World Class Evangelical Seminaries

[JGrayhound]

Originally posted by Paul33:
3) Southern Baptist Theological Seminary - Not as broad in background but solidly commited to inerrancy and a recovery of reformation principles. Truly needed in SBC cirlces. SBC seminaries have had a reputation of not always being that rigorous. IMO that still hurts Southern.

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.

 

[Paul33]

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.

 

[Dr. Bob]

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

 

[Paul33]

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.

 

[Pete Richert]

#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]

Originally posted by Dr. Bob:
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

Concur with Dr. Bob. I'd add the grad program at IBC in Tempe AZ. We few, we proud, we band of brothers are a small sector of the Baptist galaxy. So, our schools are per force small. But, I'm just obstreperous enough to list the Seminary at Bob Jones University as world class. go figure.

 

[Rhetorician]

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]

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.

 

[Rhetorician]

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

 

[Humblesmith]

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.

 

[PatsFan]

Originally posted by Dr. Bob:
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

Just curious. How many Gordon-Conwell pastors have you actually met? I've met dozens and have been thoroughly impressed with them.

 

[Dave Ekstrom]

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.

 

[greek geek]

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.

 

[Broadus]

Originally posted by greek geek:
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.

I think everyone (or at least almost everyone) posting to this forum appreciates the rigor and emphasis upon exegesis for which DTS is noted, regardless of our views of dispensationalism.

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

 

[greek geek]

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.

 

[gb93433]

Originally posted by greek geek:
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).

When I was in seminary the best professors told su to read books we would nto agree with. Graduate work is not about reinforcing what you think you already know but about being challenged by those who do not agree with you. If you are not challenged, then you will not be very prepared for ministry and those who may oppose you. I know many who went to DTS, Talbot and MacArthur's seminary who walk away feeling like they know their stuff until someone gives them a good challenge. Most of the time I just hear them repeat what they were told in seminary. That does not require much study or thinking.

 

[Humblesmith]

Originally posted by gb93433:
When I was in seminary the best professors told su to read books we would nto agree with. Graduate work is not about reinforcing what you think you already know but about being challenged by those who do not agree with you. If you are not challenged, then you will not be very prepared for ministry and those who may oppose you. I know many who went to DTS, Talbot and MacArthur's seminary who walk away feeling like they know their stuff until someone gives them a good challenge. Most of the time I just hear them repeat what they were told in seminary. That does not require much study or thinking. [/QB]

Agreed. I agree with you....it is important for the student to learn the views of others so that one can defend his own view, and come to a better knowlege of the truth. But there is a difference between learning why the false views are false, and learning the false views. If a professor merely challenges a student to read those with which we disagree, but never teaches us why the false views are false, then I think there can be a problem. In our postmodern culture, there is a danger of people thinking that everyone's view is equally correct just because they're sincere.

 

[SaggyWoman]

If I were doing it again, I would do Dallas Theological Seminary.

 

[Paul33]

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!

 

[Brandon C. Jones]

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