# Free Online Seminary Courses from RTS in .mp3 format



## crhoades

(We've featured a couple of these at a time before and Jacob Aitken pointed out to me last night that even more were added, so I thought it would be a good idea to post a comprehensive list here with directions)

*Exciting Times!* RTS (Reformed Theological Seminary) has just released 18 courses online for free. They are all .mp3 files that can be downloaded from iTunes. Professors from the Charlotte, Orlando, and Jackson campuses are all represented below.

The professors below are all faithful, phenomenal men. If you have a desire to go deeper in any of these areas here is your chance. I think it would even be a cool idea if enough people were interested in the same course to start up a casual discussion group working through them a lecture at a time...but that may just be the theological nerd in me coming out.

*In order to download these follow the steps below.*
1. Be sure you have iTunes installed (yes it's an Apple product...can't win them all)
2. If you don't have it installed, go to: http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/ and follow the steps. If you need help, give me a call and I can help you walk through it.
3. Go to http://www.rts.edu 
4. Under the middle portion of the screen that has *Courses for Download*, click on the "Click for Free Resources" graphic.
5. Under the *Launch RTS on iTunes U *section, click on the "Click to Launch ITunes" graphic.
6. ITunes will launch and go to the iTunes Store
7. Click on one of the categories (OT, NT, CH, T)
8. Select the course
9. Click on "Get Tracks" at the top and it will begin downloading the whole course.
10. Repeat for every course desired.

Enjoy!

*Old Testament*
Genesis through Joshua - 29 lectures - Dr. Richard Pratt, Jr.
Isaiah through Malachi - 34 lectures - Dr. Richard Belcher, Jr.

*New Testament*
Gospel and Acts - 48 lectures - Dr. Knox Chamblin
Pauline Epistles - 47 lectures - Dr. Knox Chamblin
Hebrews through Revelation - 45 lectures - Dr. Simon Kistemaker

*Church History*
History of Christianity I - 32 lectures - Dr. Frank James
History of Christianity II - 30 lectures - Dr. Frank James
The Church and the World - 27 lectures - Dr. W. Andrew Hoffecker
History of Missions - 35 lectures - Dr. Sam Larsen

*Theology*
Intro to Pastoral and Theological Studies - 23 lectures - Dr. Richard Pratt, Jr.
Theological Foundations - 24 lectures - Dr. Derek Thomas
Systematic Theology I - 38 lectures - Dr. Douglas Kelly
Systematic Theology II - 20 lectures - Dr. Douglas Kelly
Systematic Theology III - 38 lectures - Dr. Douglas Kelly
History of Philosophy and Christian Thought - 36 lectures - Dr. John Frame
Pastoral and Social Ethics - 42 lectures - Dr. John Frame
Christian Apologetics - 26 lectures - Dr. John Frame
C.S. Lewis - 26 lectures - Dr. Knox Chamblin


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## Scott

These are very cool. I downloaded the History of Missions to my iPod and have been listening to it.


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## reformedman

wow! I can't believe this is available. People, don't pass up this opportunity! I'm going to download these as soon as I get home.


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## Casey

Great! Thanks.  Now . . if only the Learning Company would follow their example . . .  (the "free" part, I mean)


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## RamistThomist

what's the difference between clicking "get tracks" and "subscribe?"


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## Answerman

When I found out about this, I immediately said a prayer to bless RTS and the people responsible for offering these. I have been putting off going to seminary for a long time for financial reasons and have been using all of the free material that I could find on the web, but not many of these sources offer this level of training. I am going to immediately tell all of my Christian friends about these treasures.

Free materials like these may very well spark a revival in this nation, if only Christians would use these kinds of things instead of going home and turning on the zombie tube.

Glory be to God!


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## BobVigneault

Draught Horse said:


> what's the difference between clicking "get tracks" and "subscribe?"



Get tracks will manually just dl the files to you puter for general use. Subscribing will bring the headers for the files into iTunes to be dl'd whenever you want them. This is more useful if you 'subscribe' to a daily program. iTunes will auto dl the files for you if you are subscribed.


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## Scott

StaunchPresbyterian said:


> Great! Thanks.  Now . . if only the Learning Company would follow their example . . .  (the "free" part, I mean)



I love The Learning Company. I listen to a number of sets a year. I get their stuff for free, through the library and inter-library loan. It can take a little longer, but the free part makes it worth it.


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## Casey

Scott said:


> I love The Learning Company. I listen to a number of sets a year. I get their stuff for free, through the library and inter-library loan. It can take a little longer, but the free part makes it worth it.


I listened to an entire lecture series, checked-out from the local library, on a trip visiting my parents. It sure redeems all that travel time!


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## Romans922

I took Church and World with Hoffecker, it was really good.

It is great for learning about the enlightenment to our day and seeing all of those characteristics that come from those eras of thought in today's thinking.


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## Davidius

Each time I attempt to download lectures I get an error after one or two has downloaded saying that my connection has timed out. Has anyone else received this error?


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## Scott

I had no trouble and downloaded 35 lectures pretty quickly, 15 mins or so.


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## Scott

StaunchPresbyterian said:


> I listened to an entire lecture series, checked-out from the local library, on a trip visiting my parents. It sure redeems all that travel time!



What have you listened to? I always appreciate running into another Teaching Company fan. I have been greatly enriched by their stuff. I am fortunate that my local library also has about 30 or 40 sets in its collection.

Here are the ones I have listened to. The numbers are a rating on a scale of 1-10. 

•	Edward Larson, Evolution, the History of a Controversy – 9 
•	History of Ancient Rome - 9
•	Rome and the Barbarians -8
•	Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic Age - 4
•	Jeremy McInerney, Ancient Greek Civilization. - 4
•	Europe and the Wars of Religion - 4
•	Lost Christianities: Christian Scriptures and the Battles over Authentication - 1
•	Kenneth Harl, The Crusades - 7
•	History of Science in the Twentieth Century – part 1 - 7
•	Phillip Daileader – The Early Middle Ages - 9
•	Phillip Daileader – The High Middle Ages - 9
•	Willard Spiegelman, How to Read and Understand Poetry – 2
•	David Zarefsky, Argumentation: The Study of Effective Reasoning, 2nd Edition – 3 
•	Conquest of the Americas - 7
•	Kenneth Harl, Age of the Vikings - 8
•	History of the Papacy - 7
•	Elizabeth Vandiver, Odyssey of Homer - 9
•	Elizabeth Vandiver, Iliad of Homer - 9
•	Elizabeth Vandiver, Classical mythology (1st half only) – 6
•	Childers, World War II – A Military and Social History – 9
•	Greenberg, Music - 4
•	Childers, History of Hitler’s Empire – 7
•	Dale Hoak, Age of Henry VIII -7


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## RamistThomist

CarolinaCalvinist said:


> Each time I attempt to download lectures I get an error after one or two has downloaded saying that my connection has timed out. Has anyone else received this error?



i have.


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## Davidius

Draught Horse said:


> i have.



Any solutions?


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## RamistThomist

CarolinaCalvinist said:


> Any solutions?



I usually yell and throw things. Works for me.


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## Casey

Scott said:


> What have you listened to? I always appreciate running into another Teaching Company fan. I have been greatly enriched by their stuff. I am fortunate that my local library also has about 30 or 40 sets in its collection.


Wow, you've listened to quite a lot! I've only listened to one on Ancient Greek Civilization (probably the same one you listened to). I'll have to use your rated list to pick the next ones I listen to.


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## Ivan

I have a somewhat trivial question. Is Dr. Richard Belcher, Jr. the son of Richard Belcher, Sr., Baptist pastor and retired professor at Columbia International Seminary? I think he's the owner of the website Timeless Texts. 

I had the pleasure, many years ago, to preach for the senior Belcher when he was pastor of FBC, Washington Park, Illinois.


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## BobVigneault

Tell me whatchu want Trevor and I will gladly send you cds full of mp3 files. Oh yeah, and PM your address to me. It would be a privilege.


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## sotzo

Pratt's lectures alone are worth the price of admission....and there isn't even a price for admission!


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## BrianLanier

Scott said:


> What have you listened to? I always appreciate running into another Teaching Company fan. I have been greatly enriched by their stuff. I am fortunate that my local library also has about 30 or 40 sets in its collection.
> 
> Here are the ones I have listened to. The numbers are a rating on a scale of 1-10.
> 
> •	Edward Larson, Evolution, the History of a Controversy – 9
> •	History of Ancient Rome - 9
> •	Rome and the Barbarians -8
> •	Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic Age - 4
> •	Jeremy McInerney, Ancient Greek Civilization. - 4
> •	Europe and the Wars of Religion - 4
> •	Lost Christianities: Christian Scriptures and the Battles over Authentication - 1
> •	Kenneth Harl, The Crusades - 7
> •	History of Science in the Twentieth Century – part 1 - 7
> •	Phillip Daileader – The Early Middle Ages - 9
> •	Phillip Daileader – The High Middle Ages - 9
> •	Willard Spiegelman, How to Read and Understand Poetry – 2
> •	David Zarefsky, Argumentation: The Study of Effective Reasoning, 2nd Edition – 3
> •	Conquest of the Americas - 7
> •	Kenneth Harl, Age of the Vikings - 8
> •	History of the Papacy - 7
> •	Elizabeth Vandiver, Odyssey of Homer - 9
> •	Elizabeth Vandiver, Iliad of Homer - 9
> •	Elizabeth Vandiver, Classical mythology (1st half only) – 6
> •	Childers, World War II – A Military and Social History – 9
> •	Greenberg, Music - 4
> •	Childers, History of Hitler’s Empire – 7
> •	Dale Hoak, Age of Henry VIII -7



Jeffrey L. Kasser, Philosophy of Science -- Very good intro to the subject, especially helpful with apologetics.


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## Scott

BobVigneault said:


> Tell me whatchu want Trevor and I will gladly send you cds full of mp3 files. Oh yeah, and PM your address to me. It would be a privilege.


I am happy to help too. Just let me know what you want, in what format, and the like. 

Scott


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## ChristianTrader

BrianLanier said:


> Jeffrey L. Kasser, Philosophy of Science -- Very good intro to the subject, especially helpful with apologetics.



I had him for an epistemology class at NC State. Very, very sharp fellow.

CT


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## JonathanHunt

This is just A-M-A-Z-I-N-G


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## Answerman

For those having trouble try closing internet explorer and iTunes and try again. It took me a few days off and on to get them all but I eventually suceeded.

If at first you don't suceed, try, try again.


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## Scott

BrianLanier said:


> Jeffrey L. Kasser, Philosophy of Science -- Very good intro to the subject, especially helpful with apologetics.


I will put that on the list!


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## RamistThomist

StaunchPresbyterian said:


> Great! Thanks.  Now . . if only the Learning Company would follow their example . . .  (the "free" part, I mean)



What is the Learning Company?


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## Casey

Draught Horse said:


> What is the Learning Company?


They sell recorded lecture series, normally from prominent professors in their particular field. So, if you want to learn about economics, you can buy a course on economics . . they've got stuff in philosophy, history, the sciences, all sort of things. Great for long car trips!

EDIT: Actually, I mean the Teaching Company


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## Greg

Thanks for posting this Chris. I've already downloaded a number of the lectures.


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## Scott

Draught Horse said:


> What is the Learning Company?


You can get the materials free from the library too. If your library does not have a set you want, use interlibrary loan and they will find it for you. I have done this with several sets. You can look at their selection here. I listen to them all the time. Many are great and some are not worth listening to. You can see my ratings of the ones I have had above.


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## Beth Ellen Nagle

Has anyone been able to download the Pauline Epistles under NT? For some reason, though I am signed on and accessing other files, it loops me back to the webpage instead of allowing me to select the files to download. Everything else is downloading just fine EXCEPT the Pauline Epistles. Hm..


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## RamistThomist

Beth Ellen Nagle said:


> Has anyone been able to download the Pauline Epistles under NT? For some reason, though I am signed on and accessing other files, it loops me back to the webpage instead of allowing me to select the files to download. Everything else is downloading just fine EXCEPT the Pauline Epistles. Hm..



That happened to me a few times on the ethics one. You just have to keep trying.


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## Machaira

Here are free mp3's from Covenant Seminary.

http://www.covenantseminary.edu/worldwide/default.asp


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## Answerman

Could someone recommend a logical listening order for those that would like to go through these lectures in the order that you would take them in seminary.

Here is my guess:

Intro to Pastoral and Theological Studies
Genesis through Joshua
Isaiah through Malachi
Gospel and Acts 
Pauline Epistles 
Hebrews through Revelation 
History of Christianity I 
History of Christianity II 
The Church and the World 
History of Missions
Intro to Pastoral and Theological Studies
Theological Foundations 
Systematic Theology I 
Systematic Theology II 
Systematic Theology III 
Pastoral and Social Ethics
History of Philosophy and Christian Thought 
Christian Apologetics 
C.S. Lewis

Also does anyone know of a Hermeneutics course or lecture/sermon series, available in MP3 format. I hope RTS will eventually post more courses for people that would like to listen to the lectures but can’t afford tuition.


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## New wine skin

RE: "Intro to Pastoral and Theological Studies" 

This is a summative course and should be taken last. Not sure why they use the "intro" in the title of that course. 

Otherwise courses are designed to be stand alone. Take them in any order you prefer.


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## Answerman

I have already listened to the Intro to Pastoral and Theological Studies and it sounded like it should come first since Richard Pratt kept alluding to what to expect in theological studies and dangers to avoid ect. Mostly the type of preliminary advice you would give to new students before they start their studies.

I could see how some could be studied in parallel but others seem like they should be logical prerequisites. One example is the History of Philosophy before Apologetics. Frame himself mentioned something to the effect that he assumed that most of his students had already taken the philosophy course. This seemed to make sense since the history of philosophy lays out the different schools of thought, whereas Apologetics is applying the Christian philosophy to these different schools of thought so it would seem to be benificial for you to have these schools of thought fresh in your mind when you study apologetics. I would think that it would save time for the instructor so that he would not have to constantly be going in to detail and only have to briefly summarize each school of thought when dealing with that particular philosophy. Maybe this is the only exception that I can see, other than the History of Christianity and Systematic Theology courses that probably ought to be listened to in order.


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## crhoades

Here is the MAR program from RTS Charlotte to help know where to place the curriculum
http://www.rts.edu/site/academics/Degree_programs/Mar/charlottec.aspx


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## Answerman

Thanks Chris, that's just what I needed.


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## puritanpilgrim

This is so awesome. I downloaded all of them.


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## Kevin Lewis

*Anybody know how to d/l without iTunes??*

I prefer not to install another mp3 player (itunes) on my computer. Is this the only way one can actually listen to these? I was surprised they limited themselves by calling it iTunes U, like that is the only way. Any help is appreciated.


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## Kenneth_Murphy

I don't know of a way to download them outside of ITunes. However, once you do download them you can listen to them without ITunes. So you could remove ITunes once you have the classes all downloaded.


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## puritanpilgrim

Just download them. Then put them in another file and remove itunes.


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## VaughanRSmith

Reformed-Kermit said:


> I prefer not to install another mp3 player (itunes) on my computer. Is this the only way one can actually listen to these? I was surprised they limited themselves by calling it iTunes U, like that is the only way. Any help is appreciated.


iTunesU is an official iTunes thing, they've just put their mp3s onto the iTunes site.


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## Kevin Lewis

*Good Advice...think I will do that.*



Kenneth_Murphy said:


> I don't know of a way to download them outside of ITunes. However, once you do download them you can listen to them without ITunes. So you could remove ITunes once you have the classes all downloaded.



I don't want to miss out on this valuable resource.


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## Civbert

Reformed-Kermit said:


> I prefer not to install another mp3 player (itunes) on my computer. Is this the only way one can actually listen to these? I was surprised they limited themselves by calling it iTunes U, like that is the only way. Any help is appreciated.



I feel for you!  I'm stuck with i-Tune. Most of the podcasting sites I like use it, and none of the other podcasting receiving programs work as well on my PC as i-Tunes. So I use i-Tune almost exclusively for downloading podcast, then I switch to Windows Media Player to sync with my mp3 player (i-Tunes does work with generic mp3 players). It amazes me that I can use i-Tunes to put mp3s on my Sansa player.


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## reformedman

I know this is asking for more than deserved but I have been enjoying the priveledge of listening to these great messages and sometimes get frustrated because they refer to illustrations and outlines and drawings and such but I can't see them. Is there a method of seeing some of these outlines or illustrations somewhere? The textbooks(except for Frame's DKG) aren't indicated so I don't know what title to get. Any online adobe docs would be helpful. Again, sorry if this sounds like a complaint, it's not, these are great recordings, and if you didn't download them yet you should try a few and see that they are great.


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## RamistThomist

reformedman said:


> I know this is asking for more than deserved but I have been enjoying the priveledge of listening to these great messages and sometimes get frustrated because they refer to illustrations and outlines and drawings and such but I can't see them. Is there a method of seeing some of these outlines or illustrations somewhere? The textbooks(except for Frame's DKG) aren't indicated so I don't know what title to get. Any online adobe docs would be helpful. Again, sorry if this sounds like a complaint, it's not, these are great recordings, and if you didn't download them yet you should try a few and see that they are great.



you just got a PM.


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## Cheshire Cat

I am midway through the Ethics course, and it...is...AWESOME!!!... ..!

It was funny because in my small group in bible study the main question was presented: why should we do what is right? I was like BAM busting out the normative, situational, and existential reasons. Although I didn't use those words lol.


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