MHS – School of Mission and Theology

Tradition

MHS – School of Mission and Theology was founded in 1843 and is the third oldest institution of higher learning in Norway, next to the Norwegian Military Academy (1750) and the University of Oslo (1811). In spite of being an old institution, it has a radical scholarly tradition. It was the first institution of higher learning in Norway to admit students from Africa (from the 1860s), and it was also a pioneer in enabling students from poor layers of society here in Norway to become pastors.

Vision

MHS – School of Mission and Society is conscious of its heritage: a nearly two hundred years old institution with a nearly two thousand years old message. Still, we create knowledge and understanding and train professionals and scholars for the twenty-first century.

Scholarly profile

MHS – School of Mission and Theology is operating in the interface between local and global challenges: local challenges as we encounter them in a Norwegian village or an African metropolis, and global challenges as we encounter them in current international structures and tendencies. MHS offers our generation’s interpretation of the Great Commission of the church into a multicultural Norway and a global world, with a special focus on understanding and communication across cultural and religious borders.

Study programmes

MHS – School of Mission and Theology offers a broad spectrum of courses and study programmes, which can roughly be divided in two:

  • Theology and Christian Studies: Bachelor programmes (Theology, Bible Translation), Master programmes (Theology, Global Studies), Ph.D. programme (Theology).
  • Religious and Cultural Studies: Bachelor Programmes (Religion and Intercultural Studies), Master Programmes (Global Studies).

Research

MHS – School of Mission and Theology has a research profile that reflects the school’s general focus on the global missional calling of the church. In addition to a large number of individual research projects, staff members are directing several multinational and multi-institutional research projects. As far as recruitment of new researchers is concerned, the school emphasizes the need to train female scholars, both for the school itself and for its international partners.

Organisation

MHS – School of Mission and Theology has around 300 students, including around 50 Master’s students and 20 Ph.D. students. The school has 39 employees, including 24 in academic positions.

MHS – School of Mission and Theology has four departments:

  • Department of Education and Research
  • Department of Study Administration
  • Department of Administration
  • Department of Documentation and Library

The Mission Archives – with valuable collections of texts (from the 1820s) and pictures (from the 1860s) – is part of the Department of Documentation and Library, and includes the historical archives of the Norwegian Missionary Society and a number of other mission organizations. The Mission Archives attracts international as well as Norwegian researchers and it participates in international research and documentation projects.

MHS – School of Mission and Theology is a joint owner – together with the Norwegian Missionary Society – of Centre of Intercultural Communication (SIK).

MHS – School of Mission and Theology is owned by the Norwegian Missionary Society (NMS), with the National Board of the NMS acting as the General Assembly of the MHS.