You should listen to Dr. Miguel de la Torre's commencement address at VTS (yesterday, on YouTube for all). He will have food for your ruminations.. Also I consider it an interesting answer to the question, what are seminaries for, that he was in fact the speaker (chosen by the senior class). Very interesting to watch the body language in the video.
I too went to Seabury-Western. The purpose expressed to me by my bishop, who didn't give me choice, was to be exposed to a community where you could speak the truth preaching the Gospel and remain a community. At the time that was just about the only seminary that allowed that socially and theologically. I am grateful for my bishop sending me to that seminary.
We were the church. We worshipped together. I was on the team that planned the THursday evening community worship. We developed such a reputation for provided good liturgies that meant something to the people, that the attendance grew so the chapel was full. We did that by listening to each other on the team, allowing true brainstorming for fresh ideas, and keeping in mind our perception of what the people wanted. That was a significant learning experience.
I was exposed to other cultures, especially to Native Americans. How they were respected by the dean, who did not give in to someone complaining (sniveling, whining) about how they raised their children, 3 boys, was a learning experience about respect and dealing with conflict.
So the seminary taught me things that went beyond the academics that were practical in ministry, but based in deep theology and Scripture. I am glad that the afternoon I met with the bishop to find out where he wanted me to go, the dean had met with the bishop that morning to describe the benefits of the seminary. He did not oversell it. He spoke the truth.
I have never attended a seminary ― indeed, I don’t think that I have even set foot in one, even as a visitor. (I did complete the four-year Education for Ministry program from Swanee, the University of the South. So maybe that that counts as a form of seminary education.)
Based on the emails I receive from Swanee, my impression is that the seminary programs are disconnected from today’s realities.
After Galileo the church gave up trying to explain how the physical world works ― science took that role. But climate chaos, resource depletion and biosphere destruction tell us that we cannot go on like this. Maybe the church, and therefore, the seminaries, should enter that space once more, and so provide badly needed leadership in a post-industrial world. Which means that topics such as ecology and thermodynamics are at the core of their mission.
For what it’s worth (probably about 10 cents and a cup of coffee) my guess is that we will see a revival in both puritanism and monasticism.
I loved my time in the spiritual direction certificate program at United Methodist-related Perkins School of Theology in Dallas. It fed both my intellectual and spiritual needs. Practicing as a spiritual director has been harder; people expect clinical diagnosis and support from a spiritual director or spiritual companion, and that's not what we do. As an Enneagram 8, I've learned that seminary is indeed a life-long learning experience, which suits me fine. I agree that seminary curriculum needs to be adaptable and fluid. For all that we study scripture and theologies, we don't always get the tools to translate them into meaning for lives today. This makes the journey to become one with God much harder.
I appreciate this reflection. I had a dramatic (to me) conversion experience in 2019 and came close to enrolling in seminary afterward; there’s a local school that has a theological degree for artists & makers, rather than folks preparing for clergy appointments or institutional Church service. That appealed tremendously. Ultimately, though, I decided they had too many opinions about who God was, and I was busy enjoying the honeymoon phase of finding that out for myself. I LOVE theology and may still go for that degree somewhere down the road, but what I wanted from seminary wasn’t answers; what I wanted was an education in asking better questions.
It’s so good to see your written word. I graduated from Colgate Rochester/Bexley Hall/Crozer Seminary in 1990. I had a long and satisfying career before that as a counselor and therapist.
As I look back, Seninary was a blessed time. I gloried in the community, loved the architecture and the Refectory. I learned the beginnings of the theology that I have preached and lived for years. Now in retirement, and recently widowed, I am grateful that I have learned that faith is a muscle. I am deeply grateful for all the life lessons I learned there, especially Black church worship!
I’ve loved being on the edge and in the middle of the social gospel.
You should listen to Dr. Miguel de la Torre's commencement address at VTS (yesterday, on YouTube for all). He will have food for your ruminations.. Also I consider it an interesting answer to the question, what are seminaries for, that he was in fact the speaker (chosen by the senior class). Very interesting to watch the body language in the video.
That was a powerful word!
I too went to Seabury-Western. The purpose expressed to me by my bishop, who didn't give me choice, was to be exposed to a community where you could speak the truth preaching the Gospel and remain a community. At the time that was just about the only seminary that allowed that socially and theologically. I am grateful for my bishop sending me to that seminary.
We were the church. We worshipped together. I was on the team that planned the THursday evening community worship. We developed such a reputation for provided good liturgies that meant something to the people, that the attendance grew so the chapel was full. We did that by listening to each other on the team, allowing true brainstorming for fresh ideas, and keeping in mind our perception of what the people wanted. That was a significant learning experience.
I was exposed to other cultures, especially to Native Americans. How they were respected by the dean, who did not give in to someone complaining (sniveling, whining) about how they raised their children, 3 boys, was a learning experience about respect and dealing with conflict.
So the seminary taught me things that went beyond the academics that were practical in ministry, but based in deep theology and Scripture. I am glad that the afternoon I met with the bishop to find out where he wanted me to go, the dean had met with the bishop that morning to describe the benefits of the seminary. He did not oversell it. He spoke the truth.
Peace and all good,
Rick Bellows
I have never attended a seminary ― indeed, I don’t think that I have even set foot in one, even as a visitor. (I did complete the four-year Education for Ministry program from Swanee, the University of the South. So maybe that that counts as a form of seminary education.)
Based on the emails I receive from Swanee, my impression is that the seminary programs are disconnected from today’s realities.
After Galileo the church gave up trying to explain how the physical world works ― science took that role. But climate chaos, resource depletion and biosphere destruction tell us that we cannot go on like this. Maybe the church, and therefore, the seminaries, should enter that space once more, and so provide badly needed leadership in a post-industrial world. Which means that topics such as ecology and thermodynamics are at the core of their mission.
For what it’s worth (probably about 10 cents and a cup of coffee) my guess is that we will see a revival in both puritanism and monasticism.
I loved my time in the spiritual direction certificate program at United Methodist-related Perkins School of Theology in Dallas. It fed both my intellectual and spiritual needs. Practicing as a spiritual director has been harder; people expect clinical diagnosis and support from a spiritual director or spiritual companion, and that's not what we do. As an Enneagram 8, I've learned that seminary is indeed a life-long learning experience, which suits me fine. I agree that seminary curriculum needs to be adaptable and fluid. For all that we study scripture and theologies, we don't always get the tools to translate them into meaning for lives today. This makes the journey to become one with God much harder.
I appreciate this reflection. I had a dramatic (to me) conversion experience in 2019 and came close to enrolling in seminary afterward; there’s a local school that has a theological degree for artists & makers, rather than folks preparing for clergy appointments or institutional Church service. That appealed tremendously. Ultimately, though, I decided they had too many opinions about who God was, and I was busy enjoying the honeymoon phase of finding that out for myself. I LOVE theology and may still go for that degree somewhere down the road, but what I wanted from seminary wasn’t answers; what I wanted was an education in asking better questions.
Tripp:
It’s so good to see your written word. I graduated from Colgate Rochester/Bexley Hall/Crozer Seminary in 1990. I had a long and satisfying career before that as a counselor and therapist.
As I look back, Seninary was a blessed time. I gloried in the community, loved the architecture and the Refectory. I learned the beginnings of the theology that I have preached and lived for years. Now in retirement, and recently widowed, I am grateful that I have learned that faith is a muscle. I am deeply grateful for all the life lessons I learned there, especially Black church worship!
I’ve loved being on the edge and in the middle of the social gospel.
Thank you so much for this comment. I loved my time in seminary. What a gift.