42:18ChristologyThe Two Natures of Christ
How Chalcedon guards the mystery of God-with-us.
MLDr. Marcus Lee · Teaching Pastor
Faith · Doctrine & Teachings
Know what you believe — and why
A full theological library for thinking students. From the doctrine of God to the last things, every teaching here is anchored in Scripture, shaped by the historic Church, and taught by real teachers who love both truth and people.
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Doctrinal loci
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Teaching series
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Systematic Theology I
Why doctrine matters
Theology is for everyone
Doctrine is simply what the whole Bible teaches about a subject, gathered and ordered so we can understand it. Every Christian is already a theologian — the only question is whether we are good ones. Right belief steadies the soul, fuels real worship, and gives us something solid to stand on when life gets hard.
At Watch Altars we refuse to choose between a warm heart and a thinking mind. We study carefully, argue charitably, and always land at worship. This library is your invitation into that journey — whether you are exploring faith for the first time or sharpening it for a lifetime.
Scripture first
Every claim tested by the Word.
Historic faith
Rooted in 2,000 years of the Church.
Always to worship
Study that ends on its knees.
Interactive doctrine explorer
The nine great doctrines
Open any locus of systematic theology to see what it means, its scriptural foundation, and where to go deeper.
Who God is — eternal, holy, sovereign, and good. One being in three Persons, infinite in every perfection, the source and goal of all things.
Exodus 3:14Psalm 90:2Isaiah 6:3
The Bible is God-breathed, inspired, inerrant in its teaching, and sufficient for faith and life — our final authority above tradition and experience.
2 Tim 3:162 Pet 1:21Ps 19:7
Jesus is fully God and fully man, one Person in two natures — born, crucified, risen, ascended, and returning. The hinge of all history.
John 1:14Col 1:15-20Phil 2:5-11
The Holy Spirit is fully God, who convicts, regenerates, indwells, gifts, and sanctifies believers — the present power of the Christian life.
John 16:13Acts 1:8Gal 5:22
Humans are made in God's image with dignity and purpose, yet fallen and in need of rescue. Sin is real, personal, and universal — but not the final word.
Gen 1:27Rom 3:23Rom 5:12
Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone — justification, adoption, sanctification, and glorification, all the gift of God.
Eph 2:8-9Rom 8:30Titus 3:5
The Church is the people of God, the body of Christ, the temple of the Spirit — gathered for worship, word, sacrament, and mission to the world.
Acts 2:421 Cor 12Eph 4:11-16
Christ will return to judge the living and the dead, raise our bodies, and make all things new. We live now in the hope of resurrection and a renewed creation.
1 Thess 4:16Rev 21:1-51 Cor 15
Doctrine always becomes life. We study how the gospel reshapes work, relationships, justice, money, and the body — truth lived out in the everyday.
Micah 6:8Rom 12:1-2James 1:22
Video teaching library
Browse all 140 lectures Lectures from our teaching faculty
42:18Christology
38:05SoteriologyGrace Alone: Justification by Faith
Why the gospel is good news and not just good advice.
RCDr. Renee Carter · Faculty, Doctrine
51:40Theology ProperThe Trinity for Beginners
One God in three Persons — carefully, joyfully explained.
ETProf. Edward Thornton · Visiting Scholar
29:55PneumatologyWalking in the Spirit
Who the Spirit is and how He changes us day to day.
DOPastor David Okafor · Campus Minister
35:12EschatologyThe Hope of the Resurrection
Why the empty tomb reframes everything we fear.
SNSarah Nguyen · Teaching Fellow
47:33BibliologyHow We Got the Bible
Canon, manuscripts, and why we can trust the text.
MLDr. Marcus Lee · Teaching Pastor
Courses & teaching series
Structured study, at your pace
Hover any course to flip the card and see what's inside. Track your progress as you go.
FOUNDATIONS · 8 WEEKS
Christianity 101
The essentials of the faith for new believers and seekers — God, Jesus, the gospel, the Bible, and the Church.
100%
Cohort completeInside the course
- 8 video lectures + notes
- Weekly small-group guide
- Reading from the Gospel of John
- Certificate of completion
INTERMEDIATE · 12 WEEKS
Systematic Theology I
A guided tour through the doctrine of God, Scripture, creation, humanity, and sin — with primary-source readings.
64%
In progressInside the course
- 12 lectures & seminars
- Grudem & Bavinck excerpts
- Discussion forum access
- Term paper feedback
ADVANCED · 10 WEEKS
Church History Survey
From the apostles to today — the councils, the creeds, the Reformation, and the global Church of our own century.
22%
Just startedInside the course
- 10 narrative lectures
- Primary creeds & confessions
- Interactive timeline
- Field trip to local parishes
Two thousand years
The story we stand in
Doctrine was not invented yesterday. Scroll the timeline to trace how the Church confessed, defended, and handed down the faith — and where we fit in the story.
AD 30–70
The Apostolic Age
The risen Christ commissions the apostles. The gospel spreads from Jerusalem; the New Testament is written.
AD 325
Council of Nicaea
The Church confesses Christ as “true God from true God,” giving us the Nicene Creed against Arianism.
AD 451
Council of Chalcedon
Defines Christ as one Person in two natures, fully God and fully man — a guardrail we still keep.
AD 1054
The Great Schism
East and West part ways, forming the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic traditions.
AD 1517
The Reformation
Luther's 95 Theses spark a recovery of grace, faith, and Scripture — the five “solas.”
1700s–1900s
Awakenings & Missions
Revivals and the modern missionary movement carry the gospel to every continent.
Today
The Global Church
A worldwide family in every language — including this campus — holding the one faith once delivered.
Scroll sideways to travel through Church history.
The faith handed down
Creeds & confessions
Ancient summaries the Church has confessed together for centuries — still our anchor today.
The Apostles' Creed
c. 2nd century“I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord … the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.”
Read the full creedThe Nicene Creed
AD 325 / 381“We believe in one God, the Father almighty … and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, true God from true God, begotten not made, of one being with the Father.”
Read the full creedA learning pathway
Where to begin — and where it leads
Three stages, each building on the last. Move at the speed of grace.
1
Foundations
Start with Christianity 101 and the Apostles' Creed. Learn the gospel and how to read your Bible.
~ 6–8 weeks2
Systematic Study
Work through the nine doctrines with Systematic Theology I & II, plus a small group to discuss.
~ 2 quarters3
Teach & Lead
Apprentice with a teacher, lead a study, and take electives in history, ethics, and apologetics.
OngoingThe written library
Articles & study notes
Filter by topic to find clear, sourced explainers written by our teaching team.
Simplicity & the Triune God
How God can be three and one without contradiction.
9 min readJustification vs. Sanctification
The difference between being declared and being made righteous.
7 min readWhat Inerrancy Means
And what it doesn't — a careful, honest definition.
11 min readWhy the Church Matters
You can't follow the Head and despise the body.
6 min readFaith & Science: Friends?
A thoughtful look at the supposed conflict.
13 min readGrace, Faith & Works
How James and Paul fit perfectly together.
8 min readIs God Really Sovereign?
Providence, free will, and the comfort of God's rule.
10 min readThe Case for the Resurrection
The historical evidence for the empty tomb.
14 min readReading the Bible as One Story
Creation, fall, redemption, restoration.
9 min readVoices we learn from
Standing on the shoulders of the Church
We read widely and gratefully across the great Christian tradition.
“You have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.”
— Augustine of Hippo
“The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me.”
— Martin Luther
“There is no knowing that does not begin with knowing God.”
— John Calvin
“When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”
— Dietrich Bonhoeffer
“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen.”
— C. S. Lewis
“You have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.”
— Augustine of Hippo
“The Bible is alive, it speaks to me; it has feet, it runs after me.”
— Martin Luther
“There is no knowing that does not begin with knowing God.”
— John Calvin
“When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”
— Dietrich Bonhoeffer
“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen.”
— C. S. Lewis
In-person classes
Learn together, on campus
Every doctrine here is also taught live — with real teachers, real questions, and real friends around the table. Drop into any class; no prior study required.
MONDAY · 7:00 PM
Systematic Theology I
Price Center West · Room 304
WEDNESDAY · 6:30 PM
Christianity 101 (Seekers Welcome)
Geisel Library · Seminar Room
THURSDAY · 8:00 PM
Church History Reading Group
Revelle Commons · Fireside
Take it with you
Study materials & reading lists
Everything you need to keep going on your own or with a group — free to download and share.
Honest questions
Frequently asked questions
No. On the core of the gospel we stand together; on secondary matters we hold real freedom and friendship. You are welcome to wrestle, question, and disagree — that's how good theology grows.
Absolutely — Christianity 101 is built for exactly that. Come curious. Many of our strongest students started as honest skeptics who simply wanted to understand what Christians actually claim.
We are historically orthodox and broadly evangelical — anchored in the creeds, glad to learn from the whole Church. Our students come from many backgrounds and worship together as one family.
Yes. All lectures, articles, and study guides are free. Some printed materials and retreats have an optional cost, and scholarships are always available so cost is never a barrier.
Who teaches
Our teaching faculty
Real teachers who love both the truth and the students in front of them.
Dr. Marcus Lee
Teaching Pastor
PhD, New Testament. Leads Systematic Theology and the Bible canon series.
Dr. Renee Carter
Faculty · Doctrine
ThD, Historical Theology. Teaches soteriology and the Reformation.
Prof. Edward Thornton
Visiting Scholar
Emeritus professor of systematic theology and a much-loved mentor.
Pastor David Okafor
Campus Minister
Leads Christianity 101 and walks with students one-on-one.
Start learning today.
Your first class is free.
Pick a course, join a class, or just open the library and start reading. Wherever you are in your journey, there's a next step — and a teacher ready to walk it with you.