In addition to our four Honorary Doctorate Degrees in Biblical Studies (DBS), Divinity (DD), Theology (Th.D) and Pastoral Care (Ph.D).

The Universal Life Church World Headquarters offers earned Doctorate certificate, non-accredited degree programs in Biblical Studies (DBS), Divinity (DD), Theology (Th.D) and Pastoral Care (Ph.D), with transcipts, taught by professors from accredited universities.

For successful completion, students must complete courses (available on CD or DVD) in Christianity, Catholicism, The Old Testament and The New Testament as follows:






Universal Life Church World Headquarters
Home Study Minister Certificate/Degree Program




Old Testament - Professor Amy-Jill Levine, Vanderbilt University Ph.D., Duke University


The Old Testament, or Tanakh, was written in ancient Israel over 1,000 years by many authors. What can this book teach us about the ancient Israelites? What does our faith find in new scholarly understanding? These lectures by scripture expert Professor Amy-Jill Levine introduce you to the history, religion, and literature of ancient Israel as preserved in the Old Testament, or Hebrew Bible. Professor Levine brings biblical characters and passages to life and vividly reveals the magnificent artistry suffusing the Old Testament.
Lecture Outline

1. The Early Christians and Their Literature
2. The Greco-Roman Context
3. Ancient Judaism
4. The Earliest Traditions About Jesus
5. Mark/Jesus the Suffering Son of God
6. Matthew/Jesus the Jewish Messiah
7. Luke/Jesus the Savior of the World
8. John/Jesus the Man from Heaven
9. Non-canonical Gospels
10. The Historical Jesus-Sources and Problems
11. The Historical Jesus-Solutions and Methods
12. Jesus the Apocalyptic Prophet
13. The Acts of the Apostles
14. Paul/The Man, the Mission, and the Modus Operandi
15. Paul and the Crises of His Churches?First Corinthians
16. Pauline Ethics
17. Paul's Letter to the Romans
18. Paul, Jesus, and James
19. The Deutero-Pauline Epistles
20. The Pastoral Epistles
21. The Book of Hebrews and the Rise of Christian Anti-Semitism
22. First Peter and the Persecution of the Early Christians
23. The Book of Revelation
24. Do We Have the Original New Testament?


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New Testament Professor Bart D. Ehrman, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill M.Div., Ph.D., Prin ceton Theological Seminary

Whether you consider it a book of faith or a cultural artifact, the New Testament is among the most significant writings that the world has ever known. This course sheds the light of purely historical research on the New Testament?its form, the methods of its composition, its authors and their original audiences, and the larger historical context. Mindful of the limitations imposed by the available historical evidence and methods, Professor Bart. D. Ehrman brings impressive expertise to the task of reconstructing the life of Jesus and the early Christian community.

Lecture Outline


1. The Early Christians and Their Literature
2. The Greco-Roman Context
3. Ancient Judaism
4. The Earliest Traditions About Jesus
5. Mark?Jesus the Suffering Son of God
6. Matthew?Jesus the Jewish Messiah
7. Luke/Jesus the Savior of the World
8. John/Jesus the Man from Heaven
9. Noncanonical Gospels
10. The Historical Jesus/Sources and Problems
11. The Historical Jesus/Solutions and Methods
12. Jesus the Apocalyptic Prophet
13. The Acts of the Apostles
14. Paul/The Man, the Mission, and the Modus Operandi
15. Paul and the Crises of His Churches? First Corinthians
16. Pauline Ethics
17. Paul's Letter to the Romans
18. Paul, Jesus, and James
19. The Deutero-Pauline Epistles
20. The Pastoral Epistles
21. The Book of Hebrews and the Rise of Christian Anti-Semitism
22. First Peter and the Persecution of the Early Christians
23. The Book of Revelation
24. Do We Have the Original New Testament?


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Christian Theology - Professor Phillip Cary, Eastern University Ph.D., Yale University

Who was Jesus? Did his promise of salvation apply to everyone or only a few? How could one participate in that promise? Questions like these have long been at the heart of Christianity and have led to debate and division. In The History of Christian Theology, investigate the many responses that Christian believers, scholars, and theologians have developed over more than 2,000 years. Throughout these 36 illuminating lectures, award-winning Professor Phillip Cary reveals the power of Christianity as both an intellectual discipline and a spiritual path. Enrich your understanding of this powerful religious tradition and gain thought-provoking insights into teachings that forever changed the world.

Lecture Outline

1. What Is Theology?
2. Early Christian Proclamation
3. Pauline Eschatology
4. The Synoptic Gospels
5. The Gospel of John
6. Varieties of Early Christianity
7. The Emergence of Christian Doctrine
8. Christian Reading
9. The Uses of Philosophy
10. The Doctrine of the Trinity
11. The Doctrine of the Incarnation
12. The Doctrine of Grace
13. The Incomprehensible and the Supernatural
14. Eastern Orthodox Theology
15. Atonement and the Procession of the Spirit
16. Scholastic Theology
17. The Sacraments
18. Souls after Death
19. Luther and Protestant Theology
20. Calvin and Reformed Theology
21. Protestants on Predestination
22. Protestant Disagreements
23. Anabaptists and the Radical Reformation
24. Anglicans and Puritans
25. Baptists and Quakers
26. Pietists and the Turn to Experience
27. From Puritans to Revivalists
28. Perfection, Holiness, and Pentecostalism
29. Deism and Liberal Protestantism
30. Neo-Orthodoxy-From Kierkegaard to Barth
31. Evangelicalism and Fundamentalism
32. Protestantism after Modernity
33. Cat holic Theologies of Grace
34. Catholic Mystical Theology
35. From Vatican I to Vatican II
36. Vatican II and Ecumenical Prospects


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The Catholic Church: A History - Professor William R. Cook, State University of New York at Geneseo Ph.D., Cornell University

Explore the vast and fascinating history of one of the most influential institutions in the world with The Catholic Church: A History. In 36 informative and engaging lectures, follow the development of this powerful religious force throughout the centuries and witness its ability to move armies, inspire saints, and shape the lives and spirits of its more than 1 billion members. With noted historian and Professor William R. Cook, you'll quickly realize why no understanding of Western civilization is complete without an understanding of the Catholic Church.

Lecture Outline

1. From Jesus to the Creation of the Church
2. The First Christian Institutions
3. Christianities in the Early Church
4. Persecution and Saints
5. Peace between Empire and Church
6. Institutional and Doctrinal Developments
7. Latin Theology, Including Augustine
8. Popes and Bishops in the Early Middle Ages
9. Monasticism/Benedict and His Rule
10. Evangelizing Northern and Eastern Europe
11. The Germanization of Christianity
12. Charlemagne and the Church in Feudal Times
13. Monks and Hermits-New Forms of Monasticism
14. Papal Reform and Church-State Controversies
15. Crusade, Heresy, Inquisition
16. The Papacy-Innocent III to Boniface VIII
17. Francis, Dominic, and the Mendicants
18. Flowering of Church Art in the Middle Ages
19. Scholastic Thought
20. Medieval Mysticism
21. The Great Schism and the Conciliar Age
22. The Renaissance Church
23. Luther, Calvin, and the Reformation
24. Catholic Responses/The Council of Trent
25. The Jesuits
26. Catholicism in Asia and the New World
27. American Catholicism
28. The Church in the Age of Reason
29. Pius IX and Papal Infallibility
30. Leo XIII and the Modern World
31. The Eastern Catholic Churches
32. The Second Vatican Council
33. The Catholic Church Looks Outward
34. The Challenges of New Theologies
35. John Paul II and the 21st-Century Church
36. One Holy Catholic Apostolic


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Cost of each certificate/degree program which includes cost of CD or DVD, Transcipts and certificate/degree is $350.00. Please choose between: Biblical Studies (DBS), Divinity (DD), Theology (Th.D) and Pastoral Care (Ph.D) - Each course includes transcripts and degree/certificate.