Paul BurkhartWe’ve all been there. You’re reading a book by some Christian author and they make a point in the course of their chapter. It’s a good point. You agree with it. It’s helpful. And yet, because this author prides themselves on being “biblical”, they...
Ryan BurnsAre you trying to pay for a seminary education? In today’s world, it can be difficult to afford paying for any form of high education. If God has called you to further prepare for ministry, then seminary is one of the best ways to prepare for it...
Guest AuthorThe Bible is a wonderful gift, one that gives us the very words of God. It is entirely holy and can speak to you in ways that are utterly profound, yet entirely simple. At the same time, that very same wonderful gift can begin to look very much like...
Wake up. Study. Class. Read. Class. Study. Class. Write. Read. Read. (oh yeah, eat.) Sleep. Certain days at seminary may look like this. You may spend over 12 hours in one day working on a single paper (something I did about a week ago). It’s easy...
Seminary can be an extremely busy time. Three papers to write over the weekend. A Greek test on Tuesday. Four books to read over the next week. Oh, and don’t forget that you are on the schedule for teaching at church this weekend! Busyness in...
If there is one category of seminary courses that is most maligned, it is probably the Practical Theology courses. If I can be honest for a second, they are seen as the “vegetables” of seminary, whereas the “real” theology classes are seen as the...
Your choice of classes in seminary can make or break your education. If you’re going to pay tens of thousands of dollars for a masters degree, you owe it to yourself to make sure you get the best education possible. More than that, you owe it...
The hardest class I have taken in seminary is Greek Exegesis of James. This was the capstone class for the Biblical Greek classes and includes creating narrative flows, taking weekly quizzes, a Final exam, and writing the “notorious” exegesis paper...
Greek class often gets a bad rap in seminary. Bible students would probably interpret Paul’s words about trials and tribulations to be a reference to Greek class. “For what can separate us from the love of God…certainly Greek class...
In my first year of seminary, I was in a New Testament class with an eccentric and somewhat unorthodox professor who enjoyed challenging various long-held theological assumptions and beliefs with the goal of helping us freshly think through these...
When I was interviewing for my first associate pastor role, the senior pastor said something to my wife and me that I would soon learn was almost a mantra: “If you come to Cold Springs Church, you will experience spiritual warfare.”...
Though this title may sound a bit cheesy, any seminary student will tell you that one of the best parts of seminary is the lifelong friendships that you form. Think about it, it is most likely the one time in your life that you will be surrounded by...
Seana ScottSo, you think God called you to seminary so you can better serve God in the world? Awesome. Your seminary time will be sure to teach you many things about God and his Word. In order to exit seminary as passionate as you are about ministry now, you...
It won’t take you long upon your arrival at seminary how much things may have changed from previous generations of seminary educations. One of the biggest differences is just how digital everything is. Most seminaries have some sort of online class...
In any school, especially graduate school—including seminary—one of its greatest costs is to one’s sleep. At least, I know that’s the case for me. I spent most of my adult schooling years with an average nightly sleep duration of 4 to 6 hours. And...
Mikel Del RosarioHave you ever felt like the more you study the Biblical Languages, the more Greek and Hebrew you seem to forget? I felt that way, too, when I was first starting out. Today, I’ve completed my fourth semester of Greek and I’m currently in my fourth...
In your first year at seminary, you will inevitably be on either the giving or receiving end of what is probably the oldest seminary joke in existence, perhaps dating back to the time of Jesus himself. “Why do we have to buy all these textbooks? You...
When I felt and answered God’s call on my life, I had no idea where he would place me. I simply acknowledged his calling, accepted it, and surrendered to him my willing spirit to walk through whatever doors he might choose to open for me. To date...
If God has called you to get a seminary education, here are some tips that might help you to go debt free or reduce your debt. 1. Get a ministry position, even if it is part-time, and serve for several years before going to seminary By doing so...
Besides adjusting to the academics and general flow of your particular school, another challenge lies in meeting all of your fellow students. It can be dizzying trying to remember so many new names and faces. This too is God’s providence. You’re at...
As a volunteer leader attending seminary online, I sometimes feel out of place. I don’t have the experience or skills of many of my classmates. But as an ex-professor and someone with a PhD in Chemical Engineering, there is one thing I do...
Because of the interesting combination of being a US Navy sailor and online seminary student, I’ve learned a few things about surviving in a distance learning seminary. If you’re on active duty, or even if you have an otherwise demanding civilian...
Seminary students are a transient bunch. They blow into town, spend three years too busy to do anything but study, and then they’re gone. For many of them (or, I should say, us), the whole seminary thing can seem like a hassle. If we...
We all have some idea of what a mentor is. Some of us may currently have a mentor or are even taking on the role of a mentor. However, despite the familiarity of the concept and the value many of us attribute to it, real mentoring is something that...
As a librarian in a seminary, I’ve noticed that in general students can be divided into two different types. There are those who consider themselves bibliophiles, haters of all things digital, old school. They spurn the internet and electronic...
The last thing I would advise anyone to do is what I did this semester—work thirty hours per week and take eight hours of classes simultaneously. I started working in the summer because we needed some extra money, and thought that I could keep at it...
Jeff’s post Professors Are People Too, got me thinking. On my lap right now sits a stack of theology position papers—a tall stack, I might add—to grade. Jeff and I have been blessed the past three years to tag-team TA for the first year...
A couple years ago, I was humbled when I realized my professors were so caring, authentic, and well, human. This epiphany moment? I was walking across campus and two different profs, a couple minutes apart, asked us how our son was doing and how...
There are plenty of resources on the net about how to write good papers, take the right classes…you know that sort of thing. Here are is my Top 5 “secret” tips (in no particular order) that will help you out in your first semester...
In his last post Chad gave some good pointers on what to bring to seminary, and then concluded on the note: Navigating seminary is different from college. It is an immersive experience that should be taken full advantage of. I totally agree. There...