Seminary Now
Seminary Now is an on-demand, subscription-based educational platform for pastors and lay church leaders created in partnership with IVP. These video courses and certification programs deliver exclusive biblical, theological, and practical ministry training from a diverse group of leading educators and thought leaders, including many IVP authors. Accessible and convenient, Seminary Now courses cover practical ministry subjects like preaching, evangelism, mental health, racial reconciliation, women in ministry, and more.
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Courses Currently Available
Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership
With this painful admission, Ruth Haley Barton, author of Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership, invites us to an honest exploration of what happens when spiritual leaders lose track of their souls. Each session includes guidance in spiritual practices that help you forge and maintain a life-giving connection with God because the best thing you bring to leadership is your own transforming self.
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Faithful Antiracism
by Christina Barland Edmondson and Chad Brennan
In Faithful Antiracism, Christina Barland Edmondson and Chad Brennan offer clear analysis and interventions to challenge and resist racism. Drawing on brand-new research from the landmark Race, Religion, and Justice Project led by Michael Emerson and others, this video course represents the most comprehensive study on Christians and race in the last 20 years. Faithful Antiracism will equip you to move past talk and enter the fight against racism in both practical and hopeful ways.
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Introducing Paul
by Michael Bird
This course is an animated and penetrating survey of Paul's life and teaching. Blending life and study, Michael Bird aims to get us excited about reading Paul's letters, sharing his gospel and living the Christian life the way he thought it should be lived. For beginning students and laypeople, this course is a valuable entrance into the contemporary study of Paul.
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Canoeing the Mountains
Drawing from his extensive experience as a pastor and consultant, Tod Bolsinger brings decades of expertise in guiding churches and organizations through uncharted territory. He offers a combination of illuminating insights and practical tools to help you reimagine what effective leadership looks like in our rapidly changing world.
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Tempered Resilience
What type of leadership is needed in a moment that demands adaptive change? Tod Bolsinger is uniquely positioned to explore the qualities of adaptive leadership in contexts ranging from churches to nonprofit organizations. He deftly examines both the external challenges we face and the internal resistance that holds us back.
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Church Forsaken
Jonathan Brooks, author of Church Forsaken, challenges local churches to rediscover that loving our neighbors means loving our neighborhoods. Unpacking the themes of Jeremiah 29, he shows how Christians can be fully present in local communities and join in God's work in neglected neighborhoods.
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Evangelism: Sharing the Big Story
by James Choung
“Is our gospel too small?” In this engaging course on evangelism, James Choung, author of True Story, presents a way of talking about the gospel that acknowledges that Christ's sacrifice on the cross offers believers more than just a ticket to heaven.
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World Christian History
by Derek Cooper
Christianity is a global faith, extending far beyond Europe and North America, permeating the Eastern and Southern hemispheres. A vast untold story waits to be heard beyond the familiar tale of how the Christian faith spread across Europe. In this introduction to world Christian history, Derek Cooper explores the development of Christianity across time and the continents.
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Introduction to the General Epistles
In this course, Dr. David deSilva unpacks the themes and message of the letters of James; 1 and 2 Peter; 1, 2, and 3 John; and Jude, commonly known as the “General Epistles.” Dr. deSilva explains the historical setting and context of each letter, highlighting what these apostolic figures wanted to communicate to their original audience.
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Together in Ministry
by Rob Dixon
In this course, Rob Dixon, Lisa Rodriguez-Watson, and Layla Van Gerpen provide a model for how to develop flourishing mixed-gender ministry partnerships. Together, they highlight the importance of having an authentic learner’s posture, examine a theology of gender equality, discuss barriers to mixed-gender partnerships, and show how to value differences.
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A Biblical and Personal Exploration of Evil
by Ingrid Faro
Ingrid Faro explores the many dimensions to evil. Soberly honest, biblically engaged, and theologically nuanced, Demystifying Evil examines the power of evil to disrupt and fragment our lives and tempt us to collude with it.
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Rethinking Incarceration
Dominique Gilliard, author of Rethinking Incarceration, explores the history of mass incarceration. Examining Christianity's role in its evolution and expansion, this course shows how Christians can pursue justice that restores and reconciles.
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Is Christianity the White Man's Religion
In this sweeping examination of Christianity, Antipas L. Harris, author of Is Christianity the White Man's Religion?, responds to a list of hot topics from young Americans who struggle with the perception that Christianity is detached from matters of justice, identity, and culture.
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Ten Practical Ways to a Better Sermon
by Mary Hulst
Mary Hulst, author of A Little Handbook for Preachers, knows what it takes to preach well. In this uniquely practical course, Hulst provides foundational concepts and tips that all pastors can use, whether they are ministry newcomers or seasoned professionals.
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Bearing God's Name
Carmen Joy Imes, author of Bearing God's Name, argues that we've misunderstood the command about "taking the Lord's name in vain." Instead, Imes says that this command is really about "bearing God's name," a theme that continues throughout the rest of Scripture.
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Being God's Image
What does it mean to be human? The Bible offers truths for the flourishing of all creation. In this course, Carmen Joy Imes seeks to recover the theologically rich message of the creation narratives starting in the book of Genesis as they illuminate what it means to be human.
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New Testament Backgrounds
by Craig Keener
To understand and apply the Bible well, you need to understand the cultural background of the passage you're reading. Craig Keener is one of the leading New Testament scholars on Jewish, Greek and Roman culture. Based on decades of in-depth study, this accessible video course is valuable for pastors, missionaries, students, and everyday Bible readers seeking to deepen their study of Scripture.
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Empowering Women in Ministry
Pastor Tara Beth Leach, author of Emboldened, issues a stirring call for women in ministry: to teach, to preach, to shepherd, and to lead. She provides practical expertise for how women can find their place at the table, escape impostor syndrome, mentor others, and more.
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Advocating with Survivors of Sexual Violence
by Nikole Lim
Documentary filmmaker and survivor advocate Nikole Lim, author of Liberation is Here, teaches us how to listen to and learn from survivors of sexual violence. Challenged by the stories of survivors who dreamed of building a better world, she realized that simply capturing the story was insufficient. The women she met were inviting her into their audacious vision that equips survivors not just to survive but to thrive.
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Old Testament Essentials
In this course professor Tremper Longman, author of Old Testament Essentials, offers strategies for understanding each type of Old Testament writing, including history, prophecy, poetry, wisdom, and apocalyptic. This comprehensive overview will enrich your knowledge and deepen your faith.
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Reading While Black
In this course Esau McCaulley, author of Reading While Black, calls the church to a dynamic theological engagement with Scripture, in which Christians of diverse backgrounds dialogue with their own social location as well as the cultures of others.
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Roadmap to Reconciliation
We see injustice and inequality all around us. But how, exactly, does one reconcile? Based on her extensive work with churches and organizations, Rev. Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil, author of Roadmap to Reconciliation, shows us how to take the next step into unity, wholeness, and justice.
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The Mosaic of Christian Belief
by Roger Olson
In this course Roger Olson, author of The Mosaic of Christian Belief, thematically traces the contours of Christian belief down through the ages, revealing a pattern of both unity and diversity.
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Reading and Living the Bible Well
by Glenn Paauw
In this course, Glenn Paauw explains how the Bible has become divorced from its literary and historical context, leading to misinterpretation and a "narrow, individualistic and escapist view of salvation." Rather than being a culture-shaping force, the Bible has become a database of quick and easy answers to life's troubling questions. Paauw introduces us to seven understandings of the Bible as steps to recovering one deeply engaged Bible.
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Worship and the World to Come
How is hope both expressed and experienced in contemporary worship? In this video series, pastor, theologian, and songwriter Glenn Packiam explores what Christians sing about when they sing about hope and what kind of hope they experience when they worship together. Through his analysis and reflection, we find that Christian worship is crucial to both the proclamation and the formation of Christian hope.
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Soul Care in African American Practice
In this course, soul care director Barbara Peacock illustrates a journey of prayer, spiritual direction, and soul care from an African American perspective. She reflects on how these disciplines are woven into the African American culture and lived out in the rich heritage of its faith community. Using examples of ten significant men and women, Barbara offers us the opportunity to engage in practices of soul care as we learn from these spiritual leaders.
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Rediscovering Scripture's Vision for Women
Does God call women to serve as equal partners in marriage and as leaders in the church? The answer to this straightforward question is deeply contested. In this course, Lucy Peppiatt offers her work on interpretation of the Bible and Christian practice. With careful exegetical work, Peppiatt considers relevant passages in Ephesians, Colossians, 1 Peter, 1 Timothy, and 1 Corinthians.
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The Church's Western Cultural Captivity
Changing demographics mean that North American society will accelerate its diversity in terms of race, ethnicity and culture. But evangelicalism has long been held captive by its predominantly white cultural identity and history. In this course professor and pastor Soong-Chan Rah calls the North American church to escape its captivity to Western cultural trappings and to embrace a new evangelicalism that is diverse and multiethnic.
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Stewards of Eden
Does our rule of faith and praxis—our Bible—speak to the issue of environmental concern? Sandra Richter, author of Stewards of Eden, shows that the stewardship of this planet is not alien or peripheral to the message of the gospel.
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Brown Church
Robert Chao Romero, author of Brown Church, explores the "Brown Church" and how this movement appeals to the vision for redemption that includes not only heavenly promises but also the transformation of our lives and the world.
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Beyond Colorblind
by Sarah Shin
Sarah Shin, author of Beyond Colorblind, reveals how our broken ethnic stories can be restored and redeemed, demonstrating God's power and bringing good news to the world. Discover how your ethnic story can be transformed for compelling witness and mission.
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The Enneagram Journey
Enneagram expert Suzanne Stabile teaches that you don’t have to stay the way you are—you can get better at being who you are. Your personality can be in charge of you, or you can be in charge of your personality. This course promotes a journey of transformation and will help you understand yourself better, as well as the people you work with and walk beside.
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A Clinical and Biblical Perspective on Mental Illness
Matthew Stanford, author of Grace for the Afflicted, discusses the appropriate role of psychology and psychiatry in the life of the believer. Describing common mental disorders, Stanford probes what science says and what the Bible says about each illness.
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Rediscipling the White Church
In this powerful course, Pastor David Swanson, author of Rediscipling the White Church contends that discipleship, not diversity, lies at the heart of our white churches' racial brokenness. Before white churches can pursue diversity, he argues, we must first take steps to address the faulty discipleship that has led to our segregation in the first place.
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John Calvin: His Life and Theology
In this course, Reformed theologian Yudha Thianto introduces you to John Calvin. You’ll learn about his historical significance and come to appreciate his heart and passion for ministry as Dr. Thianto provides an overview of the key events in Calvin’s life.
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The Soul of Desire
In this course, Thompson weaves together neuroscience and spiritual formation to open up new horizons for thinking not only about the nature of the mind, but about what it means to be human.
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The Soul of Shame
Psychiatrist Curt Thompson unpacks the soul of shame, revealing its ubiquitous nature and neurobiological roots. He also provides the theological and practical tools necessary to dismantle shame, based on years of researching its damaging effects and counseling people to overcome those wounds.
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The Next Worship
We live in a time of unprecedented intercultural exchange, where our communities welcome people from around the world. How do we help our congregations navigate the journey? Sandra Maria Van Opstal, author of The Next Worship, shows how worship leaders can set the table and welcome worshipers from every tribe and tongue.
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The Lost World of Genesis One
by John Walton
John Walton, author of The Lost World of Genesis One, presents a literary and theological understanding of Genesis 1 within the context of the ancient Near Eastern world and unpacks its implications for our modern scientific understanding of origins.
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Old Testament Backgrounds
by John Walton
God communicated to and through the Bible's authors, and into their context. Background studies can give us better access to the intentions of the authors. This course provides historical, social and cultural background for understanding the Old Testament. Expert scholar and Old Testament professor John Walton makes the Old Testament more accessible for ordinary readers.
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Liturgy of the Ordinary
In the overlooked moments and routines of our day, we can become aware of God's presence in surprising ways. How do we embrace the sacred in the ordinary and the ordinary in the sacred? Anglican priest Tish Harrison Warren, author of Liturgy of the Ordinary, invites us into her home and life. Framed around one ordinary day, this course explores daily life through the lens of liturgy, small practices, and habits that form us.
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