Certificate in Christian-Muslim Relations
As part of ACI’s commitment to promote good neighbourliness, with people of other faiths with an emphasis on the Muslim communities based on the biblical imperative of ‘Love God and Love your neighbour’ (Matthew 22:36-40), exemplified by the parable of ‘The Good Samaritan’ (Luke 10: 25-37), the Institute offers a non-credit certificate programme on Christian-Muslim relations. The programme is premised on two principles. First, that Christians must get their house in order as they seek to promote Christian constructive engagement and building relations with Muslims as people of the Islamic faith. Secondly, that for such a relationship to be fruitful and enriching, it must not be carried out in ignorance, but with an informed knowledge of the basics of the Muslim neighbour’s faith and practice. The focus on Islam and Muslims stems from the fact that Christianity and Islam currently wield the largest following in the world which ACI is part of, in Africa, which is ACI’s wider working terrain and in Ghana, which is ACI’s home base.
The programme requires a total of 69 contact hours, at three modular levels or courses: basic (18), intermediate (21) and advanced levels (30). Each level or course will be delivered with partly lecture and interactive discussions.
The Basic Level
At the Basic Level, the course is aimed at providing the basics of Islam and what Muslims believe, Guidelines on Christian-Muslim relations and Christian witness in an interfaith environment of Christians and Muslims that respects the spirit of good neighbourliness. These topical issues are expected to stimulate discussions on the Islamic faith, what Christians need to understand and work towards building community constructive relations, and how Christian witness which is a Christian mandate can be carried out without violating peace in society and peaceful co-existence between Christians and Muslims in particular, and people of other religions in general. Ultimately, it is expected that students will be transformed in their personal understanding and attitude toward Muslims.
Certificate in African Christian Creation Care Studies
The ACI certificate programme in African Christian Creation Care Studies (ACCCS) is designed to enhance daily practice of Christian faith and life regarding our moral relationships with the environment. It thus provides tools and skills for Christians who are self-motivated to care for creation in the African cultural context as Christian witness. The programme, therefore, focuses on the Church’s witness as part of God’s mission in and to the environment. Then, it provides training to transform and equip Christian workers in both church and parachurch organisations that are concerned about keeping the Earth ongoing as one home but with many interrelationships. This is to be done as a faithful duty for our home in which we live and do mission.
The ACCCS programme requires a total of 69 contact hours, at three modular levels: basic (18), intermediate (21) and advanced (30). Each level will partly be by lectures and partly by interactive discussions.
The Basic Level
For many years, science, engineering, policy, law, and economics were considered indispensable for understanding and resolving environmental problems, based on American and European views that God does not matter in our experience of the world. We now have abundant knowledge from these disciplines about environmental issues, but still not sufficient moral will to engage in long-term change for the wellbeing of people and other creatures living on the Earth. There is a growing realization that religion, spirituality, ethics, and values can make important contributions, in collaboration with science and policy, to address the many-headed and difficult happenings in the environment. The Basic Level course shall examine those contributions, particularly from African perspectives, acknowledging both the problems and promises of religions, and specifically through the Bible, in creation care.
It is the aim that the Basic Level of the ACCCS helps students to:
- identify environmental problems of concern to the world, Africa and Ghana and their causes.
- understand why Christians need and so endeavor to be involved in concert with other religious traditions for creation care in daily Christian life.
Certificate in Christian Mission and Evangelism
The Certificate in Christian Mission and Evangelism programme progressively equips students with the necessary tools, skills, and ideas for Christian mission particularly in the areas of evangelism towards conversion, discipling of new believers, and developing a community of believers. The programme will engage biblical tools, theological and practical issues related to historical and contemporary forms of missions and evangelism, discipleship, Church planting and Church growth, among others.
The programme requires a total of 69 contact hours, at three modular levels: basic (18), intermediate (21) and advanced (30). Each level will partly be by lectures and partly by interactive discussions.
The Basic Level
At the Basic Level, the course is aimed at providing initial insight into the whole Christian idea of mission from biblical and historical perspectives, and the role of evangelism in Christian mission. It also focusses on biblical tools and practical discussion of historical and contemporary forms of evangelism. Students at this level would be engaged in discussion of ideas and practices intended to transform students’ personal understanding and attitude toward the concept of Christian mission and evangelism.