Lectures on the church, its nature,part,religious life and sacraments.

The Qur´an, the scripture of Islam, is one of history´s most influential texts. Muslims believe that the Qur´an literally contains God´s word. Therefore, this book forms the foundation of Islam´s major religious ideas. At the same time, there has been an ongoing debate about to what extent the Qur´an can provide solutions to contemporary problems. In this course, the history and the main religious, legal and political issues of the Qur´an will be evaluated. After discussing the Qur´an organization and early history,  the following issues will be scrutinized: the Qur´an self image, the creation of the world and apocalypse, justice, views of other religions (especially Christianity and Judaism), the status of women, political authority and when, how or whether to wage war.

This graduate course analyzes culture, history and traditions of the church denominations from academic concepts and methods of ecumenical theology, World Christianity, missiology and sociology of religion. The course addresses dogmas, organization, issues and practices of majority churches and movements in the world. The course discusses the work of church denominations in Iceland and the development of legislation regulating religious communities. Finally, the course discusses the relations between World Christianity, ecumenical bodies and mission in and between church denominations.

What impact does the New Testament have today? Is it good or bad? How should we approach religious texts like the writings of the New Testament that belong to an entirely different paradigm in terms of knowledge? What value and benefits can and should such texts have today? These are the general core questions that students in this course will address, on the basis of a number of New Testament texts that relate to select contemporary issues. Special attention is paid to social issues and questions of human rights that biblical texts have or have had an impact on, for better or for worse. Various aspects of fundamentalism in biblical interpretation will be addressed in search for appropriate academic responses to such approaches. Students will also address the question of the value and benefits of the New Testament in our society, whether for individuals or in a professional context, for instance, related to social welfare or pastoral care.

The topic of this course is the relationship between Christianity and politics through history. The relations between religion and politics has influenced the development of Christianity more than most other components in its history. Although the course will geographically center on Christianity in Europe, it will also include, for contrast and comparison, examples from other regions and religions. Source work will concentrate on primary sources from Northern Europe but also include sources from other regions. The course will proceed chronologically, discussing the relationship between religion and politics in 1) early Christianity, 2) late antiquity, 3) the Middle Ages 4) the period of the Reformation, 5) the modern era. Christian religious ideas which have been prominently used in the field of politics will receive particular attention. Theories on the relationship between religion and politics in the field of the history of religion, theology, philosophy, sociology, and political science will

The focus of this course will be on the theology of Martin Luther, and the historical reasons for his reformation. Different types of Luther’s writings will be read, covering key theological themes. Emphasis will also be put on the main events in Luther’s life, and the historical settings of his writings.

In this course selected Old Testament prophetic literature will be read and analyzed on historical, literary, linguistic and theological grounds. Efforts will be made to answer questions about the texts’ history of origin, their structure and message of individual pericopes in their time of making, as well as regarding the message of the final form of the respective prophetic books in the historical context of early Judaism. Selected texts will be read in the original Hebrew and thus students will be able to utilize the basic knowledge they have acquired in the course Hebrew GFR326G.  

The course is mostly designed for ordained ministry in the Lutheran Church of Iceland, but is also suitable as part of other professional studies of care, which use the methods and knowledge of spiritual care, such as social workers and nurses. 

In this course, the roles, methods and tools of pastoral and spiritual care are defined and discussed  how these tools apply to liturgy, discussions, mediation and group work. The importance of interdisciplinary collaboration to pastoral and spiritual care is sketched in relation to theories and practices of other academic fields, such as psychology of religion. Theories of grief and bereavement, challenges of old age, loneliness, trauma and growth are applied to concrete examples. The context and practices of pastoral and spiritual care is analyzed. The group goes to field trips and the course focuses on active engagement through role play and case study.

One of the main tasks of pastors is to lead the Sunday assembly, other services and celebrations of life course transitions, such as baptism, confirmation, weddings and funerals. Likewise, deacons undertake many tasks that need a good understanding of hymns and rituals, for example in care and counselling and Christian education. The two main objects of the course are liturgy and hymnology. Liturgy is the field within Practical Theology that explores the theology of Christian rituals, the history of the service and the rituals of transition.  The second is hymnology, which is the field that explores the hymnal tradition , the history of hymns, theology and role in Christian religious life and rituals. The Sunday service, other services and rites de passage are examined from the different standpoint of historical and contemporary contexts. The course gives base exercises in articulation, singing the liturgy and liturgical movements, as well as discussing collaboration and organization of liturgical work. The course is aimed at students planning to work as pastors in the Lutheran church of Iceland but given certain requirements also fit other denominations and congregations.  

The course is mandatory for mag.theol. and MA Diaconia studies students. The course is elective for MA students in theology.

Lectures on the church, its nature,part,religious life and sacraments.

The Qur´an, the scripture of Islam, is one of history´s most influential texts. Muslims believe that the Qur´an literally contains God´s word. Therefore, this book forms the foundation of Islam´s major religious ideas. At the same time, there has been an ongoing debate about to what extent the Qur´an can provide solutions to contemporary problems. In this course, the history and the main religious, legal and political issues of the Qur´an will be evaluated. After discussing the Qur´an organization and early history,  the following issues will be scrutinized: the Qur´an self image, the creation of the world and apocalypse, justice, views of other religions (especially Christianity and Judaism), the status of women, political authority and when, how or whether to wage war.

This graduate course analyzes culture, history and traditions of the church denominations from academic concepts and methods of ecumenical theology, World Christianity, missiology and sociology of religion. The course addresses dogmas, organization, issues and practices of majority churches and movements in the world. The course discusses the work of church denominations in Iceland and the development of legislation regulating religious communities. Finally, the course discusses the relations between World Christianity, ecumenical bodies and mission in and between church denominations.

What impact does the New Testament have today? Is it good or bad? How should we approach religious texts like the writings of the New Testament that belong to an entirely different paradigm in terms of knowledge? What value and benefits can and should such texts have today? These are the general core questions that students in this course will address, on the basis of a number of New Testament texts that relate to select contemporary issues. Special attention is paid to social issues and questions of human rights that biblical texts have or have had an impact on, for better or for worse. Various aspects of fundamentalism in biblical interpretation will be addressed in search for appropriate academic responses to such approaches. Students will also address the question of the value and benefits of the New Testament in our society, whether for individuals or in a professional context, for instance, related to social welfare or pastoral care.

What are the different roles played out in preparing and conducting a Lutheran worship service? Each service builds on  the complex interaction between church rituals, church music, diakonia and homiletics. In the service, experts and volunteers come together in diverse leadership roles and complex collaboration.  The course is vocational and practical and has two different foci. It focuses on the one hand on singing together and learning about liturgical music, and, on the other, on  the preparation and performance of a worship service. Undergraduate and graduate students are taught side by side in courses, but graduate students take on larger leadership responsibilities and go deeper into hymnological scholarship than the undergraduates. In the singing part of the course, the focus is on singing-along with others, vocal training and training in liturgy and hymnody. The cultural heritage of the hymnody will be introduced.  In the project management part of the course, students learn long time planning of events, and to work together in groups to plan the service, articulation, enunciation and to plan a worship service on the public radio. The course is a restricted elective course for students in vocational training to become pastors or deacons, but a free elective course for other students who want to get a deeper understanding of worship and Church music, such as students in Church music or singing.

Attn: This elective course cannot be taken instead of the compulsory course GFR076F Liturgy and Hymnology.

The topic of this course is the relationship between Christianity and politics through history. The relations between religion and politics has influenced the development of Christianity more than most other components in its history. Although the course will geographically center on Christianity in Europe, it will also include, for contrast and comparison, examples from other regions and religions. Source work will concentrate on primary sources from Northern Europe but also include sources from other regions. The course will proceed chronologically, discussing the relationship between religion and politics in 1) early Christianity, 2) late antiquity, 3) the Middle Ages 4) the period of the Reformation, 5) the modern era. Christian religious ideas which have been prominently used in the field of politics will receive particular attention. Theories on the relationship between religion and politics in the field of the history of religion, theology, philosophy, sociology, and political science will

The focus of this course will be on the theology of Martin Luther, and the historical reasons for his reformation. Different types of Luther’s writings will be read, covering key theological themes. Emphasis will also be put on the main events in Luther’s life, and the historical settings of his writings.

In this course selected Old Testament prophetic literature will be read and analyzed on historical, literary, linguistic and theological grounds. Efforts will be made to answer questions about the texts’ history of origin, their structure and message of individual pericopes in their time of making, as well as regarding the message of the final form of the respective prophetic books in the historical context of early Judaism. Selected texts will be read in the original Hebrew and thus students will be able to utilize the basic knowledge they have acquired in the course Hebrew GFR326G.  

The course is mostly designed for ordained ministry in the Lutheran Church of Iceland, but is also suitable as part of other professional studies of care, which use the methods and knowledge of spiritual care, such as social workers and nurses. 

In this course, the roles, methods and tools of pastoral and spiritual care are defined and discussed  how these tools apply to liturgy, discussions, mediation and group work. The importance of interdisciplinary collaboration to pastoral and spiritual care is sketched in relation to theories and practices of other academic fields, such as psychology of religion. Theories of grief and bereavement, challenges of old age, loneliness, trauma and growth are applied to concrete examples. The context and practices of pastoral and spiritual care is analyzed. The group goes to field trips and the course focuses on active engagement through role play and case study.

One of the main tasks of pastors is to lead the Sunday assembly, other services and celebrations of life course transitions, such as baptism, confirmation, weddings and funerals. Likewise, deacons undertake many tasks that need a good understanding of hymns and rituals, for example in care and counselling and Christian education. The two main objects of the course are liturgy and hymnology. Liturgy is the field within Practical Theology that explores the theology of Christian rituals, the history of the service and the rituals of transition.  The second is hymnology, which is the field that explores the hymnal tradition , the history of hymns, theology and role in Christian religious life and rituals. The Sunday service, other services and rites de passage are examined from the different standpoint of historical and contemporary contexts. The course gives base exercises in articulation, singing the liturgy and liturgical movements, as well as discussing collaboration and organization of liturgical work. The course is aimed at students planning to work as pastors in the Lutheran church of Iceland but given certain requirements also fit other denominations and congregations.  

The course is mandatory for mag.theol. and MA Diaconia studies students. The course is elective for MA students in theology.

The course is an option for those mag.theol. students who wish to complete a master’s project instead of traditional mag.theol. thesis. The option is between two kinds of projects, on the one hand a practical evaluation project or developmental project, and, on the other hand, a practical homiletical project, in accordance with the more detailed description in the rules for the master’s project. The aim of the course is primarily to enhance and show the skill of the students to work independently, to organize and explain the subject in question, and to apply academic sources in a scientifically acknowledged way.

The course is an option for those mag.theol. students who wish to complete a master’s project instead of traditional mag.theol. thesis. The option is between two kinds of projects, on the one hand a practical evaluation project or developmental project, and, on the other hand, a practical homiletical project, in accordance with the more detailed description in the rules for the master’s project. The aim of the course is primarily to enhance and show the skill of the students to work independently, to organize and explain the subject in question, and to apply academic sources in a scientifically acknowledged way.

The course is an option for those mag.theol. students who wish to complete a master’s project instead of traditional mag.theol. thesis. The option is between two kinds of projects, on the one hand a practical evaluation project or developmental project, and, on the other hand, a practical homiletical project, in accordance with the more detailed description in the rules for the master’s project. The aim of the course is primarily to enhance and show the skill of the students to work independently, to organize and explain the subject in question, and to apply academic sources in a scientifically acknowledged way.

The final thesis for mag.theol. exam is an individual study that the student works on independently under the guidance of a supervisor. The supervisor is usually chosen from among the permanent teachers of the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies. The choice of subject is primarily the student's responsibility, but in consultation with the instructor. It is assumed that the work on the thesis will take a full semester for a full-time student. The work can be divided into two semesters if the students so choose.

The final thesis for mag.theol. exam is an individual study that the student works on independently under the guidance of a supervisor. The supervisor is usually chosen from among the permanent teachers of the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies. The choice of subject is primarily the student's responsibility, but in consultation with the instructor. It is assumed that the work on the thesis will take a full semester for a full-time student. The work can be divided into two semesters if the students so choose.

The final thesis for mag.theol. exam is an individual study that the student works on independently under the guidance of a supervisor. The supervisor is usually chosen from among the permanent teachers of the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies. The choice of subject is primarily the student's responsibility, but in consultation with the instructor. It is assumed that the work on the thesis will take a full semester for a full-time student. The work can be divided into two semesters if the students so choose.

Lectures on the church, its nature,part,religious life and sacraments.

The Qur´an, the scripture of Islam, is one of history´s most influential texts. Muslims believe that the Qur´an literally contains God´s word. Therefore, this book forms the foundation of Islam´s major religious ideas. At the same time, there has been an ongoing debate about to what extent the Qur´an can provide solutions to contemporary problems. In this course, the history and the main religious, legal and political issues of the Qur´an will be evaluated. After discussing the Qur´an organization and early history,  the following issues will be scrutinized: the Qur´an self image, the creation of the world and apocalypse, justice, views of other religions (especially Christianity and Judaism), the status of women, political authority and when, how or whether to wage war.

This graduate course analyzes culture, history and traditions of the church denominations from academic concepts and methods of ecumenical theology, World Christianity, missiology and sociology of religion. The course addresses dogmas, organization, issues and practices of majority churches and movements in the world. The course discusses the work of church denominations in Iceland and the development of legislation regulating religious communities. Finally, the course discusses the relations between World Christianity, ecumenical bodies and mission in and between church denominations.

What impact does the New Testament have today? Is it good or bad? How should we approach religious texts like the writings of the New Testament that belong to an entirely different paradigm in terms of knowledge? What value and benefits can and should such texts have today? These are the general core questions that students in this course will address, on the basis of a number of New Testament texts that relate to select contemporary issues. Special attention is paid to social issues and questions of human rights that biblical texts have or have had an impact on, for better or for worse. Various aspects of fundamentalism in biblical interpretation will be addressed in search for appropriate academic responses to such approaches. Students will also address the question of the value and benefits of the New Testament in our society, whether for individuals or in a professional context, for instance, related to social welfare or pastoral care.

The topic of this course is the relationship between Christianity and politics through history. The relations between religion and politics has influenced the development of Christianity more than most other components in its history. Although the course will geographically center on Christianity in Europe, it will also include, for contrast and comparison, examples from other regions and religions. Source work will concentrate on primary sources from Northern Europe but also include sources from other regions. The course will proceed chronologically, discussing the relationship between religion and politics in 1) early Christianity, 2) late antiquity, 3) the Middle Ages 4) the period of the Reformation, 5) the modern era. Christian religious ideas which have been prominently used in the field of politics will receive particular attention. Theories on the relationship between religion and politics in the field of the history of religion, theology, philosophy, sociology, and political science will

The focus of this course will be on the theology of Martin Luther, and the historical reasons for his reformation. Different types of Luther’s writings will be read, covering key theological themes. Emphasis will also be put on the main events in Luther’s life, and the historical settings of his writings.

In this course selected Old Testament prophetic literature will be read and analyzed on historical, literary, linguistic and theological grounds. Efforts will be made to answer questions about the texts’ history of origin, their structure and message of individual pericopes in their time of making, as well as regarding the message of the final form of the respective prophetic books in the historical context of early Judaism. Selected texts will be read in the original Hebrew and thus students will be able to utilize the basic knowledge they have acquired in the course Hebrew GFR326G.  

The course is mostly designed for ordained ministry in the Lutheran Church of Iceland, but is also suitable as part of other professional studies of care, which use the methods and knowledge of spiritual care, such as social workers and nurses. 

In this course, the roles, methods and tools of pastoral and spiritual care are defined and discussed  how these tools apply to liturgy, discussions, mediation and group work. The importance of interdisciplinary collaboration to pastoral and spiritual care is sketched in relation to theories and practices of other academic fields, such as psychology of religion. Theories of grief and bereavement, challenges of old age, loneliness, trauma and growth are applied to concrete examples. The context and practices of pastoral and spiritual care is analyzed. The group goes to field trips and the course focuses on active engagement through role play and case study.

One of the main tasks of pastors is to lead the Sunday assembly, other services and celebrations of life course transitions, such as baptism, confirmation, weddings and funerals. Likewise, deacons undertake many tasks that need a good understanding of hymns and rituals, for example in care and counselling and Christian education. The two main objects of the course are liturgy and hymnology. Liturgy is the field within Practical Theology that explores the theology of Christian rituals, the history of the service and the rituals of transition.  The second is hymnology, which is the field that explores the hymnal tradition , the history of hymns, theology and role in Christian religious life and rituals. The Sunday service, other services and rites de passage are examined from the different standpoint of historical and contemporary contexts. The course gives base exercises in articulation, singing the liturgy and liturgical movements, as well as discussing collaboration and organization of liturgical work. The course is aimed at students planning to work as pastors in the Lutheran church of Iceland but given certain requirements also fit other denominations and congregations.  

The course is mandatory for mag.theol. and MA Diaconia studies students. The course is elective for MA students in theology.

Lectures on the church, its nature,part,religious life and sacraments.

The Qur´an, the scripture of Islam, is one of history´s most influential texts. Muslims believe that the Qur´an literally contains God´s word. Therefore, this book forms the foundation of Islam´s major religious ideas. At the same time, there has been an ongoing debate about to what extent the Qur´an can provide solutions to contemporary problems. In this course, the history and the main religious, legal and political issues of the Qur´an will be evaluated. After discussing the Qur´an organization and early history,  the following issues will be scrutinized: the Qur´an self image, the creation of the world and apocalypse, justice, views of other religions (especially Christianity and Judaism), the status of women, political authority and when, how or whether to wage war.

This graduate course analyzes culture, history and traditions of the church denominations from academic concepts and methods of ecumenical theology, World Christianity, missiology and sociology of religion. The course addresses dogmas, organization, issues and practices of majority churches and movements in the world. The course discusses the work of church denominations in Iceland and the development of legislation regulating religious communities. Finally, the course discusses the relations between World Christianity, ecumenical bodies and mission in and between church denominations.

What impact does the New Testament have today? Is it good or bad? How should we approach religious texts like the writings of the New Testament that belong to an entirely different paradigm in terms of knowledge? What value and benefits can and should such texts have today? These are the general core questions that students in this course will address, on the basis of a number of New Testament texts that relate to select contemporary issues. Special attention is paid to social issues and questions of human rights that biblical texts have or have had an impact on, for better or for worse. Various aspects of fundamentalism in biblical interpretation will be addressed in search for appropriate academic responses to such approaches. Students will also address the question of the value and benefits of the New Testament in our society, whether for individuals or in a professional context, for instance, related to social welfare or pastoral care.

What are the different roles played out in preparing and conducting a Lutheran worship service? Each service builds on  the complex interaction between church rituals, church music, diakonia and homiletics. In the service, experts and volunteers come together in diverse leadership roles and complex collaboration.  The course is vocational and practical and has two different foci. It focuses on the one hand on singing together and learning about liturgical music, and, on the other, on  the preparation and performance of a worship service. Undergraduate and graduate students are taught side by side in courses, but graduate students take on larger leadership responsibilities and go deeper into hymnological scholarship than the undergraduates. In the singing part of the course, the focus is on singing-along with others, vocal training and training in liturgy and hymnody. The cultural heritage of the hymnody will be introduced.  In the project management part of the course, students learn long time planning of events, and to work together in groups to plan the service, articulation, enunciation and to plan a worship service on the public radio. The course is a restricted elective course for students in vocational training to become pastors or deacons, but a free elective course for other students who want to get a deeper understanding of worship and Church music, such as students in Church music or singing.

Attn: This elective course cannot be taken instead of the compulsory course GFR076F Liturgy and Hymnology.

The topic of this course is the relationship between Christianity and politics through history. The relations between religion and politics has influenced the development of Christianity more than most other components in its history. Although the course will geographically center on Christianity in Europe, it will also include, for contrast and comparison, examples from other regions and religions. Source work will concentrate on primary sources from Northern Europe but also include sources from other regions. The course will proceed chronologically, discussing the relationship between religion and politics in 1) early Christianity, 2) late antiquity, 3) the Middle Ages 4) the period of the Reformation, 5) the modern era. Christian religious ideas which have been prominently used in the field of politics will receive particular attention. Theories on the relationship between religion and politics in the field of the history of religion, theology, philosophy, sociology, and political science will

The focus of this course will be on the theology of Martin Luther, and the historical reasons for his reformation. Different types of Luther’s writings will be read, covering key theological themes. Emphasis will also be put on the main events in Luther’s life, and the historical settings of his writings.

In this course selected Old Testament prophetic literature will be read and analyzed on historical, literary, linguistic and theological grounds. Efforts will be made to answer questions about the texts’ history of origin, their structure and message of individual pericopes in their time of making, as well as regarding the message of the final form of the respective prophetic books in the historical context of early Judaism. Selected texts will be read in the original Hebrew and thus students will be able to utilize the basic knowledge they have acquired in the course Hebrew GFR326G.  

The course is mostly designed for ordained ministry in the Lutheran Church of Iceland, but is also suitable as part of other professional studies of care, which use the methods and knowledge of spiritual care, such as social workers and nurses. 

In this course, the roles, methods and tools of pastoral and spiritual care are defined and discussed  how these tools apply to liturgy, discussions, mediation and group work. The importance of interdisciplinary collaboration to pastoral and spiritual care is sketched in relation to theories and practices of other academic fields, such as psychology of religion. Theories of grief and bereavement, challenges of old age, loneliness, trauma and growth are applied to concrete examples. The context and practices of pastoral and spiritual care is analyzed. The group goes to field trips and the course focuses on active engagement through role play and case study.

One of the main tasks of pastors is to lead the Sunday assembly, other services and celebrations of life course transitions, such as baptism, confirmation, weddings and funerals. Likewise, deacons undertake many tasks that need a good understanding of hymns and rituals, for example in care and counselling and Christian education. The two main objects of the course are liturgy and hymnology. Liturgy is the field within Practical Theology that explores the theology of Christian rituals, the history of the service and the rituals of transition.  The second is hymnology, which is the field that explores the hymnal tradition , the history of hymns, theology and role in Christian religious life and rituals. The Sunday service, other services and rites de passage are examined from the different standpoint of historical and contemporary contexts. The course gives base exercises in articulation, singing the liturgy and liturgical movements, as well as discussing collaboration and organization of liturgical work. The course is aimed at students planning to work as pastors in the Lutheran church of Iceland but given certain requirements also fit other denominations and congregations.  

The course is mandatory for mag.theol. and MA Diaconia studies students. The course is elective for MA students in theology.

The course is an option for those mag.theol. students who wish to complete a master’s project instead of traditional mag.theol. thesis. The option is between two kinds of projects, on the one hand a practical evaluation project or developmental project, and, on the other hand, a practical homiletical project, in accordance with the more detailed description in the rules for the master’s project. The aim of the course is primarily to enhance and show the skill of the students to work independently, to organize and explain the subject in question, and to apply academic sources in a scientifically acknowledged way.

The course is an option for those mag.theol. students who wish to complete a master’s project instead of traditional mag.theol. thesis. The option is between two kinds of projects, on the one hand a practical evaluation project or developmental project, and, on the other hand, a practical homiletical project, in accordance with the more detailed description in the rules for the master’s project. The aim of the course is primarily to enhance and show the skill of the students to work independently, to organize and explain the subject in question, and to apply academic sources in a scientifically acknowledged way.

The course is an option for those mag.theol. students who wish to complete a master’s project instead of traditional mag.theol. thesis. The option is between two kinds of projects, on the one hand a practical evaluation project or developmental project, and, on the other hand, a practical homiletical project, in accordance with the more detailed description in the rules for the master’s project. The aim of the course is primarily to enhance and show the skill of the students to work independently, to organize and explain the subject in question, and to apply academic sources in a scientifically acknowledged way.

The final thesis for mag.theol. exam is an individual study that the student works on independently under the guidance of a supervisor. The supervisor is usually chosen from among the permanent teachers of the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies. The choice of subject is primarily the student's responsibility, but in consultation with the instructor. It is assumed that the work on the thesis will take a full semester for a full-time student. The work can be divided into two semesters if the students so choose.

The final thesis for mag.theol. exam is an individual study that the student works on independently under the guidance of a supervisor. The supervisor is usually chosen from among the permanent teachers of the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies. The choice of subject is primarily the student's responsibility, but in consultation with the instructor. It is assumed that the work on the thesis will take a full semester for a full-time student. The work can be divided into two semesters if the students so choose.

The final thesis for mag.theol. exam is an individual study that the student works on independently under the guidance of a supervisor. The supervisor is usually chosen from among the permanent teachers of the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies. The choice of subject is primarily the student's responsibility, but in consultation with the instructor. It is assumed that the work on the thesis will take a full semester for a full-time student. The work can be divided into two semesters if the students so choose.

Lectures on the church, its nature,part,religious life and sacraments.

The Qur´an, the scripture of Islam, is one of history´s most influential texts. Muslims believe that the Qur´an literally contains God´s word. Therefore, this book forms the foundation of Islam´s major religious ideas. At the same time, there has been an ongoing debate about to what extent the Qur´an can provide solutions to contemporary problems. In this course, the history and the main religious, legal and political issues of the Qur´an will be evaluated. After discussing the Qur´an organization and early history,  the following issues will be scrutinized: the Qur´an self image, the creation of the world and apocalypse, justice, views of other religions (especially Christianity and Judaism), the status of women, political authority and when, how or whether to wage war.

This graduate course analyzes culture, history and traditions of the church denominations from academic concepts and methods of ecumenical theology, World Christianity, missiology and sociology of religion. The course addresses dogmas, organization, issues and practices of majority churches and movements in the world. The course discusses the work of church denominations in Iceland and the development of legislation regulating religious communities. Finally, the course discusses the relations between World Christianity, ecumenical bodies and mission in and between church denominations.

What impact does the New Testament have today? Is it good or bad? How should we approach religious texts like the writings of the New Testament that belong to an entirely different paradigm in terms of knowledge? What value and benefits can and should such texts have today? These are the general core questions that students in this course will address, on the basis of a number of New Testament texts that relate to select contemporary issues. Special attention is paid to social issues and questions of human rights that biblical texts have or have had an impact on, for better or for worse. Various aspects of fundamentalism in biblical interpretation will be addressed in search for appropriate academic responses to such approaches. Students will also address the question of the value and benefits of the New Testament in our society, whether for individuals or in a professional context, for instance, related to social welfare or pastoral care.

The topic of this course is the relationship between Christianity and politics through history. The relations between religion and politics has influenced the development of Christianity more than most other components in its history. Although the course will geographically center on Christianity in Europe, it will also include, for contrast and comparison, examples from other regions and religions. Source work will concentrate on primary sources from Northern Europe but also include sources from other regions. The course will proceed chronologically, discussing the relationship between religion and politics in 1) early Christianity, 2) late antiquity, 3) the Middle Ages 4) the period of the Reformation, 5) the modern era. Christian religious ideas which have been prominently used in the field of politics will receive particular attention. Theories on the relationship between religion and politics in the field of the history of religion, theology, philosophy, sociology, and political science will

The focus of this course will be on the theology of Martin Luther, and the historical reasons for his reformation. Different types of Luther’s writings will be read, covering key theological themes. Emphasis will also be put on the main events in Luther’s life, and the historical settings of his writings.

In this course selected Old Testament prophetic literature will be read and analyzed on historical, literary, linguistic and theological grounds. Efforts will be made to answer questions about the texts’ history of origin, their structure and message of individual pericopes in their time of making, as well as regarding the message of the final form of the respective prophetic books in the historical context of early Judaism. Selected texts will be read in the original Hebrew and thus students will be able to utilize the basic knowledge they have acquired in the course Hebrew GFR326G.  

The course is mostly designed for ordained ministry in the Lutheran Church of Iceland, but is also suitable as part of other professional studies of care, which use the methods and knowledge of spiritual care, such as social workers and nurses. 

In this course, the roles, methods and tools of pastoral and spiritual care are defined and discussed  how these tools apply to liturgy, discussions, mediation and group work. The importance of interdisciplinary collaboration to pastoral and spiritual care is sketched in relation to theories and practices of other academic fields, such as psychology of religion. Theories of grief and bereavement, challenges of old age, loneliness, trauma and growth are applied to concrete examples. The context and practices of pastoral and spiritual care is analyzed. The group goes to field trips and the course focuses on active engagement through role play and case study.

One of the main tasks of pastors is to lead the Sunday assembly, other services and celebrations of life course transitions, such as baptism, confirmation, weddings and funerals. Likewise, deacons undertake many tasks that need a good understanding of hymns and rituals, for example in care and counselling and Christian education. The two main objects of the course are liturgy and hymnology. Liturgy is the field within Practical Theology that explores the theology of Christian rituals, the history of the service and the rituals of transition.  The second is hymnology, which is the field that explores the hymnal tradition , the history of hymns, theology and role in Christian religious life and rituals. The Sunday service, other services and rites de passage are examined from the different standpoint of historical and contemporary contexts. The course gives base exercises in articulation, singing the liturgy and liturgical movements, as well as discussing collaboration and organization of liturgical work. The course is aimed at students planning to work as pastors in the Lutheran church of Iceland but given certain requirements also fit other denominations and congregations.  

The course is mandatory for mag.theol. and MA Diaconia studies students. The course is elective for MA students in theology.

Lectures on the church, its nature,part,religious life and sacraments.

The Qur´an, the scripture of Islam, is one of history´s most influential texts. Muslims believe that the Qur´an literally contains God´s word. Therefore, this book forms the foundation of Islam´s major religious ideas. At the same time, there has been an ongoing debate about to what extent the Qur´an can provide solutions to contemporary problems. In this course, the history and the main religious, legal and political issues of the Qur´an will be evaluated. After discussing the Qur´an organization and early history,  the following issues will be scrutinized: the Qur´an self image, the creation of the world and apocalypse, justice, views of other religions (especially Christianity and Judaism), the status of women, political authority and when, how or whether to wage war.

This graduate course analyzes culture, history and traditions of the church denominations from academic concepts and methods of ecumenical theology, World Christianity, missiology and sociology of religion. The course addresses dogmas, organization, issues and practices of majority churches and movements in the world. The course discusses the work of church denominations in Iceland and the development of legislation regulating religious communities. Finally, the course discusses the relations between World Christianity, ecumenical bodies and mission in and between church denominations.

What impact does the New Testament have today? Is it good or bad? How should we approach religious texts like the writings of the New Testament that belong to an entirely different paradigm in terms of knowledge? What value and benefits can and should such texts have today? These are the general core questions that students in this course will address, on the basis of a number of New Testament texts that relate to select contemporary issues. Special attention is paid to social issues and questions of human rights that biblical texts have or have had an impact on, for better or for worse. Various aspects of fundamentalism in biblical interpretation will be addressed in search for appropriate academic responses to such approaches. Students will also address the question of the value and benefits of the New Testament in our society, whether for individuals or in a professional context, for instance, related to social welfare or pastoral care.

What are the different roles played out in preparing and conducting a Lutheran worship service? Each service builds on  the complex interaction between church rituals, church music, diakonia and homiletics. In the service, experts and volunteers come together in diverse leadership roles and complex collaboration.  The course is vocational and practical and has two different foci. It focuses on the one hand on singing together and learning about liturgical music, and, on the other, on  the preparation and performance of a worship service. Undergraduate and graduate students are taught side by side in courses, but graduate students take on larger leadership responsibilities and go deeper into hymnological scholarship than the undergraduates. In the singing part of the course, the focus is on singing-along with others, vocal training and training in liturgy and hymnody. The cultural heritage of the hymnody will be introduced.  In the project management part of the course, students learn long time planning of events, and to work together in groups to plan the service, articulation, enunciation and to plan a worship service on the public radio. The course is a restricted elective course for students in vocational training to become pastors or deacons, but a free elective course for other students who want to get a deeper understanding of worship and Church music, such as students in Church music or singing.

Attn: This elective course cannot be taken instead of the compulsory course GFR076F Liturgy and Hymnology.

The topic of this course is the relationship between Christianity and politics through history. The relations between religion and politics has influenced the development of Christianity more than most other components in its history. Although the course will geographically center on Christianity in Europe, it will also include, for contrast and comparison, examples from other regions and religions. Source work will concentrate on primary sources from Northern Europe but also include sources from other regions. The course will proceed chronologically, discussing the relationship between religion and politics in 1) early Christianity, 2) late antiquity, 3) the Middle Ages 4) the period of the Reformation, 5) the modern era. Christian religious ideas which have been prominently used in the field of politics will receive particular attention. Theories on the relationship between religion and politics in the field of the history of religion, theology, philosophy, sociology, and political science will

The focus of this course will be on the theology of Martin Luther, and the historical reasons for his reformation. Different types of Luther’s writings will be read, covering key theological themes. Emphasis will also be put on the main events in Luther’s life, and the historical settings of his writings.

In this course selected Old Testament prophetic literature will be read and analyzed on historical, literary, linguistic and theological grounds. Efforts will be made to answer questions about the texts’ history of origin, their structure and message of individual pericopes in their time of making, as well as regarding the message of the final form of the respective prophetic books in the historical context of early Judaism. Selected texts will be read in the original Hebrew and thus students will be able to utilize the basic knowledge they have acquired in the course Hebrew GFR326G.  

The course is mostly designed for ordained ministry in the Lutheran Church of Iceland, but is also suitable as part of other professional studies of care, which use the methods and knowledge of spiritual care, such as social workers and nurses. 

In this course, the roles, methods and tools of pastoral and spiritual care are defined and discussed  how these tools apply to liturgy, discussions, mediation and group work. The importance of interdisciplinary collaboration to pastoral and spiritual care is sketched in relation to theories and practices of other academic fields, such as psychology of religion. Theories of grief and bereavement, challenges of old age, loneliness, trauma and growth are applied to concrete examples. The context and practices of pastoral and spiritual care is analyzed. The group goes to field trips and the course focuses on active engagement through role play and case study.

One of the main tasks of pastors is to lead the Sunday assembly, other services and celebrations of life course transitions, such as baptism, confirmation, weddings and funerals. Likewise, deacons undertake many tasks that need a good understanding of hymns and rituals, for example in care and counselling and Christian education. The two main objects of the course are liturgy and hymnology. Liturgy is the field within Practical Theology that explores the theology of Christian rituals, the history of the service and the rituals of transition.  The second is hymnology, which is the field that explores the hymnal tradition , the history of hymns, theology and role in Christian religious life and rituals. The Sunday service, other services and rites de passage are examined from the different standpoint of historical and contemporary contexts. The course gives base exercises in articulation, singing the liturgy and liturgical movements, as well as discussing collaboration and organization of liturgical work. The course is aimed at students planning to work as pastors in the Lutheran church of Iceland but given certain requirements also fit other denominations and congregations.  

The course is mandatory for mag.theol. and MA Diaconia studies students. The course is elective for MA students in theology.

The course is an option for those mag.theol. students who wish to complete a master’s project instead of traditional mag.theol. thesis. The option is between two kinds of projects, on the one hand a practical evaluation project or developmental project, and, on the other hand, a practical homiletical project, in accordance with the more detailed description in the rules for the master’s project. The aim of the course is primarily to enhance and show the skill of the students to work independently, to organize and explain the subject in question, and to apply academic sources in a scientifically acknowledged way.

The course is an option for those mag.theol. students who wish to complete a master’s project instead of traditional mag.theol. thesis. The option is between two kinds of projects, on the one hand a practical evaluation project or developmental project, and, on the other hand, a practical homiletical project, in accordance with the more detailed description in the rules for the master’s project. The aim of the course is primarily to enhance and show the skill of the students to work independently, to organize and explain the subject in question, and to apply academic sources in a scientifically acknowledged way.

The course is an option for those mag.theol. students who wish to complete a master’s project instead of traditional mag.theol. thesis. The option is between two kinds of projects, on the one hand a practical evaluation project or developmental project, and, on the other hand, a practical homiletical project, in accordance with the more detailed description in the rules for the master’s project. The aim of the course is primarily to enhance and show the skill of the students to work independently, to organize and explain the subject in question, and to apply academic sources in a scientifically acknowledged way.

The final thesis for mag.theol. exam is an individual study that the student works on independently under the guidance of a supervisor. The supervisor is usually chosen from among the permanent teachers of the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies. The choice of subject is primarily the student's responsibility, but in consultation with the instructor. It is assumed that the work on the thesis will take a full semester for a full-time student. The work can be divided into two semesters if the students so choose.

The final thesis for mag.theol. exam is an individual study that the student works on independently under the guidance of a supervisor. The supervisor is usually chosen from among the permanent teachers of the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies. The choice of subject is primarily the student's responsibility, but in consultation with the instructor. It is assumed that the work on the thesis will take a full semester for a full-time student. The work can be divided into two semesters if the students so choose.

The final thesis for mag.theol. exam is an individual study that the student works on independently under the guidance of a supervisor. The supervisor is usually chosen from among the permanent teachers of the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies. The choice of subject is primarily the student's responsibility, but in consultation with the instructor. It is assumed that the work on the thesis will take a full semester for a full-time student. The work can be divided into two semesters if the students so choose.