Core Curriculum
TCU cultivates spirituality, intellect, character, and social engagement through a well-rounded education that integrates theory and practice in a communal learning environment. Students explore their major while building a strong academic foundation and considering their future career paths.
Introductory Courses
TCU Standard
This course is taken in the first year and emphasizes building a strong learning community, with the goal being to cultivate a Christian understanding of history, culture, and society. It lays the foundation for self-education, self-understanding, social skills, and Christian character development, all rooted in the Christian worldview on which Tokyo Christian University is founded. Additionally, it helps students develop a perspective that situates them as Christians within history, culture, and society.
Academic Reserch and Writing
This course equips students with the skills to read, analyze, and evaluate nonfiction sources and present their findings in well-structured, properly documented research papers. Emphasizing the discovery and critical evaluation of sources, students will develop essential research abilities while refining their academic writing.
As an introduction to the craft of research, this course familiarizes students with essential research tools, including libraries, reference books, online databases, and credible websites.
Spiritual Development
Aiming to live out our lives as Christians in abundance, we seek to know God deeply and understand ourselves. By becoming aware of our own hearts, even the unconscious parts, we draw closer to God.
Students will grow their faith through personal Bible reading, prayer, and a life of devotion. Additionally, they will learn to cultivate a community of faith by attending church services, serving others, and engaging in fellowship, recognizing that spiritual formation happens within the life of a faith community.
Christian Life Formation
Through (1) participation in university chapels, (2) independent living and reflection on all aspects of student life, including dormitory life, and (3) attendance at local church services on Sundays, students will cultivate the mindset and practical skills needed to serve God, the church, people, and society as Christians.
Students will also deepen their self-understanding through self-evaluation of these three practices and feedback from faculty members, shaping their personal growth in alignment with their future vision.
Japanese Language
This course provides a fundamental foundation in the Japanese language, covering all four skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Throughout their four years at TCU, students are encouraged to become a bridge between Japan and their home countries, using the Japanese language as a tool to connect cultures.
To be effective in this role, students should become fluent in both reading and writing Japanese. The Japanese writing system includes three types of characters: hiragana, katakana, and kanji (Chinese characters). We will begin with hiragana, the foundational script, and then progress to katakana and kanji.
Why Core Courses?
1. Spiritual Development
Know God, know yourself, know others. We cultivate a life of Bible reading, prayer, and the joy of living within the Church.
2. Acquire Basic Skills
Students will develop the skills that serve as the foundation for university study and the ability to explore independently.
3. Growth in Community
TCU is a community of faith, learning, and life. We strive to grow as a community, not as individuals.
Christian Liberal Arts
One of the values TCU has held since its establishment is "Christian Liberal Arts." The liberal arts are the study of how to live freely. But what is "freedom"? The Bible says, "The truth will set you free." Jesus Christ also says, "I am the way and the truth." So, what is "truth"? Jesus Christ himself declares, "I am the way and the truth." In other words, "Christian liberal arts" are grounded in the Christian worldview, which seeks truth based on the belief that Christ, the Lord of the world, created and rules everything, and that God gives meaning to every single thing.
This is a study that integrates faith and learning.
When we begin with the knowledge of Christ and explore the heritage accumulated by the history and people of this world (education), we encounter the truth of God and are continually invited to live a truly free life. Alongside the study of the Bible and theology, the study of philosophy, history, art, culture, and the classics helps us acquire the knowledge needed to live flexibly in today's turbulent society. These studies also support the lives of those who serve God and live as the "salt of the earth."
Study Theology
The study of theology is highly developed at TCU, particularly in the Theology Department. In the first year, "Christ and the World I (Issues Facing the Church Today), II (Issues Facing the Church through Time), and III (Issues Facing Ancient Israel and the Early Church)" are offered to provide students with a comprehensive overview of Christian theology and the Bible. As students progress through their studies, they explore these subjects in greater depth and breadth.
Study Humanities
In the Humanities I (Survey of Western Philosophy) and II (Christian Ethics) courses, students will gain insights into the ideological context essential for understanding contemporary society.
Study History
Students will study history from a theological perspective. From there, students will develop a Christian perspective on Japan and the world of this era.
Study Great Books
The Great Books course is designed to deepen students' understanding of contemporary issues by exposing them to classics and representative works of literature that have been read across time, cultures, and academic disciplines.
In this class, both the teacher and students ask each other questions about the assigned book. The class follows the Socratic method of question and answer, fostering deeper thinking and new insights into the nature of the issues raised by the book. A unique feature of this course is that both faculty members and students read the books in advance and participate in the discussion as equals.
The course selects books available in both English and Japanese, with some also translated into other languages. Students are free to read the assigned book in the language they are most comfortable with. For non-native English speakers, there may occasionally be language barriers; however, overcoming these barriers presents an opportunity to develop various strategies to foster mutual understanding.