MDiv Degree Differences by School Type

I would add another growing group: Seminaries under the authority of a local Church.

Do I think there is a difference? Yes!

Personally, I think the Seminary training becomes more institutionalized the larger entity it becomes. As well, a seminary's focus becomes less Pastoral focused and more saturated when it is "one of" the things it does rather than the main thing it does in the bigger institutions.

Granted, early on in the life of the organization that may not be true, but the longer the institution is around the more saturated the focus becomes.

 

Church-based seminaries like Master's Seminary and SBTS (yes, the Big six are church based) offer similar M.Divs. I don't see a lot of M.Divs from schools like Carson-Newman, Georgetown, etc., as they have grad schools of Religion. Schools like Baylor, Duke, Samford, etc that have a divnity school will have M.Divs and others.

 

One aspect of this discussion is that I suspect you will not find much of a focus on practical pastoral ministry in the graduate school of religion type. This is more focused on the academic -- Biblical, theological, philosophical -- etc., rather than on skills and techniques of preaching, pastoral care, church administration, etc.

Some will doubtless argue that a degree from a university-related div school will be more academic and will contain more exposure to diverse points of view than a confessional seminary. Maybe so, particularly in the present SBC circumstances, but it is entirely possible that a solid confessional or denominational seminary can provide exposure, critique, and solid knowledge as well as the practical side of ministry. And then, in Baptist life, there is also that all-crucial business of making connections that will help you with placement (said with tongue only slightly in cheek).

A case in point to advocate for the confessional seminary (assuming it is not hobbled with trying to defend a narrow theology): you cite as a co-editor of a book Bobby Agee. Though I have not seen him in years, we were seminarians together at SBTS in the '60's. What a fine mind and what a capable scholar! When you look at men like him there should be no doubt of the value of the education received under the circumstances of an honest and yet confessional seminary.

 

I've never really consider the differences too much, but I am very interested to hear the thoughts on this. It peaked my curiosity.

In the same vein, David Alan Black, my new faculty mentor, advised me to consider a secular university for a PhD after my ThM. I would wonder what the thoughts are on that after securing a solid MDiv or ThM from a good evangelical seminary. I know a couple of Hebrew/OT/Semitics guys who have done this very thing. They did an MDiv &/or ThM and went to a University (Wisconsin, Cornell, UCLA, etc.) and got the MA & PhD in Semitic studies. They always turn out to be some of the best OT scholars I know.