Unaccredited Masters in Theology

Master of Divinity | The North American Reformed Seminary

Just go down the list. 60, 90 (but for 6 hours), 60, etc.

The usual assignment is "Read book" or "listen to lecture" then "Write 20/30 pages" about it.

 

I took a closer look. That is a lot of writing but I'll take that over exams as a more pertinent interaction with ideas any day.

 

I know of only one accredited theological seminary that requires a thesis: Payne Theological Seminary Payne Seminary .

 

Perhaps with multiple choice exams, but essay exams have the potential to accomplish the same thing. I disagree, though, that it would constitute a "more pertinent interaction with ideas." Part of the writing process is being able to find a topic, to focus on that topic, and to make your points in a cogent, precise fashion.

"Read a book and write 30 pages on it." Seriously?

This does raise another issue, though.

I've taken my share of courses in religion and theology from different schools, and I have always been baffled by the inferiority complex that I've seen in some circles evangelical academia, often in pastoral training.

"Shouldn't you be as prepared as a medical doctor?"

Apples and oranges. Medical training is science-intensive, and religion is firmly in the humanities. Pastors don't conduct experiments. (Well, at least not the kind you would publish in a scientific journal...)

Also, medical doctors go through four years of medical school with an extended residency afterward. I don't see that very often in ministry circles.

Furthermore, medical schools have extremely rigorous admission standards. Unless you are willing to limit your clergy pool to the top 15-20% of graduating college students, the medical school model doesn't really work for seminary.

"Our programs must be rigorous."

Of course, this all hinges on the definition of rigor. IMO, page count does not equal true rigor.

For me, writing an extended paper is easier but is more time-consuming. If you want to make me sweat, give me an assignment with a low page limit, and expect me to cover all my bases with the limited space. Every word counts. In fact, I would suggest that for training pastors, this would be a better way. The last person a layperson needs is a long-winded pastor.
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I will preface the statements below with a warning that I am biased in this department, so I know that my statements may be colored by that bias.

It seems to me that the "love" for TNARS is solely based on the fact that it is a "reformed" institution (although "institution" might be stretching it, due to the nature of the programs). While not all reformed/Calvinist individuals are this way, there is a segment in reformed circles that tends to view things in black and white.

Reformed =great, awesome, the best.

Not reformed = bad, possibly unsaved, worthless.

(And to be fair, there are some non-Calvinists that view all things reformed in the same fashion.)

For TNARS, the mentoring format has promise, but the style of assignments they have chosen and the use of public domain texts makes their programs incomparable to a seminary course of study, IMO.

 

All good points. I was being pithy about the writing over exams. I actually prefer a combination of the two BUT pastors should be writers. Concise matters. Ability to convey clear ideas with attention to nuance and application matters. Critical thinking matters. I'm appalled at the lack of critical thinking among many if my colleagues, who seem to prefer "being nice" to being accurate, articulate, and clear.

You've got to able to write in training to learn how to organize thoughts. This is why I like Nations University over TNARS. While I have reformed leanings, they have a more complete curriculum.

 

I agree for the most part. I think that some of the niceties have been counterbalances to the zealous pursuits of others.

I think that for pastors, the best rule of thumb is "Complexity in thought, simplicity in expression." As spiritual as it may sound to get up just to "Preach the Bible," the reality is far more complex. However, the other side of the coin is that pastors can overwhelm the audience with far too much information.

I think that the goal of theology and preaching for a pastor should be to grasp the concepts deeply while cultivating an ability to express them in an understandable and judicious fashion. As someone who has taken Greek and Hebrew, I can appreciate why someone would get excited about the syntactical nuances of a phrase, but if you start talking about it too much, you end up like the quirky kid at the high school party trying to tell everyone about your pet rock collection.

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I know this might be off-topic, but it's relevant for pastoral training.....

This tension is why I don't like expository sermons. If done well, expository sermons can be very good. Unfortunately, I have not heard many do them very well. I actually think that for most of these sermons, a better term would be exegetical lectures.

Sure, dig deep in the original languages, look at the annals of church history, and study all you can, but the congregation doesn't need to hear all of that to get the point. "Expository" messages often feel a lot like reading the NIV Application Commentary due to all the exegetical detail with some sprinkled-in application. IMO, that's not necessarily the best method.


But I digress...
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My thoughts exactly.

 

Any other Golden State School of Theology grads have any input? Thanks!

 

I've just finished a DMin at GSST and am very happy with it. The bottom line is that you get out of it what you put in. You can put in very little effort and sail through each course quickly, or you can do the work expected and learn an awful lot. It comes down to your motivation at the end of the day. I decided on GSST because I wanted something very cheap and 100% DL. It met all my requirements and expectations.

 

Thank you, sir!

 

Congratulations! At the end of the day it largely true that we get out of education what we put in. Consider, am I done learning because I have a doctorate? Surely not! We are always learning, more or less, to the degree that we invest in learning.

 

Thanks PilgrimPastor, I agree totally - I've just passed another milestone on the learning journey - it is a lifestyle, not a sprint.

 

Really? Not having one I did not know this.

 

Am I correct in assuming that GSST leans towards the Pentecostal side of the spectrum? I've done a little looking around online at their alumni and that was the impression that I got. Please correct me if I'm mistaken.

 

It is very open to all sorts - I'm Anglican, leaning on the more anglo-catholic side of things, and enjoyed studying there