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Theological education can be daunting, but we are here to help you step into it confidently. Below are some answers to frequently asked questions to clarify what studying with KEDS involves.

Why Study Theology?

Key Benefits

Time and Experience
Bible college provides crucial time for personal growth, helping students discern their suitability for ministry and gaining wisdom that enhances their future impact.
Deeper Understanding
Students engage deeply with Scripture and theology, developing informed positions on key issues, which strengthens their faith and prepares them for real-world challenges.
Social Connections
Attending Bible college exposes students to diverse Christian perspectives, fostering relationships and teaching them to engage lovingly with differing views.
Lay Ministry Development
Bible college also serves laypeople seeking to integrate their faith into their professional lives, fulfilling a need for systematic biblical education that many churches lack.

Key Reasons to Study

Hear Dr. Vantassel explain three reasons to study theology:

First, to serve the church.

Second, to think God’s thoughts after him.

Third, to deepen our love for God.

Other FAQs

Questions about Study

For the Knowing Your Bible and Jewish-Christian Studies programmes, book requirements are minimal. Most of the reading for these modules is provided via the eCampus, though you may be expected to buy several titles. If taking a stand-alone language module such as Hebrew or Greek you will be expoected to buy the relevant textbook(s).

KEDS provides a great deal of reading resources online via full-text journal packages, as well as providing students with details on how to access other reading materials. The school encourages students to buy titles which will not only serve them during their study time at KEDS but that will also continue to be valuable study tools after graduation.

It is up to individual students. Most study a module at a time, however in the case of language modules these are usually studied at the same time as one or more other modules because of the ongoing time involved studying a language.

Questions about the KYB Programme

All Knowing Your Bible modules are assessed on a continuous basis. This means you submit written work for each module then progress to the next. There are no examinations.

Don’t let a lack of schooling or recent formal studies deter you – helpful tutorial support is available for all students, regardless of academic background.

Assignments are shorter than for other courses we offer, while the focus of the course is on biblical knowledge, understanding and developing Bible study skills, rather than developing advanced writing skills normally associated with a degree programme.

The minimum requirement is completion of two modules per year. On average a module can be completed with approximately 2-3 hours of study per week over 16 weeks (although circumstances differ from individual to individual).

The course is entirely flexible, allowing you to organise your studies to suit your personal situation.

Access to the eCampus (including a database of full-text theological articles, forum and other resources), all the materials for the first KYB1 module, which includes audio and video talks and lectures, reading assignments, and access to the KYB1 tutor.

Questions about Beliefs and Philosophy of Education

Yes. Although KEDS is a confessional, Evangelical school drawing on students from across the Evangelical spectrum, non-Evangelicals are welcome to study at the school, providing they are suitably respectful of and do not promote views contrary to our orthodox, historic and mainstream Evangelical values and beliefs.

KEDS specialises in Biblical Studies and Hermeneutics (biblical interpretation). The aim is to equip students to engage with, analyse and interpret faithfully individual passages in the Bible before exploring wider biblical theology issues.

This focus on biblical theology as studies progress is a primary focus of the school, allowing students to develop in-depth knowledge and understanding of the Bible to equip them to reach theological conclusions for themselves based on their interpretation of the Bible, rather than the other way around (i.e. approaching biblical interpretation having already reached confessional conclusions or bringing theological presuppositions to, which may impact and influence, the hermeneutical task).

Theological presuppositions, of course, are inevitable. For example, the majority of students who come to King’s do so because we are an Evangelical school with a high view of Scripture and presuppositions about revelation and inspiration. Nonetheless, insofar as possible, students are encouraged to ditch their presuppositions and engage with the text in as neutral manner as possible to reach inductive theological conclusions.

No. As a school specialising in biblical studies and hermeneutics students are encouraged to engage with a range of modern translations and ancient sources. We do not promote one Bible version over another, though several modules explore the whole issue of transmission of the text and how some versions are more faithful and accurate than others.

The term “biblical theology’ can be understood in several ways. Here at King’s we use the term in two distinct ways: 1) biblical theology as an interpretive method, that is, interpreting individual passages, texts, Bible books and genres in light of the whole canonical narrative, and 2) a purely biblical systematic theology, as opposed to some approaches to systematic theology which draw on extra-biblical influences, for example philosophy, to create a systematic theology.

The value of canonical interpretation is immense for the student engaged in hermeneutics. A “big picture” brings considerable clarity to the interpretation of some parts of the Bible. Meanwhile, a systematic biblical theology ensure students are fully conversant with the theology of the Bible before going on to explore other aspects of theology that may have been influenced by nonbiblical sources.

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