Anyone who knows me, and my academic credentials, knows that I am not against education. I am highly in favor of it. I have been studying, personally or professionally, my whole life. At present, I am nearing completion of a lifelong dream of acquiring a Doctor of Ministry Degree. This degree by far has been the most intense and demanding.
Where did the idea of academic theological education come from?
The origins of theological and academic training centers are deeply intertwined with the history of religion itself. From the earliest days of organized faith, there has been a pressing need to educate leaders in doctrine, scripture, and the practical aspects of pastoral care. This need gave rise to institutions dedicated to the systematic teaching of religious knowledge—a legacy that continues in today’s seminaries, divinity schools, and theological colleges.
Let's look at this in a bit more depth.
In Jewish tradition, teaching was central to religious life. Rabbis and scribes were trained in synagogues and schools. Focus was placed on the study of the Torah, oral law, and other sacred texts. This tradition laid the groundwork for later Christian practices.
As Christianity began to spread, the early church faced the challenge of maintaining doctrinal purity while accommodating the diverse backgrounds of its converts. Initially, instruction was informal, and conducted within local communities by apostles, bishops, and elders. However, some men eventually began to utilize various methods of approaching and understanding the Scriptures. These specific approaches led to the creation of catechetical "schools" (actually methods of Scriptural interpretation), with the Catechetical "School" of Alexandria emerging as a prime example in the 2nd century. Here, Christian theology was taught alongside Greek philosophy, marking Alexandria as one of the earliest (and most dangerous) known centers of Christian learning. This "school" was strongly allegorical in its interpretive approach to Scripture. Men like Clement of Alexandria and Origen were influential in this school.
The Alexandrian "school" eventually declined due to various factors, including theological disputes, changes in the political and religious landscape, and the rise of other centers of Christian learning, such as the "school" in Antioch. By the 5th century, this "school" had largely ceased to exist as a distinct location of influence, but its impact on Christian education and theology continued to be felt for centuries.
The "School" of Antioch was founded in the ancient city of Antioch, one of the major hubs of early Christianity (Acts 13). The "school" (method of interpretation) was very prominent during the third century and flourished in the 4th and 5th centuries This "school" became known for its commitment to the literal or grammatical-historical interpretation of Scripture. The scholars of Antioch believed that understanding the Bible required careful attention to the text's plain meaning, as well as its historical and cultural context. They argued that the true message of Scripture could be found by examining what the biblical authors intended to convey in their original settings.
Among the notable figures associated with the Antiochene "school" were Lucian of Antioch. His work laid some of the foundations for the Antiochene method of exegesis. This method was further developed by Diodore of Tarsus. Theodore of Mopsuestia, produced extensive commentaries on the Bible that exemplified this literal approach to Scripture. John Chrysostom, one of Christianity’s greatest preachers, also emerged from this tradition, bringing a practical and moral focus to his teachings that resonated with the everyday lives of believers.
The Dark Ages/Middle Ages saw a significant expansion of formal religious education, particularly within monastic communities. The Rule of St. Benedict, established in the 6th century, emphasized study as an essential part of monastic life. Monastic schools thus became centers of learning, where theology, philosophy, and the liberal arts were taught.
Parallel to monastic schools were the cathedral/Catholic schools, which emerged in Europe’s major cities. These institutions were operated by the church and aimed at educating the clergy in the essentials of theology, liturgy, and pastoral care. Over time, these cathedral schools evolved into the first medieval universities.
By the 11th and 12th centuries, the cathedral schools of cities like Paris, Bologna, and Oxford had developed into the first universities. These institutions initially focused on theology, law, and medicine. Among them, the University of Paris became particularly renowned for theological study, serving as a hub for the development of scholasticism—a method that sought to harmonize faith with reason. Figures like Thomas Aquinas and Anselm of Canterbury were instrumental in formalizing theological education during this period, emphasizing the importance of systematic theology and rigorous debate.
The Protestant Reformation of the 16th century introduced a new chapter in the history of theological education. Reformers like Martin Luther and John Calvin recognized the need for well-trained clergy who could preach and teach according to Protestant principles. They established seminaries and universities to meet this need, focusing on returning to the biblical sources and grounding their theology in the principle of sola scriptura.
As various Protestant denominations emerged, they each founded their own seminaries, reflecting their unique theological perspectives. This period saw the proliferation of training centers dedicated to fostering a learned and clergy.
The 19th and 20th centuries witnessed a dramatic expansion of theological education. As Christian missions spread across the globe, new seminaries were established in Africa, Asia, and the Americas. These institutions played a crucial role in training local clergy and lay leaders, adapting Western theological traditions to diverse cultural contexts.
Now then, as one can see with just this brief overview of the history of theological education, there are obvious historical problems with theological training. When thoughtfully considered one can see that these historical realities have led to a multiplicity of difficulties in our present day.
Not only historically, but also currently, "professional ministry training" can pose certain dangers if not approached with caution.
Here are some of the potential risks:
Intellectualism Over Spirituality: This is a very destructive risk. Professional training can lead to overemphasizing intellectual knowledge at the expense of spiritual depth. This might result in leaders who are theologically informed but lack a deep, personal connection with God.
Pride and Elitism: Acquiring advanced degrees or formal training can sometimes foster a sense of superiority. Entire institutions can fall prey to this subtle and damaging spirit. Spiritual pride can lead to a disconnect from the regular members of a congregation, including an inability to relate to or serve others humbly.
Dependency on Human Wisdom: Relying too heavily on academic or professional credentials can undermine the role of the Holy Spirit. Ministry leaders might become more reliant on human strategies, or the latest research findings, than on divine guidance.
Burnout: The rigorous demands of professional training, combined with the pressures of ministry, can lead to physical, emotional, and spiritual exhaustion. This can diminish a leader's effectiveness and lead to moral or ethical failures.
Loss of Authenticity: Formal training can sometimes lead to an overemphasis on technique or methodology, causing leaders to become less authentic, and more academic, in their approach to ministry.
Narrow Focus: Professional training often emphasizes specific theological frameworks or denominational teachings. This can result in a limited perspective, making it difficult to appreciate or engage with diverse views within the broader Christian community.
Detachment from Laypeople: Ministers with extensive professional training might struggle to relate to the experiences and challenges of “regular” people, leading to a gap between pastors and congregation. Being "relatable" is extremely important in ministry. Genuine relationships with congregants are vital.
Neglect of Personal Devotion: The demands of academic study and ministry responsibilities can sometimes crowd out personal devotional time, leading to spiritual dryness. This deficiency can bleed over into every area of ministry life creating multiple problems in the life of a minister, all the while relying on his academic credentials as a surrogate for genuine spirituality.
To mitigate these dangers, it's essential for those in professional ministry training to balance academic pursuits with spiritual growth, remain humble, and stay connected with their congregations and the broader Christian community.
While I believe that the call to ministry is a call to prepare, that training does not always have to be done in a professional academic setting. Here are a few suggestions for other methods and approaches to training/learning.
Continuing Education and Workshops: These offer targeted learning on specific theological topics or practical ministry skills.
Online Courses and MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses ): Many institutions offer online courses/programs that can be taken independently or as part of a degree/certificate program.
Seminars and Conferences: These can provide in-depth study and discussion on particular theological issues or trends.
Self-Directed Study: Utilizing books, articles, and other resources for personal study and reflection.
Auditing Classes: Professional training classes on various topics can somtimes be auditied by individuals to gain knowledge.
Mentorship: This is the historically, time-honored method whereby a new preacher, learns under the tutelage of a more experienced pastor.
Here is an insightful analysis by a preacher of yesteryear....by the name of Peter Cartwright. He was a Methodist circuit riding preacher and he saw some great dangers related to education, and warned his generation!
“I awfully fear for our beloved Methodism. Multiply colleges, universities, seminaries, and academies; multiply our agencies, and editorships, and fill them all with our best and most efficient preachers, and you localize the ministry and secularize them too; then farewell to itinerancy; and when this fails we plunge right into Congregationalism, and stop precisely where all other denominations started.
”I greatly desire to see all the interests of the Methodist Church promoted, and when all our presidents, professors, editors, and agents shall be laymen, and our ministers follow their appropriate calling, namely, preach the Gospel to a dying world; and if they will not fall into the traveling ranks and be men of one work, let them locate, for it is certain as long as they fill these offices and agencies, it is like a man undertaking to ride a race with the reins of his horse's bridle tied to a stump. Every man who fills these offices and agencies, and retains a membership in the traveling connection, is a clog to the itinerant wheels, and must, erelong, stop the traveling car; and when that takes place farewell to Methodism.
“Is it not manifest that the employing so many of our preachers in these agencies and professorships is one of the great causes why we have such a scarcity of preachers to fill the regular work? Moreover, these presidents, professors, agents, and editors get a greater amount of pay, and get it more certainly, too, than a traveling preacher, who has to breast every storm, and often falls very far short of his disciplinary allowance. Here is a great temptation to those who are qualified to fill those high offices to seek them, and give up the regular work of preaching and trying to save souls. And is it not manifest to every candid observer that very few of those young men who believe they were called of God to preach the Gospel, and are persuaded to go to a college or a Biblical institute, the better to qualify them for the great work of the ministry, ever go into the regular traveling ministry ?
”The reason is plainly this: having quieted their consciences with the flattering unction of obtaining a sanctified education, while they have neglected the duty of regularly preaching Jesus to dying sinners, their moral sensibilities are blunted, and they see an opening prospect of getting better pay as teachers in high schools or other institutions of learning, and from the prospect of gain they are easily persuaded that they can meet their moral obligations in disseminating sanctified learning. Thus,as sure as a leaden ball tends to the earth in obedience to the laws of gravity, just so sure our present modus operandi tends to a congregational ministry. And if this course is pursued a little longer, the Methodist Church will bid a long, long farewell to her beloved itinerancy, to which we, under God, owe almost every thing that is intrinsically valuable in Methodism.
”It is said that the young men who are studying in the Biblical Institute at Concord, which is patronized by all the New England conferences, spend their evenings, and especially their Sabbaths, in the surrounding villages, lecturing and preaching, to the great satisfaction and edification of the Churches, and their brethren give them something to aid in their support while they are prosecuting their studies. But who is so hoodwinked or cable-towed by prejudice as not to see that this very course is well calculated to sap the foundation of the itinerancy and supplant the regularly appointed pastor, or supersede his labors, and will finally end in a settled ministry? But I must resume the narrative."
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