Hybrid Online Certificate

The Certificate in Theology and Health Care (C.T.H.C.) invites practicing clinicians to be formed intellectually, relationally, and spiritually for faithful healing work.

The Certificate in Theology and Health Care

The Certificate in Theology and Health Care (C.T.H.C.) equips clinicians for a lifetime of wise and faithful healing work — combining theological formation, spiritual practices, mentorship, and a community of like-minded colleagues, in a flexible format designed for working clinicians.

The Hybrid C.T.H.C. includes two one-week residencies at Duke University and eight months of online learning. It is offered in two tracks: the Health Care Track and the Mental Health Track.

Which track is right for me?

The Health Care Track is designed for those working in general medical contexts — including trainees or practitioners of medicine, nursing, occupational and physical therapy, and other health care professions
The Mental Health Track is designed for those working in mental health contexts — including trainees or practitioners in social work, clinical psychology, marriage and family therapy, psychiatric nursing, counseling, psychiatry, and licensed addiction counseling

What You'll Gain

Participants who complete the program will receive the Certificate in Theology and Health Care as well as academic credit (six courses) that can be applied toward any master’s degree at Duke Divinity School. More importantly, you will gain skills as you reflect on how Christianity matters for your work in health care or mental health care, discerning practical steps you can take to bring greater alignment between your faith and your work.

Attention

Health care is often so rushed and pressured that it is difficult to pay attention — to ourselves, to our patients and colleagues, to the institutions that govern our work, and especially to God. This program cultivates practices for noticing and responding to the presence of God and the movement of the Holy Spirit in the midst of health care practice.

Articulacy

Modern health care disciplines are at most 200 years old. Christians have inherited thousands of years of profound reflection on what it means to be human and to confront illness and death in a world that God loves. You will find language within the Bible and Christian tradition to describe what health care is for, how and why it is broken, and what is good and beautiful about caring for those who are sick and suffering.

Agency

Far too many clinicians feel burned out and unable to act with purpose and integrity. In this program you will practice discerning what is genuinely worthwhile — and then act toward that purpose with clarity, courage, and joy.

Andrew Kim wearing glasses, a grey blazer and a navy tie

The hybrid CTHC program has deepened my love for God, people, and medicine. Engaging with matters of healing and suffering - through the wisdom of learned thinkers and the insights of my cohort - has become a formative practice I will carry with me throughout my vocation.

The Certificate in Theology and Health Care is designed for those who:

Are practicing clinicians and want to invest one year in theological formation without stepping away from their work.
Want to think critically and theologically about the moral and spiritual questions that attend suffering, illness, disability, and the dynamics shaping American health care.
Believe Christian tradition should matter for how health care is practiced and how churches respond to health and illness.
Want to invest in formation that will shape their imagination and practice for years to come.
Want to be equipped as interpreters between health care institutions and the church.

Program Design

The Hybrid C.T.H.C. is designed to work around the schedules of practicing clinicians. Along with two one-week immersive residencies at Duke University — one in August and one in January — students complete eight months of synchronous and asynchronous online learning together.

Format

Two one-week in-person residencies at Duke University (August and January), each including a half-day spiritual formation retreat
Weekly synchronous online class sessions with asynchronous coursework during fall and spring semesters

The program is designed to be completed in one academic year. Because community is central to the experience, we strongly encourage students to complete all requirements within that year. Students who anticipate scheduling challenges are encouraged to contact us before applying.

All Health Care Track and Mental Health Track students take:

Cultivating Christian Imagination I & II (fall and spring semesters)
A two-semester course offering a sweeping tour of Christian tradition and the practices of Christian communities, combining Scripture, theology, and church history.

Spiritual Formation and Vocation to Health Care I & II (fall and spring semesters)
A two-semester course combining reflection on Scripture, Christian spiritual practices, and mentorship, through which students discern what faithful practices look like in their own contexts.

Health Care in Theological Context I (fall semester)
A survey course engaging health, healing, illness, suffering, and disability—focusing on Jesus' healing ministry, the history of Christian innovation in health care, Christian engagement with suffering and biotechnology, Christian approaches to public health and mental health care, and the relationship between health and the creation.

Spring Semester

Health Care Track students take Health Care in Theological Context II, which engages Christian commitments at the beginning and end of life, the meaning of health and the scope of medicine, equity and justice in health care, and the ethics of the clinician-patient relationship.

Mental Health Track students take Christian Approaches to Mental Health Care, which engages Christian approaches to mind, body, creatureliness, and personhood; the history of Christian innovation in mental health care; the relationship of Christian thought to modern psychology and psychotherapy; and a holistic Christian theology of mental health. Mental Health Track students are also matched with a mental health clinician mentor for regular meetings throughout the year.

Electives 

While there are no elective requirements for the C.T.H.C., students may take one in-person or hybrid elective at Duke Divinity School each semester at no additional cost. The 6-8 courses completed in the C.T.H.C. apply toward the completion of a master’s degree program for any student accepted to master’s degree program at Duke Divinity School. Those working full-time are discouraged from taking more than the three required courses per semester.

Applications are submitted through the Duke Divinity online ChooseDuke portal.

In the portal, select Divinity non-degree as your pathway
Select Theology and Healthcare (Hybrid) in the Academic Degree of Interest menu
In your statement of purpose, indicate which track you are applying for — Health Care or Mental Health

Review requirements and deadlines before applying.

Questions? We would love to hear from you. Reach out at duketmc@div.duke.edu.

Learn More About the Program

Learn more about our flexible programs, and how they can help you set your work in health care on a Christian foundation.

Faithful Practice & Public Witness: Hybrid Certificate in Theology in Health Care

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Recommend a Prospective Student

Recommend a prospective student for our TMC Fellowship or Certificate program. Contact us with the name and short description, including current position and institution, for the student you are recommending.

The Certificate in Theology and Health Care