How does a prospective seminarian prepare for seminary, choose one, and get the most out of his theological education? Here are some guidelines.
Preparing for Seminary. Educational preparation for seminary is a highly individual matter. Many educators feel that a basic liberal arts education in a four-year college is the best preparation. It may or may not be. The student who does poorly in high school may not be able to take the pressure of a four-year college but may need to learn new study habits and take remedial work in a junior college or Bible college.
Some students who have come up through a Christian school system do their best in Bible colleges. Also, other students converted later in life, who have little or no understanding of a Christian world view, feel the need to surround themselves with the total Christian influence that may be found in a Bible college.
Whether the student goes to Bible college, junior college, or a four-year college, he needs to learn to think analytically, express himself in the spoken and written word, and develop an awareness of the world around him with all of its complexities.
In the realm of emotional and spiritual preparation, the student should distinguish between the call of God and his own need to exercise his talents. God does indeed use talents (which arise out of human personality) in conjunction with spiritual gifts that are sovereignly given. The prospective seminarian needs guidance in distinguishing between the two and seeing how his personality enhances or diminishes his spiritual gift.
Choosing a Seminary. The prospective seminarian should ask several questions of any seminary he considers:
1. Is it faithful to the orthodox Christian faith? Some prospective seminarians have argued that theological education in a liberal seminary challenges the conservative and prepares him better to combat the erosion of orthodoxy in the churches. I have serious reservations about this argument. One’s seminary education is basic training for a warfare against Satan. Ephesians 6 clearly points out the centrality of the Word in the believer’s arsenal. When he is on the front lines the believer will stand alone many times. He had better be sure he has the equipment to stand.
If one is going to specialize in a field that requires a thorough knowledge of unorthodox theology, a second theological degree in a liberal seminary may be in order. Having put on the complete armor of God one will be better equipped to stand, and not only that, he will be able to inquire more intelligently into teachings contrary to the faith.
2. Does the seminary provide a solid basic biblical education? No matter what field the student plans to minister in, he needs a good biblical education.
Seminarians who are interested in a ministry other than the pulpit may be tempted to avoid the rigors of Hebrew and Greek. Although I sympathize with those so tempted, I urge them to resist. Languages are not my forte, but I am grateful for tools that enable me to do sound biblical exegesis. No matter what his field of service, the Christian in a leadership position must be an expert on Scripture. This is what distinguishes him from other practitioners in his field. For instance, as a marriage counselor I am continually called on to establish a biblical rationale for what I say.
The rigors of homiletics should not be avoided, either. A theologically trained person who achieves in fields other than the pulpit ministry will be called on to preach in churches and speak before community organizations. He should have the skill to communicate his message.
3. Is the curriculum designed to help the prospective seminarian discover and perfect his spiritual gift? Having spoken of the necessity for a solid biblical education, I emphasize the need for focus on spiritual gifts. Christian vocations are not as limited as they once were—preacher, teacher, and missionary. With the revival of the doctrine of spiritual gifts Christians are pursuing alternative ministries consistent with their gifts. The seminary should offer a range of electives that permits the student to concentrate in areas of alternative ministries.
4. Is the seminary in touch with the current outlook of the churches and the Christian community? The seminarian needs to be prepared to minister to the Church as it is today and not as it was thirty years ago or may be thirty years from now. Perhaps the latter warning ought to be stressed more than the former. Seminarians who are instructed by forward-looking professors may be jolted by the resistance of the people they minister to—resistance to new ideas and new programs.
5. If the prospective seminarian is married, he should find out whether the seminary can meet his needs. He needs to have low-cost housing that is adequate for his family. The seminary may not be able to provide such housing, but it can help him find it. The same may be said for work opportunities.
The seminary should also provide opportunities for strengthening family life through instruction and counsel. In admission screening and in the training program, assessment should be made of the strengths and weaknesses of the marriage. Although a student’s wife may desire to maintain a low profile both during seminary and after graduation, she nevertheless will exert a profound influence on her husband. The Apostle Paul noted this reality in First Corinthians 7 when he said that the married man gives thought to the things of the world with a view to pleasing his wife, and indeed, he should!
At least once a year the marriage should be evaluated, and workshops should be offered to strengthen it. Such an evaluation should be a mandatory part of both admission to and training in seminary.
The seminary that lacks such a program may find it more efficient to contract this work to psychologists and counselors than to hire another staff member. In fact, this may be the only way the smaller seminary can provide the service.
6. Is the seminary suffering from power struggles internally with faculty and staff or externally with its denomination? This may be determined somewhat by the rate of turnover among the faculty and staff and by discreet inquiries of Christian leaders outside the seminary who live in the same town. What kind of a reputation does the seminary have in its own neighborhood?
7. Is the seminary well attended and in demand? The enrollment figures over the years give an idea of what other prospective seminarians have thought about the seminary. It would be well also to talk with students who are currently attending the seminary.
8. What kind of graduate is produced by the seminary? If I had only one guideline to offer on the choice of seminary it would be this. Most seminary public-relations programs recognize that their graduates are their best advertisement. Graduates who have remained true to the faith and have proved their effectiveness in the ministry speak well for the seminary they attended. This guideline is advanced by Scripture itself, which teaches that good fruit comes from a good tree and good water from a good spring.
Getting the Most Out of Seminary. The student who wants to get the most out of seminary should consider at least four things:
1. He (and his wife, if he is married) must view his seminary education as the primary goal for the three or four years required. This does not mean that the family life should suffer, but a commitment to the educational process as the primary goal is called for. The seminarian (and his wife) must soberly assess the demands of a seminary education. This must be done even before enrollment. Much grief and misunderstanding can be avoided. What builder does not project the cost before building?
2. The student should avail himself of informal contacts with his fellow seminarians and faculty members. A lot can be learned through rap sessions.
3. Most seminaries make Christian service part of their graduation requirements. The seminarian should take seriously these opportunities for ministry. Christian service will point up his strengths and weaknesses and motivate him to study.
4. The seminarian must be careful not to insulate himself from the world around him. It is easy to fall into a study/work/play routine that involves only Christians.
While attending seminary I was befriended by a Dallas (Texas) policeman who made it his mission to keep my feet on the ground. He carried me all over the city of Dallas while he answered calls. After many nights of observing mayhem and murder I found that depravity was more than just a theological word. It was a living reality.
ATTENDANCE
Christ sits down by the olive
and his face mottles;
by shagbark, his face, unable to expand,
cracks into dark strips;
by the willow his face is drawn;
by autumn’s maple, flame.
Near the birch, he wraps
his face in bandages,
and when he leaves the earth,
his absence is perceptible;
then, nothing resembles any other thing,
no one inclines toward another,
trunks slant diagonally out of the ground,
creeks overflow their banks,
lightning strikes fires
that will not be smothered.
SANDRA R. DUGUID
