Instructor Acknowledgement: Dr. Christina Larsen
By Jaerden Willingham
College of Theology Student Worker
Dr. Christina Larsen is a full-time faculty for Grand Canyon University’s College of Theology and Seminary. We got the chance to talk to Dr. Larsen about some of her classes and the importance behind gaining a deeper understanding. Read on to hear about all she had to say!
Tell us about yourself.
I was born in Minnesota, grew up in Florida, went to college in California and attended graduate school in Scotland. Having just moved to Phoenix a few summers ago, I’m finally beginning to learn what life is like away from the water!
Why is understanding and knowledge important to ministry and theology?
Well, first, one might say that knowledge and understanding are vital to ministry because, in order to minister, one must have a sense of the needs one is addressing and how to address them. If we want to care for one another in light of the good news we have in Christ, we need to be both clear about what the good news is (and isn’t) and what sort of freedom follows from it.
Secondly, one might say that knowledge and understanding are vital to theology because theology is talk about God (and all things in relation to God). Given that the scope of this talk is what can be known and understood about God, a theology with neither knowledge nor understanding doesn’t fulfill its end particularly well.
Tell us about courses in seminary that present the concept of “A Deeper Understanding.”
I’m currently teaching Theology I, Theology of Worship and Christian Doctrines. They are very much focused on developing students’ understandings of Christian truth. While this development is no doubt difficult, the classes should ultimately not discourage but rather encourage Christian hope!
It is our hope that the words and career of Dr. Larsen will inspire others to pursue a mindset of gaining deeper understandings in both a local and international ministry. To learn more about the College of Theology, visit our website or contact us using the Request More Information form.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grand Canyon University. Any sources cited were accurate as of the publish date.