Greetings! I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about further education. My undergraduate degree is in philosophy and I have an MDiv in theology. I am enrolled and getting ready to start a ThM program in historical theology. The more I have thought about what I am looking for as I search for doctoral programs I have come up with the following criteria: #1: I am looking for part-time studies. I have a family and I pastor a church. I cannot uproot my family nor can I put everything on hold while I pursue this full time. Plus, this is *mostly* for personal enrichment. When it is done I want to continue being a pastor. #2: I am looking for a doctoral program that includes coursework and dissertation. I have found many that are dissertation only (research based) and some that are coursework only (usually a 'Doctor of Arts') but I need both. I enjoy coursework and I believe that it helps me to be focused. #3: I am looking for a program that is affordable. I can dedicate about $2,500 annually to my education but I would be hard-pressed to put more toward it. Given the fact that I am not going to be a professor I would not want to put my family in more debt. #4: I am looking for a program in either church history/historical theology or religion/philosophy. Many programs offer PhD in leadership...this strikes me as more of a DMin progran, which is fine but not what I am looking for. #5: I am looking for a program that is accredited and respected. I do not want to throw my money and time away into a program that ends up closing down or being exposed on 60 Minutes for being a diploma mill. I have searched the web quite a bit and cannot yet find a program that meets these different criteria. Have I missed something or am I looking for something that does not exist? Thank you for your thoughts. Everett sDg BA, Philosophy (California State University, San Bernardino) MDiv, Pastoral Theology (Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia)
Not exactly my field but there was a recent thread with a lot of talk about Luther Rice - with a $7,500 DDiv. http://www.lru.edu/Content.aspx?page=degree_dmin
Randell, Thank you. The Doctor of Ministry is a "practical theology" degree. While there are school that will allow you to make it more of an academic endeavor (Reformed Theological and Erskine) they are still practical theology projects more than they are dissertations. I understand that they take a lot of work and are very beneficial to those who pursue them. It is just not the direction I am interested in going. I would like the rigors of a PhD program: languages, comprehensive examinations and a topic of a more academic nature. In the end, I might need to go with the DMin. I am trying to figure out if there are other options. Thank you again. Everett sDg
Regent University www.regent.edu offers a short residency PhD in Renewal Studies with Church History concentration. Does this meet your criteria?
Thank you Randell and Ted. The Regents program is over $40,000 for tuition - just not something I can justify at this point and the D.Div is actually a D.Min, which is an option but not the degree I would like. In the medical world it would be the difference between an M.D. and a PhD - one is for practice while the other is an academic degree. The D.Min requires a project to be completed, which is not like a dissertation since it does not need to be a contribution to the scholarly field but a contribution to the field of practical theology. Thank you, Everett sDg
Hello Everett, Glad to see you're looking for some quality options. I'm making assumptions that may not hold true, but given that you’re coming from WTS, lets see what “Reformed compatible” choices are available for you. 1. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary is Calvinistic, and they now offer their Ph.D. in Christian Philosophy in a modular format. Everyone in the States is familiar with SBTS, so the school’s legitimacy should never be a question. Their fees are reasonable, even for non-SBC students. 2. I think that if you intend doing your Ph.D. anywhere in Historical Theology - Theology - Church History, you can consider the Th.M. as your coursework component. That’s partly tongue in cheek, but partly serious. Schools that include coursework as part of the Ph.D. do it as an entirely separate phase prior to exams and the dissertation phase, so it wouldn’t be a blended process for you anyway. I did an RA/ATS Th.M. and viewed it as preparation equivalent to the doctoral seminars that are the “taught” component of the Ph.D. In fact some of the courses were as a visiting student at other schools in the area and that’s exactly what the courses were used for there. I think that might open up the foreign “thesis-only” doctorates for you. The South African schools are excellent value due to their currency exchange rate, and many faculty are Dutch Reformed. Stellenbosch University (D.Phil., D.Th.) University of Pretoria (D.Th.) University of South Africa (D.Th.) 3. The UK schools are somewhat more expensive than you’re looking for, although if you go part-time the fees are reasonable. They’re still excellent quality and worth looking into. London School of Theology (Ph.D. issued by Middlesex University) St. John’s College (Ph.D. issued by University of Nottingham) Trinity College Bristol (Ph.D. issued by University of Bristol) If you are less concerned about theological compatibility, that opens up schools like Liberty University's Ph.D. in Theology and Apologetics (modular and far superior quality than their current online M.Div.) and Southern Evangelical Seminary's Ph.D. in Apologetics (warning: TRACS-only accreditation.) However, I think the above options, particularly #2 and #3, sound better for you. Best wishes on your search!
Good thought Randell, but unfortunately, LRS doesn't have a Ph.D., only a D.Min. It also shares the same drawback as SES: TRACS accreditation. It's technically equal to SACS or ATS in the eyes of the US Dept of Ed, but hasn't proved to be above criticism, which is not helped by some of the schools they've accredited. While I believe that some of the TRACS schools are academically solid, I'm also pretty sure that I'm in the minority with that.
Hi Dave G.! Thank you for your thoughts on the matter. That is ultimately the way I had been leaning. SBTS is still out reach, financially ($14,000 a year for non SBC students). I could convert for a couple of years; however, that would be unethical and my Presbyterian congregation might wonder about me I lean at this point toward completing the ThM through Puritan Reformed Seminary, which is within driving distance of my home and they allow you to complete it through modules. Then I will decide between the UK versus SA schools. Cost is always a factor for me but I also want to spend the time and money I do have on the best possible education. I am sure I will be back again in a couple of years to see what else has opened up in the way of distance learning. Thank you. Everett sDg
