Along with the excellent points made thus far:
1. faculty seemingly should have accredited academic doctorates in the area they teach if the graduate area taught is an academic one as English Bible, languages or Systematic / Historical Theology.
How shall one who has himself avoided the rigor which should attend education in accredited institutions teach a topic rigorously? For example, I now supervise an Ethiopian educator's PhD research in the miaphysitism of an Ethiopian denomination. How could any but one who has rigorously studied historical and modern Christology himself efficiently supervise such a dissertation? (apologies for this personal example)
And the same is true, I think, in grad academic coursework. Of course, I cannot unqualifiedly say LBU's grad courses are below average in thoroughness or rigor because I don't have such a course in front of me to evaluate. But the materials, expectations, and prof-student interaction must be high, my hunch is LBU's is not. I'd be happy to be proven wrong.
Take this example: Wayne Grudem wrote a Systematic Theology for MDiv studies which are far below PhD studies. Grudem expresses himself on the passibility vs impassibility of God ; eternal relational subordination of the Son vs temporal subordination ; Word Flesh vs Word Man Christology ; Kenotism vs immutability ; Cessationism Vs Continuationism ; Pre Trib vs Post Trib and many other topics. Can one without an accredited doc in Theology adequately teach these? Maybe one could in exceptional cases, but more likely it will require a rigorous background with continuous research of the literature.
On the other hand, I wouldn't argue that practical theology cannot be taught well by one who has much effective experience but no accredited doc.
2. We should do the best we can for Christ in our learning. I would think that may be more likely will be done in accredited schools.
3. As already suggested, there are foreign, accredited schools which are cheaper by far than accredited USA ones. A doctorate might be earned in some of these by research in 2-3 years at a very reasonable cost. (But mine at UZ took four years).
My advice is to go accredited ; you DO NOT KNOWwhat God might use if you had it! (btw, I taught public school for 35 years) THanks for reading.
Be blessed,
Bill
1. faculty seemingly should have accredited academic doctorates in the area they teach if the graduate area taught is an academic one as English Bible, languages or Systematic / Historical Theology.
How shall one who has himself avoided the rigor which should attend education in accredited institutions teach a topic rigorously? For example, I now supervise an Ethiopian educator's PhD research in the miaphysitism of an Ethiopian denomination. How could any but one who has rigorously studied historical and modern Christology himself efficiently supervise such a dissertation? (apologies for this personal example)
And the same is true, I think, in grad academic coursework. Of course, I cannot unqualifiedly say LBU's grad courses are below average in thoroughness or rigor because I don't have such a course in front of me to evaluate. But the materials, expectations, and prof-student interaction must be high, my hunch is LBU's is not. I'd be happy to be proven wrong.
Take this example: Wayne Grudem wrote a Systematic Theology for MDiv studies which are far below PhD studies. Grudem expresses himself on the passibility vs impassibility of God ; eternal relational subordination of the Son vs temporal subordination ; Word Flesh vs Word Man Christology ; Kenotism vs immutability ; Cessationism Vs Continuationism ; Pre Trib vs Post Trib and many other topics. Can one without an accredited doc in Theology adequately teach these? Maybe one could in exceptional cases, but more likely it will require a rigorous background with continuous research of the literature.
On the other hand, I wouldn't argue that practical theology cannot be taught well by one who has much effective experience but no accredited doc.
2. We should do the best we can for Christ in our learning. I would think that may be more likely will be done in accredited schools.
3. As already suggested, there are foreign, accredited schools which are cheaper by far than accredited USA ones. A doctorate might be earned in some of these by research in 2-3 years at a very reasonable cost. (But mine at UZ took four years).
My advice is to go accredited ; you DO NOT KNOWwhat God might use if you had it! (btw, I taught public school for 35 years) THanks for reading.
Be blessed,
Bill
