Bears' Guide: 15th Edition Suggestions

John,

In a recent thread you stated that the 15th Edition of Bears' Guide is scheduled for January 2003, and that work has already begun. I also read in another post that the non-RA accrediting agency chapter would be expanded.

Could I make a request for consideration? Since Name It Frame It is now several years old--basically out of date--and Walston's Guide is also a few years old, would there be a possibility of including a chapter on religious/theological institutions?

I believe that a chapter on these schools in the 15th Edition--or perhaps a separate volume, such as the one on educational programs--would be a valuable resource for those interested in religious/theological studies.

Thanks for your consideration, and for your innovative research in distance learning.

 

Thank you for the thoughtful suggestion, Russell. As you may know, there was a sizeable section on religious schools in Bears' Guide at one time. I stopped for a combination of reasons
• Others (Walston, Levicoff, Baker) were doing it better,
• It was very labor intensive, but of interest (from one survey) to a tiny percentage of readers (under 3%), and
• I suffered more abuse from that chapter than from all the others put together. A remarkable amount of really nasty mail (in the pre-Email era). I still remember one of the most hostile letters I ever got related to my categorizing a particular RA school as affiliated with the Missouri Synod Lutherans, when it was in fact the Wisconsin Synod. ("We'd sooner be affiliated with the devil, as I assume you are, than with the Missouri Synod." That sort of thing.)

So I just don't know. My role in BG15 will be more supervisory than participatory (I have been trying, without much success, to retire), but I'll be sure daughter Mariah and the publisher keep this in mind.

Perhaps, in the publisher's current approach, to a series of specialized books (Bears' Guide to the Best Education Degrees by Distance Learning), also Computer, also MBAs, it might be appropriate to do one on religious degrees.

Incidentally, what do you (and others) think of Baker's Guide to Christian Distance Education (www.bakersguide.com). Is that more current and relevant?

 

Baker's Guide is a fine source of information about distance learning programs in the US. However, in religious/theological fields, there is still a very limited range of options, especially where academic (versus "professional" or "practitioner") master's and doctoral degrees are concerned. Baker's guide certainly reflects this limitation. In my opinion, a much more complete service is rendered by providing prospective students the opportunity to become familiarized with credible options overseas. Such options are far more plentiful and affordable.

Cory Seibel

 

In my opinion, the truly complete guide to theological/religious degrees by distance learning has yet to be written. No author has yet managed to adequately convey the vast array of options available globally. Walston's Guide, while an excellent source, is, as Russell mentions, now outdated. Furthermore, it simply does not provide as exhaustive a survey of available distance-learning programs as I'd like to see. There now are a whole host of master's-level programs being made available through institutions in the UK, South Africa, and Australia that today's community of potential distance learning students simply do not know enough about.

Cory

 

Perhaps the CCF can do a divide-and-conquer effort.

 

Baker's Guide is indeed a relevant source for DL programs, and I think it is more current than both NIFI and Walston's Guide. Jason lists only schools which have USDoE recognized accreditation, which basically involves only US schools.

Like Cory, I would like to see a comprehensive work which lists both US and non-US options. And for those in that niche who do not necessarily need a RA degree, an updated presentation of substantive credible non-RA/TRACS/GAAP options. This of course would be for those, e.g., who may be serving in a pastorate, as a missionary, etc., who do not need or cannot afford a RA program, but who want a legitimate program designed to prepare for and enhance one's ministry.

 

I think that the subject of religious degrees is so large that a book length treatment is probably necessary.

There are so many religious DL programs, and countless hordes of non-accredited schools and mills as well. Accreditation issues are more controversial and murky for religious schools. Just think of the religious exemptions.

Even among accredited schools, things are more complex. There are denominational affiliations. How accepting *are* churches of prospective clergy educated in a different denomination's tradition? And then there are the differences of academic approach: Just among programs that call themselves "religious studies", there are UCSB-style scholarly comparative religion programs with graduate courses in Advaita and Abhidhamma, as well as programs that require their students to sign statements of personal faith in the inerrant verbal inspiration of the Bible. Those kind of differences are just as important as accreditation in choosing a compatible program.

A chapter on typical educational preparation for professional clergy would be helpful for many students. Students would also benefit from some explanation of the various degree titles common in religion, from M.Div.s and Th.D.s, to M.A.R.s and Ph.D.s. What *is* the difference between an M.A. in theology and a Th.M.?

Then there are all the foreign DL (or are they DL?) programs, a subject that is as incomprehensible to the unenlightened mind as three hypostases in one ousia.

There are non-Christian offerings like Naropa's, Sunderland's new Buddhist studies masters or the several Jewish alternatives. Add in all the quasi-religious programs like transpersonal studies from the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology or Saybrook's stuff. There are even interesting non-accredited things like San Diego University for Integrative Studies' DL offerings in Tibetan Buddhist psychology. There are Islamic programs from out of places like Pakistan too, I think. There needs to be at least one chapter that expands the Protestant Christian theological focus.

I like it a lot, it's excellent work. But his emphasis is a little tangential to my own interests.

 

Hm...

 

I've been threatening to write a multifaith competitor to Baker's and Walston's guides for years now, but it's very difficult to nail down how such a book would be marketed (or at least that's what the rejection letters say). For example, Degree.net would be the most likely to buy such a book--but as John pointed out, only a small number of people interested in general DL issues are interested in religious DL. Religious publishers would be the most able to market such an idea, but the least willing to take a risk on it. And so forth. It's not enough to write a great book--we'd have to know how to work it in with the publisher's existing marketing channels, or create new ones on a relatively small budget.

One idea that did cross my mind--and I'm still pitching books along these lines as we speak--is to do series titles dedicated to specific religious traditions. One of my longtime no-sellers (such a no-seller that I think it's safe to mention it here, since it's likely that nobody stealing the idea could possibly take it to a publisher) is The Mailbox Maven: A Guide to Jewish Distance Education. I've sent it to nearly every Jewish publisher in Writer's Market, and they've all come back with a resounding no. They just don't know where the audience for it would be. (Though I suspect my sequel, The Mailbox Mohel, would be even less marketable.)


Cheers,

 

If I could bend the discussion away from the topic of religious education for a moment...
I recently purchased a copy of Bears 14th Edition.
Overall I have found it to be accurate and of high quality. However, as a Social Worker I flipped to first to the SW section and chased down some details. There were some discrepancies. For example, the UNISA PhD in Social Work, which is listed aas being "NR," is not really NR (as evidenced by my email correspondence with UNISA on this specific topic). It's not a big deal as I believe that anyone considering a degree program should do their own research. But, there are a number of programs described as being "NR" that are really "SR." Is it a big deal? Probably not, as I believe that we should all do our own research. However, as the topic subject line asks for suggestions, mine is this: Just because a DL school is generally NR doesn't mean that that ALL the schools programs are NR. As I've discovered in several DL "near miss" situations,
"the devil is in the details." Often, the difference between an ideal program and a simply interesting program is to be found in such small distinctions. (P.S. It's still the best book in the field)
Jack

 

I like your (Tom's) idea of a multifaith book.