Course work
Core Syllabi for MDiv and PhD Programs[edit | edit source]
Under construction. Course outlines will solidify as the start of the class approaches.
Course 1 (MDiv): '''Introduction to Sensus Plenior Hermeneutics [edit | edit source]
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
Course 2 (MDiv): '''Patterns, Symbols, and the Voice of God [edit | edit source]
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
Course 3 (PhD): '''Advanced Word Formations and Structural Prophecy [edit | edit source]
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
Course 4 (PhD): '''Sensus Plenior and Apostolic Method [edit | edit source]
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
Course 5 (PhD/MDiv Elective): Building Symbol Databases and Validation Systems [edit | edit source]
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
Course 6 (PhD/MDiv Elective): AI and the Sensus Plenior: Teaching Machines to Unveil Christ [edit | edit source]
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
Course 7 (MDiv Elective): Tools for Non-Hebrew Readers: Accessing Sensus Plenior in Translation [edit | edit source]
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
Course 8 (MDiv): Sensus Plenior in Evangelism and Preaching [edit | edit source]
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
Course 9 (PhD/MDiv): Resolving Contradictions with Sensus Plenior [edit | edit source]
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
Course 10 (PhD): Balaamisms and the Doctrines of the Judaizers [edit | edit source]
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
Note: Electives and independent studies available in:
- Symbol validation techniques
- Hebrew poetic structure and sensus plenior
- Teaching sensus plenior in cross-cultural contexts
