was it right for Esther and Mordecai to hide their identity as God’s people? Does God still act in narratives where he is barely mentioned (Ruth) or not mentioned at all (Esther)?..
AQF: 8/9 hybrid, Prerequisites: For PC073-912i: 48cps Level 8 INTENSIVE
Lecture Week: Monday 20 - Friday 24 September 2021
PC073-812i/912i
Christian ministry is hard work and stressful at the best of times, even when it is a joy and blessing. Following in the way of Jesus necessarily involves suffering and sacrifice. Caring for God’s people is demanding and costly. Unresolved conflict can demotivate us. Criticisms can hurt. The challenge is to keep holy, healthy and maturing in the midst of the ups and downs of Christian ministry. A vibrant spiritual relationship with the living God is vital. We are to attend to our physical, emotional and mental health. Loving relationships with family and friends are crucial aspects of our being and well-being...
AQF: 5/7 hybridINTENSIVE
Lecture Week: Tuesday 21 – Saturday 25 September 2021
NT001-512i/712i
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...
AQF: 9 onlineMICS
Postgraduate Unit
EM033-912
This unit will provide participants with an understanding of anthropological concepts and insights as tools for contemporary ministry, especially cross-cultural ministry. In light of this understanding, it will enable participants to exegete the cultural context in which they are serving...
AQF: 9 onlineMICS
Postgraduate Unit
EM049-912
This unit will enable participants to investigate the principles of healthy multicultural teamwork, to reflect on their own and others’ experiences of serving in multicultural teams, and to more effectively work as part of a team composed of people from diverse cultural backgrounds...
AQF: 9 onlineMICS
Postgraduate Unit
EM039-912
This unit will enable participants to understand the patterns and principles of disciple making and mentoring in the Scriptures and the ways these principles are expressed in various cultures. Building on this understanding, participants will be helped to develop contextually appropriate ways of discipling people in their particular ministry setting...
AQF: 8 onlineMICS
Postgraduate Unit
EM012-812
This unit will enable participants to discover a framework of biblical principles that can help guide the practice of church planting in any cultural context. A variety of models of and approaches to church planting will be evaluated for their appropriateness to specific contexts and cultural settings. Stages of pioneer church planting in cross-cultural contexts and ways to address challenges arising in each stage will be explored...
AQF: 8 onlineMICS
Postgraduate Unit
EM038-812
This unit will enable participants who are engaged in cross-cultural ministry to understand, reflect on, and think through the personal issues and challenges involved in this ministry. Building on these insights, it will explore principles and resources for responding to these issues and challenges in ways that nurture spiritual, emotional, psychological, and physical wellbeing in themselves, their families and their co-workers...
AQF: 8 onlineMICS
Postgraduate Unit
EM036-812
This unit will enable participants to enhance their ability to relate well to Muslims, to communicate the gospel and to help the church grow among them in ways that are biblically faithful and culturally relevant. It will do this by deepening participants’ understanding of key themes in Islam, Islamic attitudes towards Christianity, and approaches to evangelism, discipling and church planting among Muslims.
AQF: 9 onlineMICS
Postgraduate Unit
EM043-912
This unit explores the Bible’s teaching on the nature of poverty and the way that God’s people are called to love the poor. We will consider models of engagement and assess their appropriateness for a range of contexts...
AQF: 9 onlineMICS
Postgraduate Unit
EM052-912
This unit will enable participants to understand the principles of contextualisation in order to construct a framework for approaching contextualisation in any specific cultural context. It will help participants to develop contextualised ways to communicate the gospel in their context as well as contribute to the development of the church...
AQF: 8 onlineMICS
Postgraduate Unit
EM020-812
This unit will help participants investigate the theological, philosophical, anthropological, educational and developmental foundations of leadership and leadership development in order to enable participants to engage in the practical challenge of developing leaders in cultures that have different assumptions and worldviews. Models of education and curriculum design for leadership development will also be explored...
AQF: 8 onlineMICS
Postgraduate Unit
EM034-812
This unit will enable participants to research local cultural values and approaches to learning, plan responses, and develop curriculum to empathically serve the educational needs of various receptor cultures in which they are situated. The unit introduces postgraduate students to the current approaches to education across boundaries of culture and worldview difference. Students will critically reflect on various approaches and devise strategies that are appropriate to the design and delivery of educational materials allied to their ministry specialisation in cross-cultural contexts...
AQF: 9 onlineMICS
Postgraduate Unit
EM069-912
This unit enables students to develop a specialist understanding of the intercultural dynamics that are at play when people from multiple cultures interact and work with each other, wherever they are in the world. Theoretical viewpoints will be evaluated in the light of the authentic voice of interviewees and other data gathered from multicultural contexts. An integrative framework for multicultural engagement that creatively engages with the challenges of intercultural dynamics will be crafted as a guideline for future multicultural ministry...
AQF: 9 onlineMICS
Postgraduate Unit
EM205-912 Capstone
As part of the assessments in this unit, participants will work together to construct an integrative conceptual map of what they have learned about cross-cultural ministry throughout the SMBC Master of Intercultural Studies course. They will develop a personal professional development plan and prepare an item that communicates missiological ideas to others in practical ways...
AQF: 9 onlineMICS
Postgraduate Unit
AS001-912
This unit prepares participants to do a research project. Assessments are focused preparatory steps towards a research project...
A great opportunity to check out SMBC from wherever you are!
A great opportunity to check out SMBC in person
A great opportunity to find out all about The Bridge gap year program
A great opportunity to find out all about The Bridge gap year program