B.S. in Biblical StudiesDiscover the Heart
and Soul of God's Word

Students have the opportunity to travel abroad to Greece or Israel and Palestinian territories. Led by Cornerstone professors, our two-week Israel Experience study tour meets a course requirement and offers you in-depth, on-site learning experiences at places such as Jerusalem, Judea, the Coastal Plain, the Negev, the Dead Sea, the Jordan Valley and Galilee.

As a biblical studies major, you have the opportunity to qualify for advanced standing at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. This gives you the option to apply up to 24 of your bachelor’s degree credits toward a master’s degree in divinity, ministry, biblical studies or counseling. This is a useful way to complete up to 25% of your master’s degree before graduating from Cornerstone.

The biblical studies program reflects our commitment to developing students’ knowledge, skills and attitudes in five distinct yet interconnected areas.

Specialized Knowledge

Demonstrate knowledge of the content of the Bible and relevant ancient primary literature.

• Recognize literary genres of the Bible.
• Identify extra-biblical literature from the ancient Near East, prominent Mediterranean cultures (Egypt, Greece, Rome, etc.) and Jewish sources.
• Recall overarching narrative with knowledge of major religious movements within the Bible and its characters.

Applied Knowledge and Collaborative Learning

Develop both exegetical and hermeneutical skills relevant to practical theology.

• Employ exegetical methods on biblical texts with sensitivity to their literary and historical-cultural contexts.
• Prepare models of praxis from exegesis and theology that relate biblical texts to the modern cultural context.
• Demonstrate the skill of outlining both ancient and modern texts, as means of summarizing and classifying an author’s thesis and support.
• Compose formal written reports based on exegetical research in accordance with Turabian style.
• Discover, analyze and synthesize research into critical commentaries and scholarly journals.

Intellectual Skills

Demonstrate your ability to integrate both traditional and non-traditional cognitive skills, including analytical inquiry, information literacy, quantitative fluency and communicative fluency.

Civic and Global Learning

Demonstrate intercultural competence in addressing civic, social, environmental and economic issues.

Biblical Worldview Integration

Articulate a Christ-centered worldview and its personal, professional and communal embodiment through Christian virtues.