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When I first enrolled in an online Bible study course, I wasn’t expecting it to be life-changing. In fact, I had my doubts. Could digital learning really do justice to something as rich and sacred as theology? Would it feel impersonal, detached, or worse – superficial?
And yet, several years and dozens of lectures, essays, and Zoom discussions later, I’ve come to believe that online learning is one of the best things that’s happened to Christian education in a long time.
As a mature learner returning to study after many years away from formal education, the biggest draw for me was flexibility. I’m not a full-time seminarian, and I wasn’t in a position to pack up and move to a Bible college or divinity school. But I also didn’t want to remain stagnant in my understanding of Scripture, doctrine, or church history. Online learning let me grow theologically without pressing pause on the rest of my life – work, family, ministry commitments, and the daily rhythms that don’t stop just because you want to study.
It was around the time of the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 that I began to lean into this opportunity more seriously. With normal routines disrupted and life unusually quiet, I found myself drawn toward something deeper. That season became a kind of unexpected gift – a space in which online theological study offered not just learning, but spiritual renewal. It helped me turn enforced stillness into purposeful growth.
Of course, it wasn’t just about convenience. Studying theology online changed the way I see learning as a Christian. Instead of thinking of theological education as something you pursue for a few years and then graduate from, I started to see it as a lifelong calling. I could dig into the Early Prophets one semester, take a course on Reformed theology the next, and then audit a class on spiritual formation. It felt less like earning a credential and more like feeding a hunger.
Naturally, it wasn’t always smooth. I missed the organic conversations that happen in hallways or after class in a traditional setting. I had to learn to be more intentional – posting in forums, showing up for live sessions, asking questions in emails. But I found that instructors were surprisingly responsive, and the online discussions were often more thoughtful than anything I remembered from my in-person college days.
There’s something profoundly encouraging about joining a discussion thread with Christians from all over the world – some pastors, some students, some curious laypeople – all wrestling with Scripture and doctrine together. It reminded me that the Church is much bigger than my local congregation, and that theological reflection isn’t the job of professionals alone.
I also appreciated how online learning forced me to think deeply on my own. There’s a difference between sitting passively in a lecture and actively engaging with ideas through reading, writing, and reflection. In some ways, it taught me how to learn again – not just what to think, but how to think biblically and critically.
Looking back, I can honestly say that online theological study has helped shape my walk with Christ. It gave me tools to understand Scripture more clearly, discern doctrine more carefully, and serve my church more faithfully. It didn’t replace my devotional life or local church community – it deepened both.
Online learning isn’t perfect. It doesn’t replace the embodied experience of sitting in a classroom or worshiping in a chapel. But it has opened doors for people like me – for people who are hungry to grow but rooted where they are. In a time when many are rethinking what education and formation look like, I believe this model has more to offer the Church than we often give it credit for.
If you’re wondering whether it’s worth it – whether you’ll really get anything out of learning theology online – my answer is yes. Not just because it’s possible, but because, when approached with humility and purpose, it can be a form of discipleship.
And discipleship, after all, isn’t bound to a classroom.
Duncan Williams is outreach director for the Christian Free Press and has worked for Son Christian Media here in the UK and Recovery Network Radio in the United States. He is an ordained minister and a long-term member of Christians in Media. He provides content and syndicated news for regional publisher www.inyourarea.co.uk
Why online learning deepened my theological life
