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Outside Advanced Degrees

Discussion in 'Baptist Colleges & Seminaries' started by Rhetorician, Feb 10, 2005.

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  1. Rhetorician

    Rhetorician Administrator
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    Hey gang,

    Kick this around.

    I have always thoutht that a man who was going to teach college or sem. should have at least one advanced degree from a denom outside his tradition for perspective sake if nothing else.

    Whatdayathink?

    rd
     
    #1 Rhetorician, Feb 10, 2005
  2. Broadus

    Broadus Member

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    I really don't think it is necessary (perhaps because my advanced degrees are all from Baptist institutions!).

    I can see where it would be helpful, but in my studies we received many perspectives by the wide reading which we did.

    One thing which I've noticed, though. While we read and critiqued works from radicals to conservative evangelicals, the reading lists which I've seen and professors who've shared their experiences while studying at more liberal seminaries reveal that liberal seminaries rarely examine the writings of conservative evangelical scholars.

    Bill
     
    #2 Broadus, Feb 10, 2005
  3. Rhetorician

    Rhetorician Administrator
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    Broadus,

    That is well said and from my experience accurate. Only one of my advanced degress is from a "liberal" grad school or seminary. One of my advanced degrees is from a Church of Christ institution who held to a "high view of Scripture."

    Although, they gravitatied towards the Historico-Critical method probably more than the Historico-Grammatical that you and I would more appreciate.

    All in all, I think my time outside our tradition helped me to know what some other "questions" and "presuppostions" were (are) that I may not have encountered even in doctoral studies in SBC seminaries.

    It seems that I understand the ethos/pathos of the Churches of Christ & Anglo-Catholic traditions now better. I would not have been "fully acclamated" if I had not been pressed by their manner, methodology, and theology as I was. I can say this for sure: they helped make me a better Baptist, because now I know not only WHAT I believe but WHY I believe it.

    For me, this is (was) a big plus. It is also a big plus to do advanced or grad work at the secular university! But, that is another topic.

    sdg!

    rd
     
    #3 Rhetorician, Feb 10, 2005
  4. Rhetorician

    Rhetorician Administrator
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    I guess it also depends on where and what one wants to to teach? Yes? No?

    sdg!

    rd
     
    #4 Rhetorician, Feb 10, 2005
  5. preachinjesus

    preachinjesus Well-Known Member
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    It is certainly good to get your degrees from different schools. (Accreditation agencies dislike profs teaching at the places where they got their Masters and PhD) This gives enough perspective. I wonder though if one wanted to go this track:

    Undergrad: Union, Liberty, Baylor, etc
    Masters of Divinity: Southeastern Baptist Theo Sem
    ThM: Southwestern, New Orleans
    PhD: Southern

    Wouldn't that be enough diversity. If one is planning on teaching in distinctively Baptist schools why not just get the whole dumptruck full of Baptist theology.

    Now if you're going outside the Baptist school box then you should definitely seek graduate and/or post-graduate education from a school outside that box too.
     
    #5 preachinjesus, Feb 10, 2005
  6. Rhetorician

    Rhetorician Administrator
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    preachinjesus,

    It has been "sorta" and "kinda" popular for SBC "hands" to get the MDiv or such from an SBC school to have the "union card" (no pun towards UnionU meant because it is one of my favorite places). Then, one might go on to get another advanced degree like the ThM or PhD then come back to teach.

    I completly agree with your understanding of the ATS NOT wanting school profs that have both the masters and doctorate from their alma mater then stay on staff to teach. Those who come back to teach there have a certain level of inbreeding (IMO!).

    As for the 6 SBC school; I personally do NOT feel that there is NOT enough difference in them. We should not be going from one to the other then teaching at the third (IMO!). It is probably too strong on my part to call or consider it "inbreeding." But one advanced grad school or seminary degree or EVEN A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY degree can open one up one's eyes to the "real world of education."

    SBTS use to (I don't know about now--maybe Broadus can help us here?) require a certain # of hrs. from a secular university in cognate studies in their PhD program. Such as; they might do PhD level work in Rhetoric from the Communication's Dept. at the University of Louisville if they doing preaching in the PhD. This method seems to contribute to more productive scholarship.

    We in the academe have been in the church "ivory towers" and behind the "walls of the church" for far too long. We really do not even know what some of their questions are. If we are going to reach the lost and impact the world with the work of Chirst then we must engage post-modernity.

    I heard someone say, I think on the Bible Answer Man, that our culture/world is more like Paul's in the first century. If that is true, then we must engage them with scholarship that understands them in their world. Inbreeding will no longer work!!

    How do we do that? We certainly DO NOT do that with the old fundamentalism!!!! We certainly DO NOT do that fighting secondary separation issues that are 50-60 years old. And we certainly DO NOT do it with semi-inbred education that has buried its head in the sand for so long that it does not know that there is a new culture and paradigm out there. These must be engaged and debated on an intellectual level and manner.

    I will stop preaching now because I have probably gone to meddlin'!

    My twos cents worth!!!

    sdg!

    rd
     
    #6 Rhetorician, Feb 10, 2005
  7. Broadus

    Broadus Member

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    Southern doesn't require seminars done at an outside institution, but they do allow it to be done.

    While the point about doing advanced work outside of one's tradition is well taken, I don't think we should minimize the effect of doing one's undergrad work at a secular institution. For many of us, that was quite an eye-opening experience.

    Blessings,
    Bill
     
    #7 Broadus, Feb 10, 2005
  8. Rhetorician

    Rhetorician Administrator
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    Broadus;

    I am confused!? Negative or positive effect? Please amplify for someone who is an Adult ADD!

    sdg!

    rd
     
    #8 Rhetorician, Feb 10, 2005
  9. Broadus

    Broadus Member

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    Negative or positive effect of which, Southern and outside institutions or secular undergraduate studies?

    I was simply giving what the policy is now at SBTS, not making a judgment about it.

    Concerning the undergrad studies, what I experienced at Georgia Southern from liberal and radical profs gave me a better understanding of how the world perceives truth. That experience was painfully positive (and at time positively painful!). Now, that should be as perfectly clear as a muddy stream.

    Bill
     
    #9 Broadus, Feb 10, 2005
  10. Rhetorician

    Rhetorician Administrator
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    I understand old friend!! You have cleared it up!

    Thanks for the comeback!

    sdg!

    rd
     
    #10 Rhetorician, Feb 10, 2005
  11. UZThD

    UZThD New Member

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    While my BA, ThB are from a Baptist school, one of my teaching credentials [consisting of 45 extra sem units past the BA] is from an RC university and the other credential is from a secular university. IMO it can be important to take the first degree in a school that is Christian and that is of one's denomination.

    Then , while the MDiv (equiv), ThM are from another Baptist school, my MA in Theology is from a Nazarene university. I liked getting the Wesleyan - Arminian perpective [ I remain unconvinced about Arminius's or Wesley's theological efficiency , but, then, I'm bull-headed [​IMG] ] .

    The ThD is from a secular university with an evangelical Theology Faculty.
     
    #11 UZThD, Feb 10, 2005
  12. Jabbezzz

    Jabbezzz New Member

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    Why would one need an advanced degree from a DEMON? [​IMG]
     
    #12 Jabbezzz, Feb 10, 2005
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