Finals all done. Fall 2008 semester: complete.

Now in my senior year in seminary, I’ve witnessed it many times. A professor has expounded key Scriptures on a subject but very carefully avoided devoting himself to a specific system of thought or theology. His seemingly skirting around the issue is not unintentional, however, I’ve learned. This drives students crazy.

“Show us your cards!” “Ally yourself with a known school with which we’re familiar!” Some professors aren’t afraid to rail against a known school using precise, loaded language in the process, but I submit to you that this is the far less thoughtful option. The clever student can often deduce the professor’s position on a subject. But, if this position is stated directly and using well-known terminology, this takes the fun out of the mental gymnastics and exegetical heavy-lifting that should be encouraged and instilled in the classroom. A novice poker player (if I dare use a card game analogy) should learn to play, not knowing the poker master’s hand every round. This is part of the learning process, though it undoubtedly drives the student mad.

Words of Advice

So, professor, you’ve said less and taught less when you’ve flat out (lazily) revealed your party compared with the professor who creates a heurestic atmosphere. Student, don’t ask; it’s a seminary faux pas. It’s all about the tertium quid anyways (not in the Christological to be sure, if anyone was wondering). Watch out for the false binary!

A family friend was asking my mom what her about-to-graduate-from-high-school boyfriend should study in college to prepare for seminary. Through a series of text messages, this is the advice I had my mom relay to the couple:

We need Christians/seminarians/ministers/pastors/missionaries of all backgrounds. If you’re interested in chemistry, by all means go hard after it. If you’re interested in psychology, get it. If you really click with languages, study linguistics. If you’re thinking of being super-practical, become a nurse or maybe an accountant. But what we don’t need is homogeneous Bible degree seminarians.

Will a Bible degree put you ahead in seminary? Sure. Will not having a Bible degree automatically put you behind? No. If you love philosophy and theology, you’ll study philosophy and theology, or philosophy with a special view to theology. College is equipping you to learn on your own. So what better way to put that into practice than by studying theology, the Bible, biblical languages, etc in addition to your studies on your own. We need theocentric and biblical microbiologists and P.E. teachers and businessmen.

At the same time, however, be focused: don’t study architecture just to get a degree so you can go to seminary. Study architecture because you’re interested in the Sagrada Familia and you love Jesus and want to help people build efficient and appropriate church buildings.

Even with that said, I would study classics, history, linguistics, English, philosophy, and/or nursing. Yep, nursing.

Lastly, keep an Amazon wishlist and every book you hear recommended, add it. Tell people that for your birthday, Christmas, Easter, Kwanzaa and Flag Day, you want something off that list. Go ahead and get all you can: you may not have time to read them now, but they may serve as references or your curiosity. You might just eventually have time to read them, but for the time being, your book shelf will look impressive.

You can’t read enough. But remember: