Association of Reformed Theological Seminaries: A Legit Attempt at Unrecognized Accreditation?

Discussion in 'Accreditation Discussions (RA, DETC, state approva' started by Michael Burgos, Aug 3, 2021.

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  1. Michael Burgos

    Michael Burgos Active Member

    Again, this isn't really relevant to the OP. However, you would be hard pressed to defend that assertion. Even the revisionists acknowledge the substantive and foundational role of the Christian tradition in the formation of the West.
     
  2. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    Irrelevant
    Condescending and boring, but thankfully brief. I like that in inanity.
    Not your call, "bro."
     
  3. Michael Burgos

    Michael Burgos Active Member

    Don't confuse condescension with a recognition of your indefensible and irreverent quip. I hope you raise(d) your children better. Even in this "conversation" you're depending upon transcendental realities (i.e., uniformity; laws of logic) in order to write your juvenile tripe. These are things your godless perspective assumes and yet cannot account for. Please, don't make me feel sympathetic embarrassment for your bankrupt views.
     
  4. Bill Huffman

    Bill Huffman Well-Known Member

    Thank you for the good laugh!
    :D
     
    Michael Burgos likes this.
  5. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    Ahh, a second helping of stupid nonsense. And I didn't even order it! You must be having a special today.

    Well, thanks for the word salad. I'm looking forward to anything you might post related to the actual purpose of this board.
     
    Bill Huffman likes this.
  6. Michael Burgos

    Michael Burgos Active Member

    That is ironic coming from the captain of the red herring squad.
     
  7. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Does anyone have anything else to say that's on topic?
     
    Rich Douglas likes this.
  8. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    Nope. Mr Burgos deserves the last word.
     
  9. Neuhaus

    Neuhaus Well-Known Member

    Yes and no. It depends on the accreditor in question.

    If Neuhausian Christianity represented a double digit percentage of Christians in the United States then having the accreditation of the non-DOE recognized Associate of Neuhausian Theological Schools might matter more than if that same institution was accredited by TRACS or ABHE or DEAC, for example. It's one of the main reasons we see such anomalies around alumni outcomes with graduates of LBU. The faith based affiliation gives them traction that a secular unaccredited school cannot muster.

    I do agree, though, that for purposes of financial aid and employment with employers who require degrees from an accredited institution that unaccredited and accredited by an unrecognized entity is functionally the same. But, as with all of this, there is nuance and it gets much murkier as you delve into the religious circles.
     
  10. Michael Burgos

    Michael Burgos Active Member

    I discovered that ARTS has applied for CHEA recognition.
     
  11. Garp

    Garp Well-Known Member

    Good for them. They seem to be legitimate and deal with bricks and mortar Reformed Seminaries.
     
  12. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    I don't. But you're right.

    A large part of accreditation is about recognition. Being recognized by an unrecognized body is kind of pointless. Unless, of course, it is leading to recognition.

    We saw this with the National Association of Private Nontraditional Schools. It was a legitimate attempt to establish an alternative accrediting body. But most of its schools (eventually) left as DEAC began accrediting DL schools in significant numbers. It was down to just a few schools when it closed shop.
     
  13. Neuhaus

    Neuhaus Well-Known Member

    Well, I suppose I would pick up the thread here and say that you're right, accreditation is about recognition. The question is who you are trying to be recognized by. Accreditation, as we discuss it, is a recognition by the federal government through a private entity. It's an indirect way of saying you're legit enough for USDOE.

    If recognition by the American Baptist Church or the Seventh Day Adventists means more to you, then a school recognized by either of those will be more tempting than a secular school with bulletproof accreditation.

    We see LBU grads in doctoral and professional programs at Regent and Liberty. To them, the religious recognition seems to mean more than the secular recognition. We see people with doctorates from Trinity (Newburgh) teaching at accredited bible colleges. Again, the religious credit means more to them than the secular.

    That degree from Trinity won't count for a job with the federal government. It would be useless for immigrating to Canada. The school district you work for probably won't give you the pay raise when you earn that degree. But, it is recognized by similarly believing religious institutions which form an industry unto themselves. You could be a professor who is gainfully employed by multiple bible colleges throughout your life with an unaccredited PhD while someone with a doctorate from an RA school struggles to find work.

    If Harvard withdrew all of its accreditation tomorrow but retained their qualification for, say, bar admission in most states, do you think Harvard would take a serious hit to its reputation for not being ABA? Maybe a little. And it's an extreme example because it has such a powerful alumni base. But I think you get the idea. If all of the Ivy League schools withdrew from their institutional accreditors and announced they were forming an alternate association, people would still line up for those schools.

    So yeah, it's pointless if it doesn't lead to actual recognition. My point is just that it might, just not the recognition we always talk about and that many here place quite a bit of value in.
     
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