<p>I am considering attending divinity school but I am unsure of what schools to attend. I live in Connecticut, very close to Yale, and somewhat close to Harvard but I would like to know if anyone has any experience at those schools. I am a Baptist, not a right winger, but not an ultra liberal either. I’d be grateful to hear about anyone’s experience in either of those schools. Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>Here’s some advice: Read a science textbook and realize that religion is an archaic enterprise best left in the days before the Enlightenment and Scientific Revolution. Also, considering you’re baptist, you might also want to read a book besides the Babble. There are plenty of ways to rid yourself of the indoctrination you suffered as a child. It’s called embracing truth and reason over faith and lunacy.</p>
<p>Also, I attended an Ivy League school for undergraduate and I can assure you that liberals tend to dominate the campus culture. So I warn you that your conservative, religiously based worldview is not wholeheartedly embraced by the other students (not to say that atheism runs rampant though).</p>
<p>James,</p>
<p>Prof X is probably best able to answer your question. I’m hardly an expert, but I doubt that being a Baptist (vs. any other protestant denomination) would affect your experience at either school. In an M.Div. program you would probably be expected to defend your viewpoints based on direct interpretation of original texts. I would argue that the less “welcoming” the school is of your personal beliefs when you arrive, the better you will be able to defend and articulate them by the time you leave, so don’t look for the most like-minded school. In choosing a program, maybe you should consider:</p>
<ul>
<li>the relative amounts of coursework in history, theology, comparative studies, and ministry</li>
<li>whether you will write a thesis, and whether the focus will be on ministerial duties or scholarly interpretation</li>
<li>what combination of Greek/Hebrew/Aramaic/Latin/What-Have-You experience you need for admission, and what comprehension level you’ll have when you exit the program</li>
<li>what field experience will be available to you</li>
<li>reputation in the region where you would join a congregation (presumably in Connecticut?)</li>
</ul>
<p>P.S. - As an atheist, I respect your choice to join the ministry because of the good you will do in your primary role as counselor in your congregation. I also respect theology as a discipline because it applies logical argument to a set of texts: I can appreciate the high-level reasoning required to interpret these primary sources even though I don’t consider them divinely-inspired. I’m sorry that somebody assumed you’re a renegade Darwin-basher </p>
<p>snowcapk-
I didn’t assume he was a fundamentalist. That wasn’t the contention of my post nor was it implied at all. Rather, I decried his acceptance of faith over reason. That doesn’t make me any *******. I’m simply stating an opinion that is contrary to widely held beliefs. I did so in an (I admit) somewhat condescending but not aggressive manner. Pointing out flaws in one’s sacred beliefs should never be considered out of line. </p>
<p>Additionally, I also have respect for theological discourse and study. Yet, that respect is only reserved for deists ,not individuals of faith. Their investigation is a shallow one. It’s a journey with a fixed end based on claims that lack any basis of evidence.</p>
<p>First, as a professor of religious studies and a fervent agnostic (humor there, folks), I am compelled to state that I deplore dontno’s intolerance, and I sincerely hope s/he is not a typical alumnus/a of his/her university. If s/he were still in college, I would strongly recommend a course or two in Religious Studies. (Or Anthropology. Or History.)</p>
<p>Second, snowcapk’s thoughts are, in part, on target. There are indeed merits to attending an inter- or nondenominational div school for the very reasons s/he enumerated. However, depending on one’s religious affiliation, having attended such a div school can sometimes impact one’s marketability. Some Baptist churches, for example, might look very suspiciously upon a minister trained outside of a specifically Baptist institution.</p>
<p>Anyway, here is some basic info:</p>
<p>The top interdenominational (and nondenominational, in the case of Chicago) divinity schools in the nation are: U of Chicago, Union Theological Seminary (in NYC), Harvard, Yale, and Graduate Theological Union (in CA). </p>
<p>(In case someone thinks I am overlooking Princeton, I must point out that Princeton is denominational. Presbyterian, in fact.)</p>
<p>There are, of course, also denominational seminaries. For Baptists, it matters whether you are affiliated with the ABC, SBC, BGC, CBF, etc. IMHO, the best ABC seminary is Andover Newton, by a mile. It has cross-registration with Harvard, too.</p>
<p>Here is what you must determine: Which type of education will best prepare you for the career you desire? Many churches prefer to hire ministers/priests from a denominational seminary. On the other hand, some seminaries have outstanding programs in specific fields. For instance, some have combination MSW/MDiv programs, other seminaries excel at training/placing college chaplains, or hospital chaplains, or preachers, while others place social justice as their paramount concern, and prepare students well in grassroots organizing and leadership. </p>
<p>Just like choosing a grad program in any other field, faculty is paramount. With whom do you wish to study? A noteworthy exegete, or an experienced peace activist? A scholar of psychology of religion, or someone with specialization in issues of environmental justice? Do you wish to focus on systematic theology, church history, medical ethics, pastoral care? If theology, are you a neo-Barthian, a liberation theologian, or do you just love postmodern theology? Which methods of textual interpretation do you prefer? Historical criticism, literary criticism? Or are you opposed to ANY scholarly criticism of sacred texts? (If so, an inter- or nondenominational seminary would be a VERY poor choice for you.)</p>
<p>Without knowing what your theological bent and career goals are, it is not really possible to provide any real advice to you. At this point, I will say only that limiting yourself to exploring only “Ivy” seminaries will likely be a terrible mistake. As in all graduate-level studies, the “fame” of the undergraduate institution is NOT a reliable marker of either reputation in every subfield, or suitability for every student’s intended program of study.</p>
<p>One of the primary reasons why I was considering Harvard, Yale, and perhaps Union in NYC is because they are all reasonably close to my home. I do plan on trying to obtain placement stats from them, though, so I can make a judgment on how effective they are in that regard.</p>
<p>Another issue that I had with the denominational seminaries is that I have technically been unchurched for about a year now (since I returned to graduate school). I have kept up with the church in the city in which I used to live via their Sunday morning webcasts but that is about it. A number of other seminaries require you to have church sponsorship and active church membership. I am feverishly working to find a new church to attend up here but I have not settled on one yet. All signs point to that being an issue at some of the Baptist seminaries.</p>
<p>Just need to point out if you went to college, get your money back because they lied to you, and if you are in college tell them you want yourmoney back because you still don’t understand what it is to recieve an education. To say or trying to belittle anyones form of docrtine rather it is faith based or science based is ruplusive, put a skin color on it and it is no different than a form a racisim.</p>
<p>ProfessorX, Snowcapk,James01 thank you, this has helped me as well. Dontno, you really Don’t know, I hope you do some day.</p>
<p>Zombie thread is made of old.</p>
<p>Check out these links. Though there is a diference between ministerial programs and academic theology, these might give some useful perspectives on some schools/departments:
[Reno:</a> Best Schools for Theology | First Things](<a href=“Web Exclusives | Daily Writings From Our Top Writers | First Things”>Reno: Best Schools for Theology | R. R. Reno | First Things)</p>
<p>[A</a> 2009 Ranking of Graduate Programs in Theology | First Things](<a href=“Web Exclusives | Daily Writings From Our Top Writers | First Things”>A 2009 Ranking of Graduate Programs in Theology | R. R. Reno | First Things)</p>
<p>[On</a> Graduate Study In Theology | First Things](<a href=“Web Exclusives | Daily Writings From Our Top Writers | First Things”>On Graduate Study In Theology | R. R. Reno | First Things)</p>
<p>A list of US and Canadian school by denomination:
[The</a> Association of Theological Schools](<a href=“Not Found”>Not Found)</p>
<p>Also, in cities like Boston with a number of schools, a consortium usually exists, so you can take courses at any of the member schools:
[The</a> Boston Theological Institute | Home](<a href=“http://www.bostontheological.org/]The”>http://www.bostontheological.org/)</p>
<p>The Yale Div school is a very cool place, though also quite left-wing. Most of the students I’ve known there have been quite liberal, and the school itself has a big social justice bent. I think it’s a great place, but you need to be comfortable with a left-leaning environment, I think!</p>