Who, What, and Why
What is Global Studies?
Global Studies is an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the complexities of our world. It recognizes that people's activities and commitments are shaped by their history, their culture, their religion, and their economic possibilities and political realities. In particular, it seeks to call attention to the fact that our world is increasingly interconnected and interdependent in a set of processes often referred to as "globalization.” Global Studies constantly attempts to locate the “local” cultures, societies, and histories in the context of global forces and global interconnectivity.
Who should study Global Studies?
Are you…
- Curious about other cultures?
- Eager to acquire the skills that would enable you to work with people who are different fromy ourself?
- Frustrated with the communication barriers between you and people who speak a different language?
- Concerned about the injustice of the fact (for example) that close to a billion people in our world survive on less than one dollar a day, or that many have no access to the very basics of human well-being?
- Tired of the North American “box” and eager to see what else is out there?
- Burdened to share the riches of the love of Christ with people who do not know him?
If these are some of your passions, then our Global Studies program may be just what you’re looking for.
Why Global Studies at Briercrest?
Our programs and courses are designed to strengthen your relationship with the Lord, help you develop deep cultural awareness and sensitivity, and prepare you for cross-cultural ministry.
You’ll find a community of learning that is centered on faith and the authority of God’s Word.
You will be challenged to share God’s heart for the world. What breaks his heart will break yours—many of the world’s people groups are hurting and alone. They do not know Him and will not know Him if we do not go as we are sent.
God has commissioned us to the world and its peoples with the good news of his kingdom and of his reconciling love. This message is the heartbeat of Briercrest.
From its beginnings in 1935, Briercrest College and Seminary has been committed to equipping God’s people for service not only in North America, but around the world.
- A national survey named Briercrest as the number-one source of workers among Canadian churches and Christian organizations
- 19,000 Briercrest alumni are serving in more than 80 countries around the world
Our Logo
Why did we choose a sandal for our logo?
The Global Studies sandal logo captures a number of key elements of the program.
Going with the gospel
Isaiah 52:7 reads, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’” The apostle Paul quotes these words and applies them to Christians who seek to share the good news of the Lordship of Christ as widely as possible (Rom 10:15).
Going humbly with the gospel
An African pastor was lamenting the fact that the earliest missionaries had to walk everywhere they went while preaching the gospel. But because the walked, they had direct, first-hand contact with the people they shared their message with. Then missionaries started using bicycles, then motorbikes, then cars and trucks, then airplanes, then radios. As they did so, this elderly pastor suggested, they began to lose contact with the local population. “Don’t forget your beautiful feet!” he urged.
Exalting Jesus
John the Baptist said, “I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals.” (Luke 3:16). Doing a Global Studies degree at Briercrest is not about putting ourselves in the limelight in an effort to show how good we are. It is about focusing the world’s attention on Jesus and pointing people to him as the only source of new life and deliverance from sin.
Cross-cultural ministry
The sandal in our logo is not a North American sandal. Not everyone is called to work in a different culture, but some of us love the challenge of learning how to live and communicate meaningfully in a different cultural setting. We believe that even our understanding of the gospel is enriched by this kind of boundary crossing. The sandal in our logo is a reminder that not everyone wears or walks in our kind of shoes.