The Moore PTC helps everyday Christians deepen their knowledge of God’s word and increase in confidence to teach others. Flexible study options include online personal study or study together with others in church or bible study.
Features of the PTC include:
The PTC has been designed to provide an affordable way for commencing theological studies. It aims to give students a solid introduction to the biblical, theological and historical foundations of the Christian faith. The first two units, Introduction to the Bible and Promise to Fulfilment provide the framework for the whole course, that of the unfolding revelation of God in the Old and New Testaments and God’s work in this world focused on the Lord Jesus Christ.
The units are arranged into three levels. There are six units in each level and students receive a certificate after the successful completion of each level.
Although we recommend starting with Introduction to the Bible and Promise to Fulfilment, you are free to enrol in any PTC unit at any time. There is no requirement to complete all the PTC units in level 1 before attempting a level 2 or 3 PTC unit.
You can enrol and/or subscribe to study. Either or both options can be chosen.
You are given access to the PTC Online learning platform which contains the online course materials, including online notes, quizzes and feedback.
There are no prior educational requirements. The course is fully conducted in English and all course materials are in English only.
You are free to complete the PTC units in any order, however you will need to know the PTC Course Structure if you are working towards an award.
The PTC units are arranged into three consecutive levels, with six units in each. Students receive an award after successful completion of each consecutive level.
The PTC Level One Award: 6 Level One core units
The PTC Level Two Award: 4 Level Two core units + 2 elective units
The PTC Level Three Award: 4 Level Three core units + 2 elective units
* The Church (Doctrine 3) is only available as a paper-based unit. It is not yet available online. Exam is by short answer questions based on the PTC notes.
* Apologetics is only available as a paper-based unit. It is not yet available online. Exam is by short answer questions based on the PTC notes.
Acts (NT2): Core Unit. Acts (New Testament 2) illustrates how the spread of the gospel in the early decades of the church was directed by the risen Christ. In particular, this unit shows how the spread of the gospel fulfilled the Old Testament expectations about God’s blessing the whole world through his people the Jews. Particular attention is paid to how the ministries of Peter and Paul took God’s plan to bless all people to a new stage.
Apologetics*: Elective Unit. Apologetics is written with the conviction that apologetics is more than just intellectual and philosophical debate. Apologetics involves people’s whole beings. Modern apologists need to be concerned with how people feel toward Christ and the gospel as well as how they think about Christ and the gospel. As a result the unit provides outlines of standard apologetic arguments along with practical help guidance on the correct attitude and behaviour that must accompany those arguments.
Christ & His Work (Doctrine 2): Core Unit. Christ and His Work (Doctrine 2) focuses on what we know about the identity of Christ and what he accomplished, especially on the cross. This includes introducing students to theological approaches to understanding how Christ’s humanity relates to his divinity. Understanding this is important for understanding what Christ did in his death and resurrection. Included in the investigation of the cross is an examination of the nature and effects of sin.
Christian Ethics: Elective Unit. Christian Ethics explores the foundations of Christian ethics, taking as its foundation the grace found in the gospel and extending from there to consider the status of moral rules in general, the importance of motivation and the role of conscience in ethical decision-making. The course address both the positive and negative aspects of Christian ethics and once a solid theoretical foundation has been laid examines some contemporary ethical issues from a Christian standpoint.
Christian Worship: Elective Unit. Christian Worship explores how we can best worship God with a particular emphasis on how we should think about what happens when we gather together in worship. We begin by tracing the origins of worship through the Old Testament sacrificial system, moving on to consider the changes brought to worship by the gospel. With this groundwork laid the subject considers topics such as the use of music and liturgy in public worship gatherings.
Ephesians: Ephesians systematically works through Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, showing that God’s intention is to unify all things in Christ. While we wait for this intention to be completely fulfilled, God has already provided a living demonstration of this unity in the church, in which the fundamental distinction between Jew and Gentile has now been overcome. The unit unpacks the implications of this unity for individuals, the church and the whole creation.
Early Church History: Core Unit. Early Church History covers the history of the church through its first five centuries, introducing students to the theological debates that ultimately led to the formal statements of Christian faith contained in the great creeds. This period also displays the many practical challenges the church faced as a minority population in a context that often presented Christians with a choice between holding to their faith and death.
Former Prophets (OT2): Core Unit. In the Former Prophets (Old Testament 2) we examine the experience of Israel from original conquest of the land to her eventual exile, as recounted in the books of Joshua, Judges, 1 & 2 Samuel and 1 & 2 Kings. This period provides us with a glimpse of what it means for God’s people to live securely in God’s place, guided by his king and prophets and so informs how we understand the Kingdom of God and the New Testament promise of an eternal inheritance.
Introduction to the Bible (BT1): Introduction to the Bible shows how the great themes of the Bible fit together into one story that spans both the Old and New Testaments. At the centre of the story is of course Jesus and this unit shows how God planned to redeem his people, which begins with promises to Abraham and continues through the fortunes of the nation of Israel, reaches its climax at the cross.
John’s Gospel: Elective Unit. This unit focuses solely on John’s Gospel examining its distinctive content and style. Through a close reading of the text, the distinctive features of John that are drawn out include the concepts of ‘life’ and ‘discipleship’. Specifically, what does it mean to ‘live’ or ‘abide’ in Jesus, and what does being a disciple of Jesus actually require?
Knowledge of God (Doctrine 1): Knowledge of God (Doctrine 1) focuses on what we can know about God based on what he has revealed of himself to us in Scripture. An important part of this unit is examining the nature and authority of Scripture itself, in which the concept of covenant is central. In addition to examining God’s sovereignty, power and Trinitarian nature, the unit also looks at the ideas of repentance, salvation and judgement.
Latter Prophets (OT3): Core Unit. The Latter Prophets (Old Testament 3) introduces the ‘writing’ prophets God sent to Israel leading up to, during and after the exiles that Israel experienced. In the Latter Prophets students encounter a wide range of topics and literary styles. Prominent in this material are warnings about coming judgement and promises of future redemption and blessing, although a special emphasis is placed on the promise of a new covenant that finds its fulfilment in the gospel.
New Testament 4: Elective Unit. This unit provides an overview of Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, Jude and Revelation. It introduces students to a wide range of literary styles and theological concerns such as the Christian attitude to suffering, the relationship of Christ’s sacrificial work to the Old Testament Law and the Christian expectation of the ‘end times’. Special attention is given to Hebrews, Revelation and 1 Peter.
Mark’s Gospel (NT1): Mark (New Testament 1) takes a systematic approach to reading through the Gospel of Mark, in the process answering the two central questions that Mark poses to his readers: ‘Who is Jesus?’ and ‘What did Jesus come to do?’. Attention is paid to locating the identity and work of Jesus in the context of the Old Testament expectations of the Messiah and showing how Jesus fulfils those expectations.
Pauline Letters (NT3): Core Unit. The Pauline Letters (New Testament 3) collects together Paul’s letters (except Romans) and introduces students to the distinctive language, theology and style of the apostle to the Gentiles. It covers the wide range of theological issues found in Paul’s work such as ethical guidance about proper Christian conduct, teaching on church leadership and governance, theological reflections on the nature of Christ and the expositions of the relationship of Law and grace.
Pentateuch (OT1): Pentateuch (Old Testament 1) covers the first five books of the Old Testament, examining some of the foundational events in the Bible such as creation, the fall, the promises to Abraham, exodus from Egypt and the giving of the Law. The great themes of sin, covenant, redemption, sacrifice and blessing all emerge from this unit which show how these point forward to the work of Christ.
Promise to Fulfilment (BT2): Promise to Fulfilment focuses on training students in a method for reading the Bible well, paying particular attention to interpreting each passage of the Bible in light of its place in the single overarching story that binds the Bible together as a whole. The passages chosen for particular attention represent a range of different genres and each come at a key stage in God’s unfolding plan of redemption.
Prayer Book: Elective Unit. Prayer Book explores the liturgy of the Anglican churches, and especially the role of the Prayer Book in providing a structure for that liturgy. The unit has an historical aspect, tracing the development of the Prayer Book from the pre-Reformation form to its contemporary form and noting the political and cultural forces that informed this development. It also has a theological aspect, using theological concepts to explain why the Prayer Book has the precise form it does.
Reformation Church History: Core Unit. Reformation Church History covers the history of the church during the period of the reformation. It introduces students to the late medieval religious context from which the reformation grew and draws attention to the theological importance of the reformation led by Martin Luther. It also covers the Catholic response to the reformation along with the connection between political and theological reform, especially in Switzerland and Tudor England.
Romans: Elective Unit. This unit examines Paul’s most important theological work, his letter to the Romans. Students will be introduced to Paul’s thinking on the concepts of sin, grace, law, judgement, predestination, salvation and blessing. Students are also introduced to another important central concern in Romans, that is the ongoing place of the Jews in God’s plans.
The Church (Doctrine 3)*: Core Unit. The Church (Doctrine 3) focuses on the doctrine of the Church along with some aspects of worship. The overarching theme is the place of the church in the purposes of God. This leads to discussions of both the fundamental nature of the church along with discussions of fellowship in the church and the continuity of the church. The aspects of worship of particular relevance to these discussions are the Lord’s Supper and Baptism.
Wisdom & Exile (OT4): Elective Unit. Wisdom and Exile (Old Testament 4) focuses on those sections of the Old Testament devoted to the perennial questions and concerns of God’s people at any time. This includes books devoted to living well in God’s world (the Hebrew concept of ‘wisdom’), liturgical literature that helps us see how to bring our whole lives, both joyous and painful, before God and finally the Old Testament works that explicitly look forward to the ‘end times’.
* Apologetics and The Church (Doctrine 3) are only available as a paper-based unit. They are not yet available online. Exam is by short answer questions based on the PTC notes.
Choose this option if you want to study a PTC unit with exams to consolidate your learning, and progress toward the PTC award.
Details:
Benefits:
No formal theological training is needed to facilitate a PTC Group, so anyone can gather a group to work through a PTC Unit together. Studying the PTC with others enhances the learning experience by helping motivate and encourage discussion, mutual learning and application. Each student studying in a PTC Group still receives their own Student ID, password and access to PTC Online.
Details:
Enrolment Options:
This option is ideal for those who want flexible access to PTC materials without committing to exams or strict timeframes. It’s important to note that there is no formal recognition for completion of subscription units.
Details:
Benefits:
PTC exams are part of PTC Enrolment. Exams are not part of PTC Subscription. Exams are based on the content of the PTC notes only. Most exams are comprised of 60 Multiple Choice questions and can be done online or as paper exams (extra cost).
An online exam is included as part of every PTC unit enrolment. The exam can be done anytime within the 6 month enrolment period. Online exams are multiple choice and results come with feedback.
You may prefer to do a Paper exam. Paper exams can be purchased as an option at the time of enrolment and completed any time during your 6-month enrolment.
Paper exam questions are multiple choice for online units (like the online exams).
Doctrine 3 and Apologetics have short answer exam questions. There is no charge for paper exams for these 2 units, as these units are not yet available online.
All fees and charges are in Australian dollars (AUD).
Single Unit Enrolment
Online PTC Subscription – $60
Per book – $20 (+ Postage & Handling)
Australia: $7 per book
International: $30 per book
Community Chaplains work as Volunteers with the support of their minister to bring the love of Jesus to their local community. Many engage in activities or groups that they are currently connected to, such as sports clubs, walking groups, playgroups, hospitals and so on…
To be authorised by the Anglican Diocese of Sydney as an Anglican Community Chaplain, you need an ENC Community Chaplaincy Award. To be eligible for this award you need to have engaged in some theological and pastoral training.
The Community Chaplaincy Award is issued by Evangelism and New Churches and is not a Moore College award.
In Partnership with ENC, these Preliminary Theological Certificate (PTC) units can be used as theological training towards this award:
More information about this area of ministry and how to apply for the ENC Community Chaplaincy Award can be found on the ENC Chaplaincy webpage.
The PTC grew out of training for lay preachers for the Anglican Diocese of Sydney.
In 1941 Archdeacon T.C. Hammond (then Principal of Moore College) started lecturing a small group of lay preachers at Newtown. Twenty four people sat for the first exam. From this small beginning, the demand for solid Bible teaching grew. The original PTC notes were a copy of T.C. Hammond’s lecture notes that were sent to those who had missed a lecture. From these humble beginnings the PTC began. The PTC is now online and Moore College has PTC students in many countries.
The PTC has been designed to provide an affordable way for commencing theological studies. It aims to give students a solid introduction to the biblical, theological and historical foundations of the Christian faith. The first two units, Introduction to the Bible and Promise to Fulfilment provide the framework for the whole course, that of the unfolding revelation of God in the Old and New Testaments and God’s work in this world focused on the Lord Jesus Christ.
The units are arranged into three levels. There are six units in each level and students receive a certificate after the successful completion of each level.
Although we recommend starting with Introduction to the Bible and Promise to Fulfilment, you are free to enrol in any PTC unit at any time. There is no requirement to complete all the PTC units in level 1 before attempting a level 2 or 3 PTC unit.
You can enrol and/or subscribe to study. Either or both options can be chosen.
You are given access to the PTC Online learning platform which contains the online course materials, including online notes, quizzes and feedback.
There are no prior educational requirements. The course is fully conducted in English and all course materials are in English only.
You are free to complete the PTC units in any order, however you will need to know the PTC Course Structure if you are working towards an award.
The PTC units are arranged into three consecutive levels, with six units in each. Students receive an award after successful completion of each consecutive level.
The PTC Level One Award: 6 Level One core units
The PTC Level Two Award: 4 Level Two core units + 2 elective units
The PTC Level Three Award: 4 Level Three core units + 2 elective units
* The Church (Doctrine 3) is only available as a paper-based unit. It is not yet available online. Exam is by short answer questions based on the PTC notes.
* Apologetics is only available as a paper-based unit. It is not yet available online. Exam is by short answer questions based on the PTC notes.
Acts (NT2): Core Unit. Acts (New Testament 2) illustrates how the spread of the gospel in the early decades of the church was directed by the risen Christ. In particular, this unit shows how the spread of the gospel fulfilled the Old Testament expectations about God’s blessing the whole world through his people the Jews. Particular attention is paid to how the ministries of Peter and Paul took God’s plan to bless all people to a new stage.
Apologetics*: Elective Unit. Apologetics is written with the conviction that apologetics is more than just intellectual and philosophical debate. Apologetics involves people’s whole beings. Modern apologists need to be concerned with how people feel toward Christ and the gospel as well as how they think about Christ and the gospel. As a result the unit provides outlines of standard apologetic arguments along with practical help guidance on the correct attitude and behaviour that must accompany those arguments.
Christ & His Work (Doctrine 2): Core Unit. Christ and His Work (Doctrine 2) focuses on what we know about the identity of Christ and what he accomplished, especially on the cross. This includes introducing students to theological approaches to understanding how Christ’s humanity relates to his divinity. Understanding this is important for understanding what Christ did in his death and resurrection. Included in the investigation of the cross is an examination of the nature and effects of sin.
Christian Ethics: Elective Unit. Christian Ethics explores the foundations of Christian ethics, taking as its foundation the grace found in the gospel and extending from there to consider the status of moral rules in general, the importance of motivation and the role of conscience in ethical decision-making. The course address both the positive and negative aspects of Christian ethics and once a solid theoretical foundation has been laid examines some contemporary ethical issues from a Christian standpoint.
Christian Worship: Elective Unit. Christian Worship explores how we can best worship God with a particular emphasis on how we should think about what happens when we gather together in worship. We begin by tracing the origins of worship through the Old Testament sacrificial system, moving on to consider the changes brought to worship by the gospel. With this groundwork laid the subject considers topics such as the use of music and liturgy in public worship gatherings.
Ephesians: Ephesians systematically works through Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, showing that God’s intention is to unify all things in Christ. While we wait for this intention to be completely fulfilled, God has already provided a living demonstration of this unity in the church, in which the fundamental distinction between Jew and Gentile has now been overcome. The unit unpacks the implications of this unity for individuals, the church and the whole creation.
Early Church History: Core Unit. Early Church History covers the history of the church through its first five centuries, introducing students to the theological debates that ultimately led to the formal statements of Christian faith contained in the great creeds. This period also displays the many practical challenges the church faced as a minority population in a context that often presented Christians with a choice between holding to their faith and death.
Former Prophets (OT2): Core Unit. In the Former Prophets (Old Testament 2) we examine the experience of Israel from original conquest of the land to her eventual exile, as recounted in the books of Joshua, Judges, 1 & 2 Samuel and 1 & 2 Kings. This period provides us with a glimpse of what it means for God’s people to live securely in God’s place, guided by his king and prophets and so informs how we understand the Kingdom of God and the New Testament promise of an eternal inheritance.
Introduction to the Bible (BT1): Introduction to the Bible shows how the great themes of the Bible fit together into one story that spans both the Old and New Testaments. At the centre of the story is of course Jesus and this unit shows how God planned to redeem his people, which begins with promises to Abraham and continues through the fortunes of the nation of Israel, reaches its climax at the cross.
John’s Gospel: Elective Unit. This unit focuses solely on John’s Gospel examining its distinctive content and style. Through a close reading of the text, the distinctive features of John that are drawn out include the concepts of ‘life’ and ‘discipleship’. Specifically, what does it mean to ‘live’ or ‘abide’ in Jesus, and what does being a disciple of Jesus actually require?
Knowledge of God (Doctrine 1): Knowledge of God (Doctrine 1) focuses on what we can know about God based on what he has revealed of himself to us in Scripture. An important part of this unit is examining the nature and authority of Scripture itself, in which the concept of covenant is central. In addition to examining God’s sovereignty, power and Trinitarian nature, the unit also looks at the ideas of repentance, salvation and judgement.
Latter Prophets (OT3): Core Unit. The Latter Prophets (Old Testament 3) introduces the ‘writing’ prophets God sent to Israel leading up to, during and after the exiles that Israel experienced. In the Latter Prophets students encounter a wide range of topics and literary styles. Prominent in this material are warnings about coming judgement and promises of future redemption and blessing, although a special emphasis is placed on the promise of a new covenant that finds its fulfilment in the gospel.
New Testament 4: Elective Unit. This unit provides an overview of Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, Jude and Revelation. It introduces students to a wide range of literary styles and theological concerns such as the Christian attitude to suffering, the relationship of Christ’s sacrificial work to the Old Testament Law and the Christian expectation of the ‘end times’. Special attention is given to Hebrews, Revelation and 1 Peter.
Mark’s Gospel (NT1): Mark (New Testament 1) takes a systematic approach to reading through the Gospel of Mark, in the process answering the two central questions that Mark poses to his readers: ‘Who is Jesus?’ and ‘What did Jesus come to do?’. Attention is paid to locating the identity and work of Jesus in the context of the Old Testament expectations of the Messiah and showing how Jesus fulfils those expectations.
Pauline Letters (NT3): Core Unit. The Pauline Letters (New Testament 3) collects together Paul’s letters (except Romans) and introduces students to the distinctive language, theology and style of the apostle to the Gentiles. It covers the wide range of theological issues found in Paul’s work such as ethical guidance about proper Christian conduct, teaching on church leadership and governance, theological reflections on the nature of Christ and the expositions of the relationship of Law and grace.
Pentateuch (OT1): Pentateuch (Old Testament 1) covers the first five books of the Old Testament, examining some of the foundational events in the Bible such as creation, the fall, the promises to Abraham, exodus from Egypt and the giving of the Law. The great themes of sin, covenant, redemption, sacrifice and blessing all emerge from this unit which show how these point forward to the work of Christ.
Promise to Fulfilment (BT2): Promise to Fulfilment focuses on training students in a method for reading the Bible well, paying particular attention to interpreting each passage of the Bible in light of its place in the single overarching story that binds the Bible together as a whole. The passages chosen for particular attention represent a range of different genres and each come at a key stage in God’s unfolding plan of redemption.
Prayer Book: Elective Unit. Prayer Book explores the liturgy of the Anglican churches, and especially the role of the Prayer Book in providing a structure for that liturgy. The unit has an historical aspect, tracing the development of the Prayer Book from the pre-Reformation form to its contemporary form and noting the political and cultural forces that informed this development. It also has a theological aspect, using theological concepts to explain why the Prayer Book has the precise form it does.
Reformation Church History: Core Unit. Reformation Church History covers the history of the church during the period of the reformation. It introduces students to the late medieval religious context from which the reformation grew and draws attention to the theological importance of the reformation led by Martin Luther. It also covers the Catholic response to the reformation along with the connection between political and theological reform, especially in Switzerland and Tudor England.
Romans: Elective Unit. This unit examines Paul’s most important theological work, his letter to the Romans. Students will be introduced to Paul’s thinking on the concepts of sin, grace, law, judgement, predestination, salvation and blessing. Students are also introduced to another important central concern in Romans, that is the ongoing place of the Jews in God’s plans.
The Church (Doctrine 3)*: Core Unit. The Church (Doctrine 3) focuses on the doctrine of the Church along with some aspects of worship. The overarching theme is the place of the church in the purposes of God. This leads to discussions of both the fundamental nature of the church along with discussions of fellowship in the church and the continuity of the church. The aspects of worship of particular relevance to these discussions are the Lord’s Supper and Baptism.
Wisdom & Exile (OT4): Elective Unit. Wisdom and Exile (Old Testament 4) focuses on those sections of the Old Testament devoted to the perennial questions and concerns of God’s people at any time. This includes books devoted to living well in God’s world (the Hebrew concept of ‘wisdom’), liturgical literature that helps us see how to bring our whole lives, both joyous and painful, before God and finally the Old Testament works that explicitly look forward to the ‘end times’.
* Apologetics and The Church (Doctrine 3) are only available as a paper-based unit. They are not yet available online. Exam is by short answer questions based on the PTC notes.
Choose this option if you want to study a PTC unit with exams to consolidate your learning, and progress toward the PTC award.
Details:
Benefits:
No formal theological training is needed to facilitate a PTC Group, so anyone can gather a group to work through a PTC Unit together. Studying the PTC with others enhances the learning experience by helping motivate and encourage discussion, mutual learning and application. Each student studying in a PTC Group still receives their own Student ID, password and access to PTC Online.
Details:
Enrolment Options:
This option is ideal for those who want flexible access to PTC materials without committing to exams or strict timeframes. It’s important to note that there is no formal recognition for completion of subscription units.
Details:
Benefits:
PTC exams are part of PTC Enrolment. Exams are not part of PTC Subscription. Exams are based on the content of the PTC notes only. Most exams are comprised of 60 Multiple Choice questions and can be done online or as paper exams (extra cost).
An online exam is included as part of every PTC unit enrolment. The exam can be done anytime within the 6 month enrolment period. Online exams are multiple choice and results come with feedback.
You may prefer to do a Paper exam. Paper exams can be purchased as an option at the time of enrolment and completed any time during your 6-month enrolment.
Paper exam questions are multiple choice for online units (like the online exams).
Doctrine 3 and Apologetics have short answer exam questions. There is no charge for paper exams for these 2 units, as these units are not yet available online.
All fees and charges are in Australian dollars (AUD).
Single Unit Enrolment
Online PTC Subscription – $60
Per book – $20 (+ Postage & Handling)
Australia: $7 per book
International: $30 per book
Community Chaplains work as Volunteers with the support of their minister to bring the love of Jesus to their local community. Many engage in activities or groups that they are currently connected to, such as sports clubs, walking groups, playgroups, hospitals and so on…
To be authorised by the Anglican Diocese of Sydney as an Anglican Community Chaplain, you need an ENC Community Chaplaincy Award. To be eligible for this award you need to have engaged in some theological and pastoral training.
The Community Chaplaincy Award is issued by Evangelism and New Churches and is not a Moore College award.
In Partnership with ENC, these Preliminary Theological Certificate (PTC) units can be used as theological training towards this award:
More information about this area of ministry and how to apply for the ENC Community Chaplaincy Award can be found on the ENC Chaplaincy webpage.
The PTC grew out of training for lay preachers for the Anglican Diocese of Sydney.
In 1941 Archdeacon T.C. Hammond (then Principal of Moore College) started lecturing a small group of lay preachers at Newtown. Twenty four people sat for the first exam. From this small beginning, the demand for solid Bible teaching grew. The original PTC notes were a copy of T.C. Hammond’s lecture notes that were sent to those who had missed a lecture. From these humble beginnings the PTC began. The PTC is now online and Moore College has PTC students in many countries.
