The TMC Initiative seeks the renewal of health care by bringing in-depth theological formation to the church’s health care practitioners. TMC creates opportunities for students, clergy, and health care practitioners to reimagine and to re-engage contemporary practices of health care in light of Christian tradition and the practices of Christian communities. We do this through formational programs, fellowship, public events and lectures, and a growing network of Christian health care workers. 

About TMC

Learn more about the heart behind the Theology, Medicine, and Culture Initiative from our faculty, staff, and alumni.

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TMC Formational Programs

TMC offers both residential and hybrid online formational programs at Duke Divinity School. These programs are open to current and future students in any of the health professions, as well as practicing clinicians and health care administrators.
TMC Fellowship
Our residential fellowship program is aimed at current and future practitioners in any of the health professions, as well as those whose vocations involve full-time work in health-related contexts. The fellowship can be completed in 1 year (by completing the Certificate in Theology and Health Care (R-CTHC) or in 2 years (by completing the Master of Theological Studies (M.T.S.).
Hybrid Online Certificate
Our hybrid online programs are aimed at clinicians and others whose vocations involve full-time work in health-related contexts (including public health workers, hospital administrators, therapists, and counselors). Our hybrid online program can be completed in 1 year, through the Certificate in Theology and Health Care (H-CTHC). In this flexible hybrid format, students come together for two separate weeks in person at Duke University and then join for eight months of online learning.
Dual Degrees & Programs
Our dual degrees and programs with the Duke School of Medicine include 1-year and 2-year options with the Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) program; and an option that integrates with the Occupational Therapy Doctorate (O.T.D.) 3-year program.
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Harrison Hines smiling wearing a grey blazer, white shirt, and yellow tie

“I have experienced the TMC fellowship as a precious and undeserved gift. Even as an undergraduate student, I longed to connect my interest in becoming a physician and my christian faith. I was thrilled to come to Duke as a TMC fellow between my second and third years of medical school. Before, I felt as if I was pursuing these questions alone. Now I have a community of friends pursuing them alongside me.”

Upcoming Events

Join us for lectures, workshops, conferences, and more.
Fri, Nov 14, 2025 | 12 - 1pm | Zoom

TMC Virtual Seminar Series Fall 2025

The Theology, Medicine, and Culture Initiative's semi-monthly seminars are a regular gathering of faculty, students, clinicians, and others interested in the intersections of theology, medicine, and culture. Seminars are free, offered virtually in the fall and spring semesters, and provide opportunities for continuing education for attendees.

Fri, Nov 14, 2025 | 12 - 1pm | Zoom

On Dignity and Suffering in Life's Eleventh Hour

In this dynamic, engaging conversation, Dr. Puri will be in conversation with TMC Faculty about the ways that spiritual dimensions of life and death shape how people think about what matters most—and what doesn't—as they face their mortality.

Fri, Nov 14, 2025 | 4 - 6pm | Duke Divinity School AMCR

2025 Payne Lecture in Faith, Justice, and Health Care

The 2025 Payne Lecture in Faith, Justice, and Health Care will host Keisha L. Bentley-Edward, PhD., as this year's awardee and distinguished lecturer. Dr. Bentley-Edwards explores the intersection of race, gender, and religion in shaping health outcomes. Her presentation is titled "Black Women’s Religion and Their Health: When Individual and Institutional Factors Intersect."

News & Features

To Be With: TMC Fellow Serves as Spiritual Care Intern at Lawndale Christian Health Center
August 27, 2025
Jordan DeVeaux, M.Div., '25, drafted a job description for a role that didn’t exist, and it led her to a year’s work with Lawndale Christian Health Center. Learn how she was shaped by the opportunity.
Healing, Faith, and the Call to More: How Duke’s Hybrid CTHC Shaped Six Vocational Journeys
August 26, 2025
Read the stories of six Hybrid CTHC alumni, how they were changed by studying with TMC, and what led them to continue their studies at Duke in degree-seeking programs.
From Detached Concern to Love: Reconsidering Physician-Patient Boundaries
August 1, 2025
Academic Medicine
Anjola Onadipe and Farr Curlin argue that by shifting their emphasis from detached concern to love, medical educators can re-enchant medicine for trainees by encouraging the human connections that make the practice of medicine its own reward.

Support Our Work

Your gift supports our work as we seek the renewal of health care by bringing in-depth theological formation to the church’s health care practitioners.