Comparing online seminaries

For what it's worth....
I'm in the online/distance program at Southern Evangelical, and for me, it's either get the education online or not at all. The specific program at SES is not taught anywhere close to me, and I'm not in a position to ask the rest of my family to give up their lives and move.

Further, I have done about 60 graduate hours at state schools, culminating in an M.Ed. Almost all of that was significantly easier than what I'm doing now at seminary.

What I'm missing by not attending the brick and mortar building is the comraderie and making the contacts.

 

Why? I am in a doctoral program at a state university and plan to graduate in the Spring semester of 2007. So far I have had two interviews with two universities. I have not sent out any resumes or filled out any applications. They have contacted me first.

 

"Most" and "some" are very important words. (Even at the institutions you named, it's easy to get a sub-par education, even with the excellent education offered.) However, so many of the colleges have become "seeker friendly" and give out diplomas to those who don't deserve them.

By the same token, this does not infer that all DE educations are quality either. He simply stated that a degree from Phoenix is far more valuable than a degree from UTC or many other state institutions.

Here where I live, you can get credit hours for fly fishing and kayaking, as well as astrology, and some other New Age junk.

And no, he doesn't deal strictly with MBA's, but they are important. I remember when I was in DC, I dealt with people with all sorts of degrees who could not even do simple math and write simple reports. They had degrees all over the place that colleges gave them.

As a side note, I think this appalling lack of education is a tool that Satan uses to keep people ignorant of the deeper things of God. If they don't understand English, how can you expect them to understand Greek?

 

Some folks around the country are now getting caught with phony degrees. It seeems like the number of religious mills have increased as well.

Tell your friend to come to the University of Northern Iowa. A higher percentage of the students in the business school from UNI than from any other college and university in the US who take the CPA test for the first time have passed the test.

I agree with you about English. Some people are proud of ignorance. They feel that education keeps you from being faithful. Education just increases the responsibility because you do know. With increased knowledge comes increased pain.

 

Sadly, many of these degrees are legitimate. Many colleges continue in the idea that you can't damage the self-esteem of someone by failing them.

Sometimes, you can take two people with the same degrees from the same school, and one of them took full advantage of the education that was offered and is brilliant. The other one simply has a piece of paper that he was given.

My friend has no shortage of clients, and I'm sure he's aware of the colleges that put out sound students. He's quite successful at what he does.

BTW, I also have heard many people lament that with a good education you can't hear the Holy Spirit. I contend that without an education, you don't know the difference between a present, active, participle and a Chevy van. I think many lament that, as you say, because they don't want to know. If what the Holy Spirit "tells them personally" something that contradicts Scripture, then they can be quite happy in ignorance and never have to change a thought.

 

I want to be sure that no one thinks that I am disparaging education or even that most colleges are this way.

 

Compare Newburgh to SBTS? Would "laughable" work? The cynical part of me wonders how much money is to be made in establishing such institutions of "higher" education.

Bill

 

When you don't possess the capability to teach biblical languages, you have to tip your hat to their importance even while you cut corners for your students to "obtain" them. Many students buy into such reasoning as Bethany gives because now they are "trained" in how to use biblical languages without all the effort of really getting into them.

It's not just questionable schools which skimp on languages, though. Some accredited seminaries have made languages optional, even designating a special "Master of Divinity with Biblical Languages" for those who go the more difficult route.

Bill

 

Some Seminary, don't remember where, a few years ago offered two 'three year' programs- one leading to a degree of M.Div. with Biblical Languages as part of it' whereas a virtually identical cucciculum (curricula?) without the Biblical Languges led to a B.D.. Luther Rice Seminary, in its early years, had and offered a somewhat unusual B.D. for those years- the early years of the M.Div. nomenclature frrm the previously designated three year B.D.. This I know for a close friend had that degree, which he had incidentally received while studying at the Seminary, not by 'distance' learning, before he went on to Dallas for his Th.M.. I know nothing about today, with either LR or any others specifically. There are more degrees available (and by this I mean legit, not some 'sub-standard' one) already out there than Carter has liver pills. I guess 'caveat emptor' is an apt description.
Ed

 

The following is a link to Rockbridge Seminary, they are not accredited yet - just started in 2004, but regional accredidation is very important to them. The president of the seminary is Dr. Darryl Eldridge who was formerly the Dean of the Educational Ministries School at SWBTS.

What will drive many of the folks crazy on this board is the close link with Saddleback Church and Rick Warren!


http://www.rockbridgeseminary.org/default.aspx

 

Has anyone heard of the School of Biblical and Theological Studies?

www.bibleschool.edu

 

It does look pretty bad.

 

Rhet

What do you have to say about Dr. Sam Simmons?