I think that people who are going to be ordained should have a degree in theology. (Not a one year Masters, either. I mean the equivalent of a Scottish BD).
This week, there are a lot of people in the US who are sitting an examination. Its the week of the year when the General Ordination Examination papers are being sat over there. We have nothing like it. It is a week of quite intensive examination. The papers are not graded but rather “evaluated” and the results sent to dioceses where bishops (presumably taking the advice of others) then decide whether someone should proceed to be ordained.
I think there was a GOE in Scotland at one point, but no more. Did we just bolt on to the English GOE? I’ve no idea.
It is worth pausing for a moment to look at what the US examinations cover. A Short Summary of what GOE candidates should know is available online. There are also some past papers available online here and here.
Now, I’m not going to play a game of looking over the pond to claim that the grass is greener over there. I’ve no doubt that the examination is pretty daunting for some candidates. It might be interesting for some of the critics of the US Episcopal church to cast an eye down the syllabus. Celebrating pagan masses, becoming a priest who is also a muslim, blessing polygamous relationships or being obsessed with same-sex marriage somehow do not seem to be at the forefront of what it means to be an Episcopal priest in the States.
However, it does remind me of the number of times I have said in meetings that people should have degree level training in theology before being let loose in congregational ministry. The kinds of things I learnt when doing my BD which overlap with the things that are in the GOE summary above are things that I would regard as being basic tools for my ministry. I don’t think that rigorous academic theology is an optional extra.
Doesn’t make me popular, that view. I don’t think that theological training based fundamentally around theological reflection comes anywhere near giving people the skills they will need in congregations. It might give them some tools they can use as use as helpful pastoral carers, but that is not the full extent of what priesthood is about.
Do I “reflect theologically” from time to time? Of course I do. Is that theological reflection enhanced immeasurably by having done a couple of theological degrees? Of course it is.
One caveat that I would add to the claim that people need to do theological degrees is that if they do them at institutions which have a stated or assumed doctrinal position then the person should also have to do (and be expected to enjoy doing) some theological work with people from other theological positions.
Can wisdom be measured with an examination? Can spirituality be quantified by what you can write down in three hours on a bit of paper? Can someone’s potential as a priest be distilled down into a week of examination papers?
I know that the answer to these questions is obviously “no”.
Does that change my assertion that I think people who want to be ordained should have degrees in theology.
Apparently not.
Well, looking at some of the questions in section 7 of 2003, I could come up with some splendidly short answers which would I suspect be unpopular things to think and say.
In response to something that Eamonn said earlier, I think that being able to sum up and say something about a meaty doctrine in the space of a couple of pages (preferably whilst being erudite and witty) is a core task for all priests.
Yes. We should all have good degrees obtained at real universities, not just accredited by one. Also, we should be paid accordingly. Perhaps if we had high standards and were seen to be treated in our employment as skilled professionals, we would get a bit more respect off all those teachers and doctors etc. in our congregations who think they can do our job just as good as us and who believe theology is a purely personal matter that one decides for oneself without reference to any learning and certainly nothing to do with years of study both at college and ever since.
Funny to bring teachers into it – if anyone has to earn respect, a teacher does. I’d have thunk the same might go for a priest. No?
What’s wrong with a degree that has been accredited by a “real university”?
I think it is better to start out respecting someone and then stop respecting them if they let you down. Anyway, teachers are predisposed to evaluate and correct which they will insist on doing at the door after church on Sunday. It doesn’t work the other way though. If a priest tells an English teacher that he’s got his grammar wrong the priest might as well pack her bags and get the next bus out the parish.
Well, natch. 😉
Unless s/he’s correct, of course.
A comparison with medicine is helpful. Although there are many specialties all of us started off doing a 5 year medical degree. The purpose was to give a basic medical education as a foundation for further, more specialised study and practice in the future.
Now, given that there are more universities in the UK than motorway service stations and that the quality varies (please don’t tell me a degree in classics from Oxford has the same merit as a degree in golf course management from an ex poly), it seems odd that theological education nowadays either seems to go for specialisation first with a poor grasp of the basics or feels that the basics doesn’t really warrant the best in educational provision in the first place.
BTW, don’t get me started on the subject of teachers. Just let me say that being a teacher and being able to access the internet does not make you a consultant haematologist…….
Kelvin, I’ve also just noticed that your site has a link to RockBridge Seminary which will give you an online ministry degree in three years for $10500! I don’t mean to sound picky but, given the thread, WTF!!!
I think the links (in the sponsored ads bit) are random albeit supposedly related to the thread in question. Am currently getting a link to the lighthouse project ( http://www.lightproject.org.uk/statement_of_faith.html ) who are members of the Evangelical Alliance (!), University of London and ‘Book an Eye Exam Today’.