School of Sensus Plenior

Our World

The decline of Christianity in the U.S.—especially evangelicalism and seminary enrollment —has deep and layered causes. It’s a convergence of cultural shifts, generational transitions, internal challenges, and broader spiritual disillusionment. Let’s break it down into some key areas:

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1. Cultural Shifts & Post-Christian Environment

• Secularization: American culture has moved from being predominantly Christian to more pluralistic and secular. Christianity no longer holds the cultural authority it once did.
• Individualism: The rise of personal autonomy and self-expression runs counter to the call of discipleship and submission to God.
• Mistrust of Institutions: Churches and seminaries are seen as institutions—and Gen Z and Millennials especially are deeply skeptical of institutions due to scandals, politics, and perceived hypocrisy.

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2. Political Entanglement of Evangelicalism

• Partisan Identity: Many people associate “evangelical” with a particular political stance (usually conservative/Republican). This alienates younger believers and outsiders who see the gospel as co-opted by political agendas.
• Culture Wars: Some churches became known more for what they oppose than what they love. The public witness of evangelicalism has often become defensive and combative, which feels un-Christlike to many.

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3. Moral and Sexual Abuse Scandals

• From the Catholic Church to Southern Baptists, scandals involving cover-ups and abuse have eroded trust.
• Many high-profile evangelical leaders (Ravi Zacharias, Mark Driscoll, etc.) have fallen, making some question the integrity of the movement as a whole.

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4. Shallow Discipleship & Deconstruction

• Consumer Christianity: A lot of evangelical churches offered emotional experiences or moralistic teachings, but little theological depth.
• When hard questions came—about suffering, gender, sexuality, or justice—many found they didn’t have answers. This led to deconstruction, and for many, departure.
• Exvangelicals: Entire communities have emerged online where people share their experiences of being harmed or disappointed by evangelicalism and find support in leaving.

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5. Demographics & Aging Congregations

• Boomers filled churches and seminaries in the 70s–90s, but younger generations are both smaller and less committed.
• Fewer people want to be pastors. It's a hard, underpaid job, often underappreciated—and with the church in decline, it looks like a sinking ship to many.

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6. Seminaries

• Seminaries once attracted a wide range of evangelical students from multiple denominations. But:
  • Denominational decline means fewer churches are sending students.
  • Shifting identity: Many have become more progressive in some eyes, which alienates conservatives, but may be still too evangelical for others; stuck in-between.
  • Online theological content: People now turn to podcasts, YouTube, and platforms like The Bible Project or The Gospel Coalition for learning. Seminary isn’t the only path to theological formation anymore.
  • Cost: Seminary is expensive, and with church jobs drying up or paying poorly, many can’t justify the cost.

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7. Spiritual Disillusionment or New Paths

• Many still seek Jesus, but not the institutional church.
• There's growing interest in ancient practices (contemplative prayer, liturgy, monasticism), and some leave evangelicalism for Orthodoxy or Catholicism, feeling those traditions have deeper roots.
• Others reconstruct outside the church, finding ways to follow Jesus without formal affiliation.

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Conclusion

Christianity’s decline in the U.S., especially evangelicalism, is tied to:

• Cultural and generational shifts.
• Political and moral compromise.
• Shallow formation.
• Seminary's loss of relevance in a digital, skeptical age.

But here's the twist: beneath the rubble, there’s still hunger for truth. People want authenticity, beauty, and a faith that speaks to suffering and mystery. The old wineskin is cracking—but maybe that’s to make way for new wine.

Vision Statement:

We envision a renewal of biblical study through the recovery of sensus plenior—the deeper, Christ-centered meaning embedded by the Spirit in every word of Scripture. We believe that the authority of Scripture is restored when Christ is unveiled across all of it, not merely as doctrine, but as the living Word revealed through pattern, symbol, and riddle.

This rule-based hermeneutic provides answers to the difficult questions left unresolved by Greek frameworks applied to Hebrew texts. It teaches students to hear God propositionally, in ways that are verifiable, reproducible, and filled with reverent wonder.

We seek to equip a new generation—not merely with theological knowledge—but with eyes to see Christ in all of Scripture, and hearts set ablaze by the same unveiling He gave on the road to Emmaus. Through this, we hope to lead in forming scholars, pastors, and prophets who do not just study the Word—but encounter the Word made flesh.

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Purpose and Rationale

In an era marked by spiritual deconstruction, declining seminary enrollment, and the fragmentation of biblical authority, there is an urgent need to return to a hermeneutic that restores both the unity of Scripture and its power to transform. This proposal recommends the establishment of a school that will lead in the development and instruction of a rule-based, Christ-centered method of interpretation grounded in the sensus plenior.

This hermeneutic affirms the historical-literal reading of Scripture but goes further, recognizing the Spirit-breathed depth beneath the surface—a depth that unveils Christ in every passage, as He taught His disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:27). It provides a coherent framework that is intellectually rigorous, spiritually vibrant, and deeply rooted in the Hebrew narrative structure of the Bible, rather than imposing foreign categories derived from Greek rationalism.

This approach offers a way to reclaim a prophetic role in shaping how the Church hears God today—clearly, propositionally, and reproducibly.

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Core Objectives

1. To Develop and Teach a Rule-Based Hermeneutic of Sensus Plenior, equipping students with systematic methods to uncover Christ in all of Scripture through symbols, patterns, word formations, and literary structure.
2. To Restore the Functional Authority of Scripture, showing how the unified voice of Christ speaks through every passage—not only doctrinally but prophetically, narratively, and experientially.
3. To Train a New Generation of Theologians, Pastors, and Scholars who can answer the deep spiritual and theological questions of our age with clarity, coherence, and reverence.
4. To Serve as a Center of Research and Publication, exploring how this hermeneutic resolves longstanding theological tensions, reclaims biblical typology, and restores confidence in the unity of the Old and New Testaments.

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Curriculum Focus

Courses and research may include:

• Foundations of Sensus Plenior Hermeneutics
• Christ in the Torah, Writings, and Prophets
• Hebrew Structures and Symbolic Logic in Biblical Interpretation
• The Cross and Resurrection as the Lens of All Scripture
• From Riddle to Revelation: A Pattern-Based Approach
• Hearing God in Scripture: Verifiable and Reproducible Revelation

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Strategic Outcomes

• Revitalization of Enrollment: A clear, compelling vision that speaks to hungry hearts and skeptical minds alike—offering both depth and spiritual vitality.
• Thought Leadership:Emerge as a center for the next wave of biblical interpretation that bridges traditional orthodoxy and contemporary relevance.
• Global Impact: By recovering a distinctly Hebraic view of Scripture centered in Christ, become a hub for international scholars seeking a faithful and vibrant hermeneutic.
• Interdisciplinary Integration: The hermeneutic has applications in preaching, counseling, theology, worship, and even interfaith dialogue.

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Conclusion

The establishment of school of Christocentric Hermeneutics rooted in sensus plenior is not merely an academic proposal—it is a spiritual reawakening. It responds to the questions of our time by recovering the methods of the first-century Church and the voice of the resurrected Christ in all of Scripture.

Since SP relies on recurring symbols, word patterns, narrative arcs, and theological movements that can often be observed in translation (once you know what to look for), we can structure a 3-course undergraduate series to give a rich and practical foundation. Here's a suggested breakdown:

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🧾 Proposed Undergraduate Track for Sensus Plenior (No Hebrew Required)

🎓 Course 1: Introduction to Sensus Plenior Hermeneutics

Focus: Foundations — the living voice, symbolic reading, narrative patterns

• Learn symbolic structure of Scripture
• Recognize letter-based meanings through guided teaching
• Trace the cross and the bride in story, symbol, and structure
• Apply SP without decoding full Hebrew text

➡️ Outcome: Student can identify and trace symbolic patterns across the Bible and recognize the Christ-centered narrative.

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🎓 Course 2: Applied Symbolic Reading

Focus: Symbol families, numbers, spiritual themes, repeated narrative arcs

Emphasis: Deepen interpretive skill across genres — Torah, poetry, Gospels, epistles

• Expand symbol families: fire, seed, mountain, tree, shepherd, garments, etc TBD.
• Train in thematic clusters and literary mirroring
• Analyze story arc of the cross: before, during, after.
• Use Genesis → Revelation connections as practice grounds

➡️ Outcome: Student can confidently interpret select scriptures through the lens of recurring cross-symbols and spiritual structure without Hebrew.

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🎓 Course 3: Narrative Theology and the Bride

Focus: Theological structure of the bride and Christ in every page

Emphasis: Typology, transformation, identity, and spiritual formation

• Study the how Christ obtains his bride through the cross.
• Focus on the shadows of Christ and how they reveal the bride.
• Examine typology of men, women, vessels, animals, and garments
• Reflective and personal: SP as a tool for formation, not just knowledge

➡️ Outcome: Student interprets Scripture as a relational, covenantal story — hearing God speak directly to the bride through every layer of the Word.

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✅ Summary

• Three courses are sufficient for a complete undergraduate grasp of SP without requiring Hebrew.
• Hebrew insight is provided through guided instruction (e.g., gates, formations, letter meaning) but not expected as a language skill.
• This track develops readers into listeners — who hear Christ in all Scripture through revealed pattern. ----

Core Syllabi for MDiv and PhD Programs

Under construction. Course outlines will solidify as the start of the class approaches.

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Course 1 (MDiv): '''Introduction to Sensus Plenior Hermeneutics

Course Description: This course introduces students to the foundational concepts of sensus plenior hermeneutics. Students will learn to identify the meaning of Hebrew letters, discover Christ in word formations, and uncover symbols of the cross embedded by the Spirit within Scripture. Emphasis will be placed on rule-based interpretation and how to hear God propositionally, verifiably, and reproducibly.

Course Objectives:

• Understand the definition and theological basis of sensus plenior
• Learn the symbolic meaning of Hebrew letters
• Recognize two-letter gates and directional meanings in Hebrew
• Begin identifying symbols of the cross in narratives and names
• Contrast Greek vs. Hebraic thought patterns

Topics Covered:

• Letter meanings and their theological implications
• Word formations and symbolic gates (e.g. אב / בא)
• Names and numbers as prophetic indicators
• Cross-symbols in Genesis (e.g. animal skins, thorns, altars)
• Hearing God propositionally: method and tests

Assessment:

• Weekly exercises in identifying symbolic word structures
• Midterm: short essay on one Hebrew word with symbolic analysis
• Final: project tracing a cross-symbol through three OT narratives

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Course 2 (MDiv): '''Patterns, Symbols, and the Voice of God

Course Description: This course deepens the student’s ability to see the Spirit-authored patterns in Scripture that declare the death and resurrection of Christ. Students will explore the consistent voice of God in symbol families, narrative structures, and typological patterns.

Course Objectives:

• Identify families of symbols (e.g. water/word, hand/works)
• Interpret narrative arcs through the lens of the cross
• Understand the four voices of Scripture (Prophet, Priest, King, Judge)
• Apply symbolic logic to teaching and preaching

Topics Covered:

• Symbol dictionaries and validation: 📖 confirmed / 🧩 proposed
• Life-death-resurrection structures in narrative (e.g. Joseph, Moses, Jonah)
• Bride types: prostitute and virgin
• Examples of sensus plenior in Psalms and Proverbs

Assessment:

• Symbol family map and analysis
• Teaching outline using four-fold voice structure
• Final sermon integrating multiple symbolic patterns

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Course 3 (PhD): '''Advanced Word Formations and Structural Prophecy

Course Description: This PhD-level seminar explores the prophetic structure embedded in Scripture through word formations, symbolic sequencing, and gate analysis. Students will master the interpretive rules that reveal the sensus plenior meaning beneath the literal narrative.

Course Objectives:

• Decode complex Hebrew word formations
• Analyze interwoven gate structures and their reversals
• Map prophetic arcs using symbolic structure
• Propose new validated symbols using canonical cross-references

Topics Covered:

• Word breakdowns: a-b-c, ab-c, a(b)c, gate + interposition
• Structural prophecy: from creation to cross
• Case studies: Cain, Tamar, Leah/Rachel, Exodus events
• Validation through multiple witnesses

Assessment:

• Weekly decoding exercises
• Midterm paper proposing a new symbolic reading with validation
• Final research paper (or chapter draft) on a cross-revealing word structure

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Course 4 (PhD): '''Sensus Plenior and Apostolic Method

Course Description: This seminar evaluates the apostolic use of the Old Testament as a model of Spirit-led hermeneutics. Students will trace how the apostles interpreted Scripture through the lens of the cross and apply those patterns to uncover new sensus plenior insights.

Course Objectives:

• Identify apostolic use of the Old Testament
• Compare apostolic interpretation with modern methods
• Practice first-century midrashic methods through a rule-based system
• Distinguish between literal, spiritual, and sensus plenior readings

Topics Covered:

• Apostolic citations and cross-readings (Acts, Hebrews, Paul)
• Thematic fulfillment vs. predictive prophecy
• Symbol expansion through narrative layers
• Teaching the Emmaus method to modern learners

Assessment:

• Comparative paper: apostolic use vs modern interpretation of a passage
• Class presentations on prophetic structures found in Torah
• Final project: Emmaus-style interpretation of a pericope from the Prophets

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Course 5 (PhD/MDiv Elective): Building Symbol Databases and Validation Systems

Course Description: This course equips students to participate in building collaborative, research-grade databases of validated sensus plenior symbols. Emphasis is placed on symbol grouping, cross-referencing, validation through multiple witnesses, and tagging methods.

Course Objectives:

• Organize symbols by category and allegorical family
• Tag symbols as 📖 confirmed or 🧩 proposed
• Develop citation chains across Scripture
• Build tools for collaborative research and teaching

Topics Covered:

• Symbolic hierarchy and allegorical families
• Validation protocols using cross-textual support
• Organizing name meanings, narrative types, and recurring symbols
• Tool development: spreadsheet-to-database pipelines

Assessment:

• Create and submit a symbol dictionary in progress
• Team project: Build a searchable, documented symbol subset
• Final paper: defense of validation logic for a new symbol family

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Course 6 (PhD/MDiv Elective): AI and the Sensus Plenior: Teaching Machines to Unveil Christ

Course Description: This course explores how artificial intelligence can assist in identifying and proposing sensus plenior insights. Students will train AI systems using known rules, symbols, and structures to suggest cross-centered meanings and symbol patterns.

Course Objectives:

• Understand how to structure SP hermeneutics for machine learning
• Build and train basic AI models with known rules and symbols
• Evaluate AI outputs for theological and symbolic fidelity
• Explore the ethics of AI-assisted interpretation

Topics Covered:

• Encoding Hebrew letter meanings and gate structures into models
• Natural language processing with symbolic tagging
• Comparing human and AI-augmented analysis
• Human-in-the-loop validation systems

Assessment:

• Train a basic AI model to suggest SP interpretations
• Critique and improve AI output with theological evaluation
• Final project: AI-assisted commentary draft on a selected passage

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Course 7 (MDiv Elective): Tools for Non-Hebrew Readers: Accessing Sensus Plenior in Translation

Course Description: This course is designed for students who do not read Hebrew but want to engage deeply with the sensus plenior. Students will use curated tools and translations to access letter meanings, word formations, and symbolic patterns.

Course Objectives:

• Use tools to discover cross-symbols in English translations
• Learn the core letter meanings and word patterns without Hebrew fluency
• Utilize symbol dictionaries and guided maps
• Teach SP principles to congregations with limited biblical literacy

Topics Covered:

• Symbol lookup and mapping tools
• Reverse interlinear guides and visual aids
• Teaching sensus plenior in preaching, youth, and discipleship contexts
• Case studies: SP interpretation from English texts

Assessment:

• Exercises using English-based SP tools
• Build a sermon or lesson plan using SP insights
• Final: interpret a full pericope through sensus plenior using non-Hebrew tools

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Course 8 (MDiv): Sensus Plenior in Evangelism and Preaching

Course Description: This course trains students to use sensus plenior to proclaim Christ with clarity, authority, and beauty in evangelism and preaching. Students will learn how to present the gospel from any passage by uncovering its symbolic structure, leading hearers to the cross.

Course Objectives:

• Communicate SP insights accessibly in evangelistic settings
• Preach Christ from any passage through cross-symbols
• Develop sermon structures rooted in Hebrew narrative logic
• Restore confidence in Scripture's unity in public proclamation

Topics Covered:

• Evangelism through typology and pattern
• SP preaching without proof-texting
• Rebuilding trust in Scripture through symbolic coherence
• Case studies: OT evangelistic preaching from SP insights

Assessment:

• Evangelistic tract or message from a symbolic structure
• Preaching assignment from a difficult or obscure text
• Final project: sermon series on the cross revealed through Torah

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Course 9 (PhD/MDiv): Resolving Contradictions with Sensus Plenior

Course Description: This course addresses longstanding theological tensions and apparent contradictions in Scripture that arise from applying Greek categories to a Hebrew text. Students will use SP methods to demonstrate how many so-called contradictions are harmonized through the cross.

Course Objectives:

• Understand how Greek philosophical frameworks created interpretive conflicts
• Resolve doctrinal tensions using symbolic and structural insights
• Develop confidence in Scripture's internal consistency
• Train others to reconcile hard texts with Christ-centered integrity

Topics Covered:

• Grace vs. law, justice vs. mercy, sovereignty vs. free will
• Contradictions in Proverbs, Torah law, and Gospel harmonies
• SP reading as reconciliation of paradox
• Historical overview of theological confusion via non-Hebraic lenses

Assessment:

• Analytical essay on a major doctrinal tension
• Teaching session resolving a difficult text using SP
• Final paper or presentation: resolving three contradictions via cross-symbols

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Course 10 (PhD): Balaamisms and the Doctrines of the Judaizers

Course Description: This seminar investigates Balaam-type teachings (subtle corruption of truth) and Judaizing doctrines (adding law to grace) in Scripture and modern theology. Students will use sensus plenior to identify patterns of spiritual compromise and legalism within biblical texts and church history.

Course Objectives:

• Identify patterns of idolatry, corruption and deception
• Analyze how Balaamisms have crept into the church
• Distinguish grace-based interpretation from legalistic distortions
• Apply insights to correct contemporary false teachings

Topics Covered:

• Korah (lost their first love), Nicloaitans (conquerors of the laity), Balaam, and Judaisers as types of spiritual corruption
• Judaizing tendencies in Acts, Galatians, and modern theology
• SP reading of Levitical law through the cross
• Patterns of internal rebellion vs. spiritual purity

Assessment:

• Case study analysis of modern Balaam-like doctrine
• Research paper on legalism patterns within Scripture
• Final presentation: SP-based framework to guard against false teaching

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Note: Electives and independent studies available in:

• Symbol validation techniques
• Hebrew poetic structure and sensus plenior
• Teaching sensus plenior in cross-cultural contexts

Sensus plenior