Both orthodoxy and orthopraxis are two parts of a whole that make a man of God.īesides, seminary without practical ministry experience could lead to a minister building a fictional church in his mind-one that is nothing more than a theological and ministerial Rivendell. In the same way, being steeped in the fundamentals of the Christian faith-which includes Bible, theology, and related disciplines-is foundational for becoming a faithful and mature in wielding the Sword of the Spirit and shepherding a flock of sheep. Soldiers develop into courageous, strong, competent warriors on the battlefield and pastors get made in the trenches of local church ministry.īut it would be unconscionable for a soldier to go to war without training. Theological learning is certainly a fundamental part of making a pastor, but in the same way basic training doesn’t make soldiers, seminary doesn’t form pastors. Perhaps one of the most important myths a student must debunk early is the notion that theological knowledge is synonymous with the maturity, patience, and godliness that God uses to build a pastor. Myth #2: Seminary will make me into a pastor. Never, ever should it become a cold, academic exercise. In the same way a minister ought to make sermon prep a key part of his sanctification, so should seminary studies be approached with a warm heart toward the Lord of Galatians or the First Great Awakening. Never, ever ought we approach the things of God-whether it’s translating Galatians from Greek to English or writing a paper about the First Great Awakening-with anything less than the highest affections. However, the presence of the false proves the existence of the true.īut, really, how can parsing Greek nouns, learning about the Council of Nicaea, or gaining a deeper understanding of the hypostatic union make me a better Christian? I learned early that perhaps the better question is how can it not?ĭuring my first few days of seminary, one of my Greek professors challenged me not to bifurcate my devotional life from my academic studies. It’s a tired cliché I’ve heard many times, typically by those who fail to see the merits of a sound seminary education, but sometimes by ministers who think the pursuit of theological education means the death of devotional life: “Going to seminary is like going to a cemetery-you will leave school spiritually dead.” Sadly, the landscape of theological education is dotted with examples of seminaries and divinity schools that teach things that would shipwreck an eager young minister’s confidence in the Word of God. This article is part of the 5 Myths series.
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