Old Andersonville Thread had Me Laughing

This thread is closed but the banter with Awonder was hilarious and Steve Levicoff weighed in with one of his all time funniest remarks (I will remember it forever).

"Heck, I upgraded Andersonville years ago - from a diploma mill to a degree mill, from a scam to a sham, and from a sleazy rip-off to, um, a sleazy rip-off.
:drive:"

Levicoff was channeling his inner Ricky Gervais.

https://www.degreeinfo.com/index.php?threads/andersonville-theological-seminary-recently-upgraded-courses-and-affiliates.51272/

Degreeinfo is still here so I guess the Attorney General had no interest

 

And some old names who have gone for one reason or another. Kizmet. Not sure where he went. Steve and Me Again were exiled to Siberia I believe. Ted Heiks passed away if I am not mistaken.

Degreeinfo is still here. Andersonville is still here. Apparently the Attorney General wasn't interested in either of them.

 

Funny thread. I had spoken to a few Andersonville devotees since giving my personal experience on this board. They claimed Andersonville was improving by leaps and bounds. Admittedly, I looked at a few of their new syllabi, and the courses were certainly improved. Credible amounts of written work were required, albeit some of it pedantic and seemingly useless. Reading requirements were marginal (no reading had been required previously apart from the Bible). However, the school just made available several "biblical exposition" degrees (including a doctorate) that require only a Bible (i.e., the Bible is the only textbook). The workload and structure of these courses is incredibly substandard. I suppose what the good Rev. Hayes gave with one hand, he took away with the other.

 

Biblical Exposition degrees including a doctorate requiring only one book (the Bible). Don't exposition degrees require classes in things like original languages, culture courses, history courses, etc? How do you do a doctorate with one book? Are they writing heavy duty research papers using other material?

 

Never mind. Just read the catalogue. The Doctor of Biblical Exposition requires 5 classes at 4 credits each and is good for those who dislike traditional final exams or have have trouble with lectures. Plus only one text according to Michael (saves money). Not sure what else is required but Levicoff would probably say Holy Degrees Mill folks.

 

Normally the order goes like this: Introductory biblical studies => Greek (i.e., elementary I, II, and syntax) concurrently with Hebrew (I, II, and intermediate) => Exegetical courses in OT/NT => homiletics (i.e., biblical exposition). Often, students will take a year of elementary language courses in the undergrad as a prerequisite for another year grad work in each language. That was my route and it was expected or one would have to take remedial courses. Folks who take an MDiv with a languages concentration usually take the equivalent of an extra year. For those who take the MA route, they may have more or less (or none depending), or lots of credits in only one language and perhaps a research language (e.g., French, Latin, German).

It's an ungodly scam, ironically. And no, they aren't heavy in anything.

 

And the doctorate only touches on five books of the whole Bible. Simply seems to build from the Associates level taking different books.

How does a "Christian" with "earn" one of these and with a straight face promote their degrees and call themselves "Dr." Perhaps an ethics class should be required?

 

I asked that question in their group. The amount of pseudo-spiritual griping was amazing. When I mocked the fill-in-the-blank nonsense, one guy told me, "Andersonville has transformed my ministry." Another claimed I was a shill for theological liberals.

 

"Theological liberals". So ethics is liberal. Expecting a degree to meet normative educational standards is "liberal"?

 

Maybe they’re Straussians?

LMFAO

 

That sort of self righteous idiocy bothers me. Probably the same ones pointing all kinds of fingers at others but no qualms about doing a sub sub standard degree (excuse my use of the term degree) when it benefits them because it is for the Lord. Plus they want the praise of men by appearing to be educated.

 

Johann is the Keith Richards of the Forum world. Here before us and here long after we are all gone.

 

Yes, because the Bible in the original language (ENGLISH) is all you need.

 

I think they are King James version only. So, everything stopped at that point. They hold to a high point on that issue but apparently not on scholarship. Everyone can earn a degree without intellectual strain or overworking.

The abuse of Michael Burgos (he mentioned) seems indicative of people who know they are doing the wrong thing but don't want their behavior pointed out. Many degree mills seem to have this self congratulatory choir of students and alumni who talk up the slop that passes for a degree. Why the religious ones are some of the worst I don't know.

It is obviously not just the students. A school that sets the bar so low needs an ethics class too. But this is probably mutually beneficial. The student gets a relatively cheap five class doctorate that uses one text (saves multiple online Amazon purchases), they don't have bothersome work to do that would be required in an accredited doctorate, they get a diploma and title. The school gets money, a whole lotta money. Everybody is happy. To paraphrase Oprah, "a degree for you, and a degree for you, everybody gets a degree".

Religious Exemption allows "religious" operators to police themselves. Many of them either don't know what they are doing (they have no genuine academic background) or aren't very ethical. Some consumers are mislead or delude themselves.

 

In my previous life as a ministry professional (sadly, divorce statistic), I met several pastors who heralded their "credentials" obtained through these bogus schools. You could always spot them--when this wonderful doctorate was conferred, suddenly EVERYTHING in their lives had Dr. in front of it.

Seminary took me two tries and I am still in contact with a professor from Western Seminary who earned his PhD in Historical Theology. He is one of the finest academic minds with whom I have ever had the pleasure to interact. I am sure he would shudder at the thought of this quip from Andersonville: A Dissertation is strongly recommended for all students completing the Th.D. program, but it is not required at this time.

LBU is equally bankrupt, IMHO.

 

When you are accredited by God you don't need no stinkin dissertations. And apparently for some of their programs, no textbooks (other than the Bible) and no research. Your professor must have compromised with the world and Satan. The Lord leads special annointed people to the wide and easy freeway to a doctorate. Dissertations are for worldly people deceived by the flesh.

 

`

Hallelujah! Give this man a white suit, a big white hat -- a red Cadillac convertible and an Andersonville PhD! (Yes, I know it was sarcasm. )

 

I'm honoured. Beyond gratitude. Speechless! Just to be compared to Keith in any way. Here are some "comparison facts."

Keith: Age 79.
Johann: Age 80

Keith: Spent childhood in Deptford - South-East London
Johann: Spent childhood in Palmers Green - North London (18 miles from Deptford)

Keith: Great Guitar Player - Lots of originality
Johann - Crap Guitar player -- but can play 8 bars of anything he's copied
(Both agree that many Western people who can't play Malagueña iare not guitarists. Keith wrote that in a book.)

Keith: Owns 3,000 guitars
Johann: Owns 8 guitars
(This difference is due to net worth -Keith's. His net worth is 5,000 times Johann's.)

Keith: Dropped out of Art College -- and look what happened!
Johann: Graduated from College at 46 -- and nothing happened.

Keith: "Preaching is tax-free. Very little to do with God, a lot to do with money."
Johann: Believes that.

Keith wins, in a total landslide. No doubt of that. No sore loser here.

 

I think ethnic and racial exclusions apply to that belief. Not judging folks who don't have Malagueña in their musical idiom. I'm sure that Keith wasn't, either. For instance, he's learned more about Black music of all kinds than just about anyone.