The CSIOF caters to all, offering non-assessed community courses, general and specialised accredited coursework based programs, and quality postgraduate research supervision. See below for more information on our Community subjects, and subjects offered to those studying an Undergraduate Certificate Course, Undergraduate/Graduate Courses, Postgraduate Courses and Postgraduate Research.

Please see the end this page for the CSIOF 2011 Subject Timetable.

Community Subjects

Each semester, the CSIOF offers an 8-12 week unit on topics related to Islam and other faiths, conjunction with MST's Degree/Graduate subjects. These interactive units are designed to better equip the local church for Christian-Muslim dialogue and engaging with those of other faiths, be it overseas or in their own back yard. Come and benefit from the expertise of the CSIOF Faculty, with no assessment attached. Subjects offered on two year rotations are as follows:

Understanding the Qur’an from a Christian Perspective

A Series of 12 Seminars. Topics covered will include: Analysis of Qur’an; Who is Allah?; Salvation and sin; Heaven and hell; Jesus and the Bible; Life of Muhammad; Jihad; Women; Witness and apologetics.

Muhammad – A Christian Perspective

A Series of 10 Seminars. The subject will take a chronological approach, using Islamic sources such as the Qur’an, the earliest biography of Muhammad (Ibn Ishaq’s Sira), and the Hadith or traditions. Topics covered will include: Muhammad’s world – international and national background, social and religious factors; Birth, childhood, life until his marriage to Khadija – character assessment; Revelations; His life in Mecca; His life in Medina; Muhammad, magic and miracles; Women and Marriages; Muhammad the warrior: Warfare and battles; Death and legacy – a comparison of Christ and Muhammad; Revisionist views of his life.

Introduction to the Hadith

A Series of 10 Seminars. The Hadith are a key set of documents, giving details which the Qur’an omits. In the Hadith we find a fuller picture of the person of Muhammad, the tensions faced in the early Islamic community and how they were resolved, and the theological and practical basis for Islamic laws. This course will be based on al-Bukhari’s collection of the Hadith. This course will be taught from a Christian perspective.

Understanding Islam’s early history and its implications for today

A Series of 10 Seminars. The Hadith are a key set of documents, giving details which the Qur’an omits. In the Hadith we find a fuller picture of the person of Muhammad, the tensions faced in the early Islamic community and how they were resolved, and the theological and practical basis for Islamic laws. This 10 week course will be based on al-Bukhari’s collection of the Hadith. This course will be taught from a Christian perspective.

Christian Apologetics to Islam - Questioning Islam, Answering Muslims, Proclaiming Christ

This 8 week unit will give you the tools to answer common Muslim objections, challenge Islamic beliefs, and share Christ with Muslim people. It will cover the following topics: Identity: Are Islam and Christianity the same?; Revelation: Has the Bible been changed? Is the Qur’an a reliable historical document? How do Muslim and Christian views of revelation differ?; God: Do we worship the same God? How can I explain the Trinity to a Muslim friend?; Jesus: What does the term ‘Son of God’ mean? What does the Qur’an say about Jesus? Why do Muslims deny that Jesus died on the cross?; Muhammad: When people ask: ‘What do you think of Muhammad?’, what should I say? Women: How do Christian and Muslim views of women differ?; War & Peace: What does ‘jihad’ really mean?; Human rights and politics.

NB. At present these subjects cannot be taken for credit towards an MST or ACT award, if taken as a Community Subject.

Undergraduate Certificate Subjects

The CSIOF offers the following subject at Certificate IV level that may be audited or taken for credit towards BCV’s Certificate IV in Ministries:

World Religions – history and beliefs of Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism and Islam

This subject is designed to enhance the student’s preparation for cross-cultural ministry, at home or abroad, and have the added benefit of exam-free assessment. Classes for these subjects are held weekly over a given semester.

Click here [LINK TO CERT PAGE] for more information on the certificate course

Degree/Graduate Subjects

Subjects run by the CSIOF at undergraduate or graduate level may be audited or taken for credit towards a Bachelor Degree, Graduate Diploma in Divinity or Christian Studies, Master of Arts in Christian Studies, and Master of Divinity. These subjects aim to equip students to better understand other religions and interact with people of other faiths. Classes are held weekly over a given semester. The following subjects are currently on offer:

Christian Ministry in Islamic Contexts

This semester-long subject provides tools for ministry among Muslims in Australia and overseas. Topics covered will include: varieties of Islam, Christianity in Muslim majority countries, mission strategies among Muslims, the gospel for Muslims, contextualisation, discipling Muslims, Islam in Australia. The course will include a visit to a mosque and interaction with Muslims. The Community Course component will consist of the first of two parts of this subject, and may not include all of the topics listed above. The whole subject may be audited as an alternative to the Community Course.

LIVING FAITHS

This subject looks at the historical roots, beliefs, practices, cultural influences and contemporary reforms of 4 religions Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism and Islam.

Click here for more information on undergraduate courses [LINK TO UNDERGRAD PAGE…]

Click here for more information on graduate courses [LINK TO GRAD PAGE…]

Postgraduate Subjects

Specialist subjects are offered by the CSIOF to those undertaking the Master of Arts in Ministry or Theology, and the Doctor of Ministry programs offered by BCV’s Nash Institute. Given the large suite of subjects offered at this level, students may choose to specialise in the area of Islam by completing a Master of Arts (Ministry) in the Study of Islam. Most subjects are offered as intensives over a 1-2 week period. Come and draw on the vast experience and knowledge of the CSIOF faculty in preparation for future ministry, or to further equip yourself to serve more effectively where you are – at home or abroad.

Religions of the World in Contemporary Society

At the end of the unit, candidates should be able to: discuss the nature of ‘religion’ from the perspective of modern sociology and philosophy; explain the beliefs and practices of the major world religions; understand the historical context and connectedness of the major religions; and evaluate modern Christian responses to the problem posed to Christian belief by religious pluralism.

Islam: History & Institutions

This unit consdiders the history of Islam, covering its major periods, greatest dynasties and most significant regions, the primary textual corpus of Islam (the Qur’an, Hadith, legal writings and Stories of the Prophets), and the key doctrines and debates of the Islamic faith (articles of faith, five pillars, sectarian divisions, great debates etc.).

Qur'anic and Post-Qur'anic Interpretation of Biblical Themes

Students who take this unit should be able to: understand of the contribution of Qur’anic and post-Qur’anic writings to the formulation of Islamic theology, with particular attention devoted to how these writings are used to interpret various theological themes common to the Bible and Islam; sensitively utilize the Qur’an and Hadith as exegetical tools in interpreting theological themes common to the Bible and Islam; refer to principal commentaries on the Qur’an and to appropriate Islamic supplementary literature, including the Stories of the Prophets, in undertaking the above task of interpretation; and identify areas of theological overlap and discontinuity between Islamic literature and Biblical theology with regard to the key themes studied; begin to provide a biblical and theological assessment of the Islamic writings.

Islam in the Modern World

This unit provides students with the disciplines needed to understand and engage with issues surrounding Islam’s interaction with the modern world, recognising both the complex diversity of Muslims and the key debates taking place within the worldwide Islamic community. Specifically, on successful completion of this unit students will be able to understand the diversity of Muslim responses to the challenges of modernity, identify the key debates preoccupying Muslims today, articulate a sophisticated interpretation of contemporary world events involving the Muslim world, and relate such debates to a specific region of their choice.

Feminist Perspectives and Islam

Students who take this unit will be able to: identify the major trends and features of Islamic Feminism; Consider theological background to women’s issues in Christianity and Islam; recognise the shared historical features; and consider feminism within a religious context as well as a secular one; and relate widely to the historical and contemporary challenges faced by Muslim women.

Christian Ministry in Islamic Contexts

At the end of this unit students should be able to: identify and understand the theological context of Islamic goals as set out in the key Islamic texts such as the Qur’an and the Hadith; critically evaluate Islamic attitudes to Christian doctrine and to the history of Christian-Muslim interaction; articulate evolving attitudes among the churches towards other faiths, and how those changing attitudes have been reflected in Christian engagement with people of other faiths, with particular reference to Australia; demonstrate one’s own apologetic for reaching Muslims with the gospel, including appropriate dialogical skills in relating to Muslim peoples and responding to Islamic perceptions of Christian doctrine; and generate a range of options for follow-up and church engagement of Muslim Background Believers in various contexts (particularly in an Islamic community and in a western country).

Islam in Southeast Asia: History, Society and Politics

This unit provides students with the disciplines needed to understand and engage with issues surrounding the historical and contemporary manifestations of Islam in Southeast Asia, recognising both the complex diversity of Muslims in that region and the key debates taking place there.

Reading Arabic Texts and Reading Arabic Texts Extension

At the end of these units, the student will be able to read selected verses from the Qur’an in Arabic with the aid of a dictionary, read selected passages from other key texts in Classical Arabic – Hadith, commentaries etc. with the aid of a dictionary, and comprehend the main elements of Classical Arabic grammar.

Click here [LINK TO NASH COURSEWORK PAGE] for more information on postgraduate coursework programs

Postgraduate Research

Research supervision is a key component of the CSIOF’s activities and its faculty currently supervise a number of students at Masters and Doctoral levels, in the areas of Islam and other faiths.

Click here [LINK TO NASH RESEARCH PAGE] for more information on postgraduate research programs.

Please find below the CSIOF Subject Timetable for 2011.

All Certificate/ Diploma, Degree/Graduate and Postgraduate subjects are offered as a part of the MST Curriculum, and in accordance with the Australian College of Theology, where applicable.

Community Subjects may not be credited towards a MST award.

The cut-off dates for enrolment for are: Semester 1 – March 1 2010; Semester 2 – August 1 2010.

For more information or to enrol in any of the above subjects please

email csiof@mst.edu.au or phone (03) 9881 7800

Fees are reveiwed on an annual basis.

Fee Schedule

Explanation of Terms:

Audit - means to attend classes but not complete the assessment. Audit subjects do not count towards the obtaining of a degree but are taken for interest only.

FEE HELP - is the opportunity for Australian Citizens [you must be an Australian Citizen, not just a resident] to borrow the money to pay for their tuition fees from the government. This is not available for the Certificate courses. For Undergraduate students a 25% surcharge applies, but for Graduate Students there is no surcharge. Students are required to commence paying back their student fees once there income reaches a certain threshold.

For further information see the government website at: http://www.goingtouni.gov.au/Main/FeesLoansAndScholarships/Undergraduate/FullFeesAndFEE-HELP/FullFeesAndFeeHELP.htm

No. The CSIOF offers the chance to put theory into practice through MST’s annual Mission Week. This week is designed primarily for MST students to take a week off study to become engaged in intensive, supervised practical experience. The CSIOF leads a team of students each year with a focus on engaging with those of other faiths, in and around the city of Melbourne. Also, some subjects offered by the CSIOF have a practical component to them, and there are other opportunities to be involved further throughout the year.