On Behany TS, From a Current Student

Hello all...I'm an old mostly lurker from aed, but never made the transition when the group migrated here. I'm an old timer and have actually been insulted by Dr. Levicoff before, so I'm no newbie LOL.

I'm two courses and a thesis away from finishing up the MA Religion with Bethany-Dothan. I guess it's "Divinity College" now.

I am pleased. I have gotten my money's worth and I am not in denial. I went into Bethany with my eyes open. I first came into possession of a John Bear book in 1986, and I understood accreditation a long time ago, before the dawn of the internet.

Bethany fills a need in distance education, and it met my need when I really had no other viable alternative that I could see.

Here is what I wind up with from Bethany:

1) a broad Biblical education in the Scriptures and theology, which allows me to teach and preach the entire Bible. I have a set of notes and writings (some which with some tweeking may be publishable) over a broad spectrum of Bible-related topics.

2) a decent understanding of Biblical Hermeneutics, gained in a foundational course using a couple of great texts. It's a blessing and a curse because once you've been exposed to good herm, you see how many preachers have NOT been...even those with M.Div or D.Min behind their name.

3) a small but very strong working library of CLASSIC texts covering a broad range of theology, including the Patristics, the Puritans and coursing through to the modern era. Not one class has been "fundy-based" or narrowly wedged into a late twentieth century fundy interpretation or mind-set.

4) a better understanding of my subject area and my working field than MANY, hey I might even say most similarly educated people from regionally accredited programs. I work in a management position at a large urban research University and have for 18 years, so I have spent the last 22 years of my life on a State college campus. Stories of educated yet functionally illiterate fools abound, but for another time

I have saved a very tight portfolio of my Bethany work and would be more than happy to throw it down in front of any nay-sayer who would wish to challenge me. I regularly talk theology and Bible with pastors who hold doctorates and PhD and I haven't been embarassed yet. I've even seen some of them squirm.

Is Bethany Princeton Seminary or Duke Divinity? NO. I still want to learn Hebrew and Greek, and that will come next. Hebrew and Greek are not important to Fundies, who hold the KJV as perfect. Yes, this is a major weakness of Bethany.

I have a state college degree (BBA) in Accounting and worked my tail off for it. I know what college work is about and while Bethany has not been "rocket science" as we say, it has been no easy ride. I've nursed it for too long with a couple of extended breaks, but even going full bore, it would have taken me two full years to get through the coursework with no breaks.

Bottom line: Bethany fills a need and Bethany delivers. It is NOT for everyone. Before I enrolled I talked with a US Government attorney working in Taiwan who was a student with Bethany. I talked with an Anglican Vicar. Bethany has a broad cross-section of Christendom represented in its student ranks.

I would be willing to state that Bethany is likely the cream of the crop of its kind...the unaccredited distance ed Bible schools. I wouldn't trade my Bethany degree for three from Trinity (even with that LIVERPOOL accred.) or four fishwrappers from the Walston Shrine...lol.

I am about to write my Bethany Master's thesis. When it is published later, I will make some comp copies available to you guys.

Take care everyone, let the flames begin.

Pastor Mark

 

Pastor Mark,

Welcome to the forum! DegreeInfo has several regulars who are interested in theological/ministerial/religious degree programs.

Having spent, as you state, the last 22 years on a State college campus, and having earned the RA BBA, how would you compare Bethany's courses in terms of:

1) Number of texts per course?
2) Pages of reading per course?
3) Number of papers, and what length, per course?
4) Proctored exams? Design of exams?
5) Interaction with professors?

Thanks,

 

Re: Re: On Behany TS, From a Current Student

Bill we've got to stop reading each other's posts. I'm taking an interest in Christian stuff and you're approaching vulgarity. This can't do either of us any good.

 

Re: Re: Re: On Behany TS, From a Current Student

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But it evens out Dennis;you are sanctified and I fall from grace

 

Good luck to you Pastor Mark. The defensive tone I may wrongly sense is probably something that you are going to have to get used to using in reference to Bethany. As Bill pointed out there are so many affordable accredited DL options available at the Masters level.

Are you going to try and get into a doctorate program? If so I would try to salvage this by attmepting to get into an accredited program.

Good luck to you.

North