Do you mean that Southern is not that rigorous or that other SBC schools are not rigorous.
I agree that the other SBC schools are not rigorous...Southern definitely is.
World Class Evangelical Seminaries
Discussion in 'Baptist Colleges & Seminaries' started by Rhetorician, May 18, 2005.
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JC,
Right. Other SBC seminaries cast doubt on SBTS because of guilt by association. SBTS would be my first choice if I were seeking to serve in SBC circles.
Otherwise, TEDS is my first choice. Gordon-Conwell for serving in the NE. Talbot Theological Seminary out west. -
I'm a Baptist and it is truly sad to see the LACK of fundamental Baptist seminaries on the list of you all. I know some good solid pastor-training schools - Central in Minneapolis, Faith in Des Moines, Detroit, Calvary in Pennsylvania to name a few.
But not "top flight".
Neither, by the way, is Gordon-Conwell. I judge the school much of the time by the product - the pastors it produces. And haven't been impressed.
Would be more so by Dallas or Western or Southern.
Just another opinion -
By your definition, how can you place Central, Detroit, Faith, Calvary on any list?
Narrow, sectarian, legalistic, separatistic, etc. They serve only their slice of the kingdom and are mostly inbred.
I went to school with Dave Doran at BJU. -
#1) Gordon-Conwell: Reccommended as the number one choice by the professer who has most influeced my theology and overall trust in Jesus, Scott Hafemann, with the new bonus that now Hafemann teaches there himself!
#2) Southern Baptist Theological Seminary: Solidly baptist and reformed (little r), and include Ware, Nettles, and my second favorite teacher, Schreiner.
#3) Trinity: Great School, but I used to live near Chicago and it is too cold!
#4) Dallas: Good school. Would make my father-in-law very happy since he is a stuanch tradional dispensationalist (probably would be very unhappy with the move towards progressive dispensationalism).
#5) Westminister: Very rigerous, especially in the language requirements and emphesis which I am a big fan. But the education is pretty uniform around the W-Confession; and I think you even need to sign off on it to graduate (not sure about that last part), and lets face it, I'M A BAPTIST. -
Squire Robertsson AdministratorAdministrator
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Rhetorician AdministratorAdministrator
Squire,
If one is just looking for the rigor or the education that the students had to endure and perform; it may be up there on the list. Although, it seems very "inbred" in the Bible/Theology dept.
I have known several BJU grads over my life. My home pastor was even a "BJU man." All of their Bible knowledge and commitment to personal excellence in all areas of ministry after graduation was unsurpassed.
I did not always agree with their eschatoloty, dispensationalism, anti-Calvinism, etc.; but they were commited to personal excellence in study, preaching, applying, and living out the scriptures.
sdg!
rd -
Squire Robertsson AdministratorAdministrator
I can think of one reason for their "inbreding". For many years say between the Machen's heresy trail and Princeton Theological being flooded by Modernism and the recent conservative resurgence in SBC seminaries, where could they get reliable faculty? Regretfully, BJ pretty much had to bootstrap themselves.
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Rhetorician AdministratorAdministrator
Squire,
I would add one thought to what I tried to say kindly above in light of your more recent comments. What you have said makes perfect sense in a normal world. But, what BJU has done--it did unto itself regardless of the outside world dynamics you may have mentioned. IMO!
Those things would and did have an impact on most of the Evangelical world. But, BJU has always seen "themselves against the rest of the world" on many levels.
I may be wrong and may need correcting or chastening. That's OK, I have broad shoulders and can take it.
BJU has been discussed and "beat up" much on the BB. It is not my intention "to dredge up dead bodies" again. But, they have traditionally and historically felt themselves to be "in another world" as it were. And they set about to prove it in various ways and means.
sdg!
rd -
Although I am admittedly biased (as a current student), I think in future years we'll have Southern Evangelical Seminary on the list. It has only been around about 15 years, and has not yet graduated many people, so I don't expect it to be on anyone's list yet. But as far as I know, there are no seminaries dealing heavily with the topics of apologetics and philosophy, which is why the modern church is in most of the messes that we're in. I think you'll see it grow tremendously, and the graduates will show themselves approved.
I've known several people who were graduates of Dallas, and it's a first-class, very good school. -
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I appreciate the rigorous bible and sys theo sequence that I rec'd at TEDS. I'm now really committed to expository preaching which I learned there.
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as a very biased voter DTS would be on the top of the list (this is coming from a current student who is not a dispensationalist - but is leaning that way). i also find it interesting that no one on this thread has completly bashed DTS - which i hear a lot of from some "good ol' baptists." although i did see a few jabs at my school...
There are a few baptist seminaries that i like and would not be opposed to going to. as i am currently considering phd work, i am looking into seminaries again...and i'm having trouble finding many baptist seminaries who offer the degree i want and who are more concerned about teaching and preparing the students than about baptist politics. -
Concerning Baptist seminaries and Baptist politics, your statement strikes me more a caricature than fact. I can speak experientially concerning SBTS. Students are, to some extent, aware of SBC politics, but it hardly ever came up in classes while I was there (1996-2002). Back in the 1980s and early- to mid-90s, I suspect it was more of an issue because the direction of SBC politics impacted the direction of SBC seminaries. If you are really serious about PhD work, I would encourage you to check into SBTS.
Blessings,
Bill -
if you will notice my statement about baptist seminaries, my first requirement is for them to offer the type of degree i want. that requirement knocks some semiaries (such as golden gate) off my list, even though i happen to like that particular seminary.
my comment about politics comes after talking to many people from several baptist seminaries that are very political. many of them told me that they were just "hanging in there" in spite of the politics because they were so close to graduation.
also i have been working in the "baptist world" for over 5 years (and i don't mean the local church level) and through that i have learned a lot about what seminaries are political. i have not heard anything about sbts either good or bad and as such it is still on my list. -
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If I were doing it again, I would do Dallas Theological Seminary.
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To be a "world class" seminary would seem to require a broader scope of evangelical viewpoints than DTS encompasses.
TEDS has to win hands down! -
One thing that I don't get about DTS is that they require a psychological test of all Ph.D. applicants and their spouses. What is up with that?
BJ
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