Jakes Divinity School

I came across Jakes Divinity School and did not have high hopes. TD Jakes Theology has some issues and as I recall he doesn't have any accredited theological education. But, turns out the school did a smart thing. You enroll with them and earn your degree from one of the accredited partner institutions (plus a degree from them). Almost UK style.

It has a unique focus. For instance, the Doctorate focuses on the African diaspora.

A quick survey of staff and faculty and it appears they are all qualified.

Jakes has the money to do this right and apparently did.

https://jakesdivinity.org/accreditation/

 

Sort of like a university-backed propio with how the teaching school awards you a degree and the parent accredited university awards you a degree.

There is a school for teachers with that set up here in the states, can't remember the name but we've discussed it on the forum. Someone here showed me another similar program (not for teaching) but I can't remember that one either. And then of course we have Coursera which itself isn't accredited but teaches for accredited schools that award degrees after completion.

 

Ouch, super expensive for a degree like that. $20k+ for a Bachelor's degree.

 

Yes. Doctorate is $33,000. I imagine the accredited University receives part and Jakes Divinity School receives part in order to cover their faculty. It may appeal to some because it is founded by Jakes and has an African American focus and environment (though there are a couple of non African American faculty).

Jakes is a friend of Oprah and preacher, author, businessman, etc. If I recall he does a lot of community stuff and encourages minority communities to set up businesses and become self sufficient.

 

If by "some issues" you mean he has had a historical connection with a cult (i.e., Oneness Pentecostalism) and long-term promotion of prosperity theology...

 

I wouldn't use the pejorative "cult" but yes I did mean that. As I said, no formal theological education and like Osteen they simply read scripture and make it up as they go. May be sincere but when you don't have the academic background you don't know what you don't know. Unless you slept at a Holiday Inn the night before and then you know things (or so the commercial goes).

Seems to have hired qualified faculty though (of course we don't know their theological positions but can discern that of the degree granting seminaries and universities).

 

Is Dr. Berchtold, architect of all the Swiss-Costaraguan dual and triple awards involved in this? I dislike many Tele-Clergy intensely - only partly because of their frequent reliance on, and flaunting of, substandard or milled degrees. "Shams and scams" as one former poster, who knew religion - and degree mills, well, might have commented.

Here's "Dr." Jakes - along with a lot of other well-known tele-preachers - unplugged - I mean unmasked. A fake-degree feast.

https://dustoffthebible.com/Blog-archive/2015/08/19/dr-who-televangelists-with-fake-educations-and-degrees/

 

There have been a few "friends of Oprah" over the years that I consider phonies. Not that it matters, to Oprah or her "set." I think possibly, she has a fairly strong tendency to see good and overlook detracting issues. She means well.

It's no wonder such people come around -- what person striving to be noticed, wouldn't want to be a "friend of Oprah?" She's their shining Gateway to public adoration. For those would-be friends - it's like getting the Key to Heaven.

 

The term "cult" has four recognized senses within its semantic domain. First, the term can non-pejoratively refer to religious devotion in its technical sense owing to its Latin derivation from cultus. Second, the term can have a sociological/psychological sense referring to a group that imbibes in strange or taboo behavior, has centralized leadership, and is known for sexual, religious, and(or) financial misdealings. Third, the term has a popular and non-pejorative use (e.g., "cult classic film") which refers to a group's popular devotion to an idea, person, or thing. Lastly, there is the theological sense of "cult" which refers to a group derived from a parent religion that abandons central teachings of that parent religion in order to establish a new and heterodox expression. This last sense of the term "cult" is what I meant and, I'd say at this point, I'm qualified to make that judgment.

 

Not a great exposé and not every television preacher is a charlatan (e.g., Billy Graham).

 

Some of it is a little picky. I hadn't thought of LaHaye in a while. He made millions from the Left Behind series (written by the co-author). Hyping the strange brand of premillennialism/Darbyism that caught on in American circles and moral majority type extremism. The Guardian newspaper wrote an interesting article about him when he died.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/jul/28/tim-lahaye-obituary

 

It is equally simple to assert that they are.

 

Evidently, but simple assertions aren't worth much in and of themselves except the value they have to confirm biases and for the uncurious.

 

Thank you for your opinions.

 

Like the one I answered.

 

@SteveFoerster

 

You and me both.

The crummy milled degrees really get on my nerves. Finding out about Jack Van Impe and his wife Rexella both having them really stung. I learned a lot from Jack, his Biblical knowledge was nothing short of incredible. The milling is one thing I'm glad I didn't learn from him...

 

“Matt” strongly disagrees.

 

Who is "Matt"?

 

Perhaps referring to the former tax collector and author.