Advice on Degree Path

[Blood-Bought Pilgrim]

This is going to be an oversimplified question, but I don’t want to turn this into a novel, so here it goes;

For a pastor who wants to be well-rounded educationally but also wants to be able to engage thoughtfully in the academic theology/biblical studies world, would an MDiv alone, or an MA+ThM seem to be a better path?

(For what it's worth The MA is a 66 hour degree, not 30 like some; and I would actually have total of 80 credit hours on completing it if I took that route.)

I’m at a juncture in my winding seminary journey where either could be possible, and where life finally seems stable enough to finish things up.

 

[joebonni63]

I would say talk to God but you probably have done that. What I like about the Mdiv is that it has everything in one. Years ago John Calvin and others had to get a Law Degree and later they came out with the Mdiv. Although you can get the Mdiv and then the ThM that might be the way to go. Lord help this brother he has seeked your help guide him in the corrected direction and the degrees that he will need in your name Jesus AMEN.

 

[Blood-Bought Pilgrim]

I would say talk to God but you probably have done that. What I like about the Mdiv is that it has everything in one. Years ago John Calvin and others had to get a Law Degree and later they came out with the Mdiv. Although you can get the Mdiv and then the ThM that might be the way to go. Lord help this brother he has seeked your help guide him in the corrected direction and the degrees that he will need in your name Jesus AMEN.

Thanks brother.

I have considered the ThM after the MDiv as well— it just would require a good bit more time and money of course. That doesn’t mean it’s not worth it, but it just makes it less certain that I’d actually get to the ThM with the uncertainties of family, ministry, etc.

 

[Polanus1561]

With the amazing amount of material today vs even the 90s… the ThM is less appealing. Many ThM professors have published their material into books.

 

[CasualWestminsterEnjoyer]

Your interests might be better served by time spent in reading and study than a ThM.
It's possible to dive a lot deeper into a topic of interest just by reading up on it than one is likely to get through coursework and assigned readings.

 

[Blood-Bought Pilgrim]

It's possible to dive a lot deeper into a topic of interest just by reading up on it than one is likely to get through coursework and assigned readings.

I see your point here— my thought about a ThM is that it might help refine my research and writing abilities in ways that would be hard to do on my own and would support self-study in the future. But not having experience beyond regular master’s level classes it’s hard to know how much of a difference it would make.

 

[TheInquirer]

Probably depends on you as a person and your confidence level after the Master’s but I went the route Charles suggested so I have more control over my furthering education. I still dabble with the idea of a further degree but in God’s providence, the situation hasn’t yet been right. If you went MA, do you think skipping the MDiv ministry focused courses would hurt your ministry or miss out on an opportunity?

 

[Blood-Bought Pilgrim]

Probably depends on you as a person and your confidence level after the Master’s but I went the route Charles suggested so I have more control over my furthering education. I still dabble with the idea of a further degree but in God’s providence, the situation hasn’t yet been right. If you went MA, do you think skipping the MDiv ministry focused courses would hurt your ministry or miss out on an opportunity?

That is one of the other considerations and why just continuing the MDiv route is a real possibility. I have already taken a number of the ministry focused courses, so if I went the MA route and would have some of those done when I complete that in a few months. As I mentioned, I’d be finishing the MA with 80 credit hours, which is still 26 short of the MDiv at my school, but is almost as much as an MDiv at many others.

So the real question I guess is whether those remaining MDiv classes are providing something unique or something more important than what I might get from a ThM, which would be similar length, but would be more academically focused.

 

[Blood-Bought Pilgrim]

Another thought I had about how to ask, which might be a more focused and answerable question:

Does a ThM provide anything significant in terms of honing research and writing ability that I’d be missing out from only have master’s level study in seminary? Particularly for the needs of a pastor who wants to be able to intelligently engage the academic world?

 

[arapahoepark]

Another thought I had about how to ask, which might be a more focused and answerable question:

Does a ThM provide anything significant in terms of honing research and writing ability that I’d be missing out from only have master’s level study in seminary? Particularly for the needs of a pastor who wants to be able to intelligently engage the academic world?

While I can't offer much, what do you mean by 'engage'? Are we talking academia or just have an ability to understand and unpack the issues?
Not to toot my own horn but, I only have a BA and yet am constantly engaging in works at a fairly academic level (University presses or military histories); popular works, unless pragmatic to my current situation, or are something I know little about in the first place, usually bore me.

 

[Blood-Bought Pilgrim]

While I can't offer much, what do you mean by 'engage'? Are we talking academia or just have an ability to understand and unpack the issues?
Not to toot my own horn but, I only have a BA and yet am constantly engaging in works at a fairly academic level (University presses or military histories); popular works, unless pragmatic to my current situation, or are something I know little about in the first place, usually bore me.

I mean a little more than simply reading academic works— I mean being able to be a credible participant in academic conversations, occasionally submit papers, attend academic conferences, etc. Not simply because I think it sounds nice, I should note, but because I think it would be beneficial for my own ministry and another possible avenue of minor service to the broader church.

And again I’m also wondering about which path would provide better honing of research and writing skills.

Perhaps that level of participation is attainable with simply an MDiv, but I’m just not sure.

 

[Polanus1561]

Finish your MDiv. Get some good books say on those recent stuff on classical theism for systematics.

Read biblical theology such as Beale, Vos, Gaffin etc.

Find your interested area. No need to rush for a ThM. Find a stable pastorate first as well

 

[paranymph]

If you want to be a pastor, do the M.Div. You will need a foundation for all kinds of scenarios you'll face in ministry.
Research & writing can always be done on one's own time in a particular area of study.