Thread: Best Evangelical Seminary

I'm curious to know if any has a rough idea of the expected costs of a year (tuition and board) at any of the following seminaries? Also, which has the most rigorous scholarship?

1. Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
2. Reformed Theological Seminary
3. Westminster Theological Seminary
4. Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
5. Covenant Seminary
6. Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary

I'm a TNARS Bachelor of Arts in Theological Studies student, considering further study options. Would appreciate any recommendations also...or personal feedback on any of the above, particularly Master's Level courses.

I'm not sure how to answer because there are so many factors in play.

1) You will not have an accredited BA. This is going to make the admission process more difficult. Many schools will admit students on probation or conditionally, but it all depends on the individual institution.

2) Denominational affiliation. Depending on which denomination you intend to work in, different seminaries might have different advantages.

3) Theological orientation. Do you want a strictly reformed seminary or a more broadly evangelical one?

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My thoughts:

If you want a broadly evangelical seminary, it's a toss-up between TEDS and GCTS. TEDS is on the campus of a university, so this might change things for you. Both are respected institutions. GCTS has multiple locations, so you might want to check on the Charlotte vs. the Boston campuses.

If you want a reformed seminary, I'd suggest Westminster (PA) from that list. Westminster California is also an option. RTS (again, multiple campuses, MS and FL) is also respected in reformed circles. Covenant Seminary is good if you want to work in PCA churches. PRTS is too new to really have much clout, but if your denomination likes it, it may be beneficial for you.

DTS has an online tool that lets you compare the cost of various schools, I'm not sure how up-to-date the info is, but it should give you at least a rough idea re costs:

Seminary Comparison | Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS)

Thanks StefanM for your thoughts. Your comments accord with what I was already thinking. I realize that TNARS isn't accredited, but I'd be hoping that inspection of my coursework would at least allow me a probationary period.

I would be most inclined towards Gordon-Conwell for the rigorous scholarship reason, as well as its long-standing reputation. TEDS also interests, with the D.A. Carson and Grudem affiliations. I would be more inclined towards a broadly evangelical school than a strictly reformed one, although most of my convictions lie in the former camp. What do you mean about TEDS being on the campus of a university? What difference might this make?

Thanks emmzee for the very helpful calculator tool; I wasn't aware of it. Costs are quite expensive for the MDiv program. Are scholarships easy to come by?

Also, is Gordon-Conwell slightly more liberal than TEDS...or are both solidly within the conservative evangelical camp for the most part? I understand Timothy J. Keller attended GC for his MDiv, while Carson/Grudem both lectured at TEDS. Are any of the seminaries ecumenical as regards their position on the Roman Catholic Church?

Any thoughts welcomed.

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My choice would be Fuller Theological Seminary.

I had a great experience at Asbury Theological Seminary, Kentucky campus.

Originally Posted by xtrabusy

I would be most inclined towards Gordon-Conwell for the rigorous scholarship reason, as well as its long-standing reputation. TEDS also interests, with the D.A. Carson and Grudem affiliations. I would be more inclined towards a broadly evangelical school than a strictly reformed one, although most of my convictions lie in the former camp. What do you mean about TEDS being on the campus of a university? What difference might this make?

TEDS is on the campus of Trinity International University. The difference between a divinity school in the context of a university and a free-standing seminary is that the divinity school will be in the context of the university community, including undergraduates and graduate students studying outside the field of religion. A free-standing seminary will focus exclusively on theological education , so you won't have as much demographic variety. IMO, both models work, but your personal preferences often play a role.

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Originally Posted by xtrabusy

Also, is Gordon-Conwell slightly more liberal than TEDS...or are both solidly within the conservative evangelical camp for the most part? I understand Timothy J. Keller attended GC for his MDiv, while Carson/Grudem both lectured at TEDS. Are any of the seminaries ecumenical as regards their position on the Roman Catholic Church?

Any thoughts welcomed.

Based on the statements of faith, I would say that both schools are conservative. I don't have any information on ecumenism.

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My personal selections and in this order would be:

Duke Divinity School
Princeton Seminary
Notre Dame
Westminster Theological Seminary
Oxford
Cambridge
Toronto School of Theology
Wycliffe College
Boston College
Fordham
St. Louis U
Marquette
University of Chicago Divinity School
Yale Divinity School
Harvard Divinity School
Vanderbilt Divinity School
Catholic University
Pepperdine (Seaver College)
Perkins School of Theology (SMU)
Truett Theological Seminary (Baylor)
Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology (Berkley)
Creighton University
Abilene Christian Graduate School of Theology
Hazelip School of Theology (David Lipscomb)
Harding School of Theology
Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

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Re major56's list, it really depends where someone would like to teach. Duke is considered more liberal AFAIK, so if you want to teach at a conservative school (or become a pastor at an evangelical/conservative church) then as prestigious as the Duke name is, it won't help you in that regard. (Same with Yale & Harvard.) I have to ask why you listed TEDS last? I'm glad to see Toronto School of Theology near the top of your list though, I'm considering applying to them for January 2012.

Emmzee,

Though listed lastly (Trinity Evangelical Divinity School), my generic listings were entirely personal. The order really had little to do with program recognition or quality. Even though I’m Church of Christ, I also listed the four CoC schools nearer the bottom (Pepperdine, ACU, Lipscomb, and Harding) in an attempt to be impartial in my personal rankings.

Originally Posted by major56

My personal selections and in this order would be:

Duke Divinity School
Princeton Seminary
Notre Dame
Westminster Theological Seminary
Oxford
Cambridge
Toronto School of Theology
Wycliffe College
Boston College
Fordham
St. Louis U
Marquette
University of Chicago Divinity School
Yale Divinity School
Harvard Divinity School
Vanderbilt Divinity School
Catholic University
Pepperdine (Seaver College)
Perkins School of Theology (SMU)
Truett Theological Seminary (Baylor)
Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology (Berkley)
Creighton University
Abilene Christian Graduate School of Theology
Hazelip School of Theology (David Lipscomb)
Harding School of Theology
Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Thanks for your suggestions, although I am DEFINITELY attending an evangelical seminary because of my convictions. Why is Gordon Conwell not in the list?

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I'm not a seminary kind of guy but if I were looking I'd start with the much respected and well regarded Moody Bible Institute and also check out Liberty University and last but not least, Luther Rice University.

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Friendorfoe, your theological persuasion is revealed in your choices. Moody and Liberty would be both Arminian-inclined seminaries, whereas I would be more inclined toward a Reformed or neutral seminary. Any suggestions in that line?

	Liberty University Liberty University Liberty offers online degrees in the following subject areas: a huge selection of programs in Religious Studies (Associate's, Bachelor's, and Master's), a Master's Degree in Human Services, Master of Science in Nursing, Business (Associate's, Bachelor's, and MBA), Education and Teaching (Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctorate), Liberal Arts (Associate's, Bachelor's, and Master's), and Counseling (Associate's, Bachelor's, and Master's). Liberty has an outstanding reputation for the quality of its education and scholarship, though the strong Christian affiliation may be objectionable to some. The school is regionally accredited, the most widely recognized accreditation. Click Here to receive FREE information on this school.

You might be interested in checking out the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY. It is a conservative, Calvinistic seminary in the Baptist tradition.