Regent College and GCTS

[Breadloaf]

I wonder if anyone has any insight into Regent College. Info on its own would be fine; if you could relate it to Gordon-Conwell Seminary, that would be the bomb. Yo.

Thanks all.

-Wonder Breadloaf

 

[Ianterrell]

Breadloaf where you ever on the Dialouge Box from Discerning Reader?

Regent I've not heard great things about.

 

[panicbird]

I attended Regent for a year. I would describe it as broadly evangelical. By that I mean that it embraces the outer fringes of the evangelical movement. It is not reformed by any means. There are professors that espouse annihilationism, post-mortem evangelism, and there would not be as much opposition to Open Theism as one would like (the summer before I started classes, Clark Pinnock taught a summer class there on the Holy Spirit). In the class called The Christian Life (a required class), we had a lecture on women in ministry. It was assumed from the outset that women should minister at all levels in the ministry. In our discussion group afterwards, I brought up the (seemingly radical) idea that I was not convinced from Scripture that our lecturer was right. I got a lot of ";;Well, I have not looked at what Scripture says on this, but...";; I wanted to say, ";;If you have not looked at Scripture, then stop talking!";;
They are also big on ";;community.";; While I have no problem with it, it almost seemed as if the community of Regent College was more important than the community of the church. In fact, I am pretty sure that they took communion in the chapel services (though I readily admit that I never went to chapel services there). Also, postmodernism is alive, well, and thriving at Regent College.
I was able to take a class with Packer (on the Puritans) and with Waltke (on OT Theology), but both of those guys are technically retired. Regent is not what it used to be.
I would advise you against going to Regent. I will say this, however: the area that it is in (Southwestern BC) is absolutely beautiful. Vancouver itself is not much to look at, but the surrounding scenery makes up for it. We lived just this side of the border in a town called Blaine. That area is unmatched in beauty.
I do not know much about Gordon-Conwell, so I cannot help you there.

Lon

 

[Breadloaf]

Reformed believer, non-reformed seminary

Ian - I sure did. I was at DB for about a year and a half before Rob clinched it. You were there?

Panic - thanks for your input. And everyone else, I still hope to receive some more. My wife's parents live there, and we would like some kind of family support for when we have children that we just don't have here in Boston, sadly.

I go to GCTS now - Regents sounds a little more liberal. I'm comfortable with that, I guess. I would like to be in a Reformed seminary, but I'm really looking for the church to be my prime source of education, esp. doctrine, not the seminary. And as I think about it, it occurs to me that if the Lord ever calls me to a pastoral position, most of my congregation will not be reformed (at least, they probably won't start out that way :wink ) And who knows, maybe somebody who isn't reformed will catch onto something that the reformers never did.

However, I am committed to my denomination (PCA), not only to be a part of it but to submit to it as much as I can. As far as I know, I do agree with the tenents of Westminister, with a couple of exceptions that I haven't yet studied.

So here's a broader question: Should reformed Christians go to non-reformed seminaries?

Hmmm . . .

 

[panicbird]

There is a new reformed seminary in Seattle (Lynnwood, actually): Northwest Theological Seminary. I do not know much about it, but their M.Div. looks killer:
Semester 1
OT 500 Old Testament Introduction (3 CR)
NT 510 Greek IA (3)
ST 520 Introduction to Systematic Theology (4)
PT 530 Homiletics IA (2)
CH 540 Patristics I (2)
CH 542 Westminster Confession of Faith (2)
CH 544 Vos Readings (2)

Semester 2
NT 511 Greek IB (3 CR)
NT 512 New Testament Introduction (3)
ST 520 Introduction to Apologetics (4)
PT 531 Homiletics IB (2)
CH 541 Patristics II (2)
CH 543 History of Biblical Theology (2)
CH 545 Ridderbos Readings (2)

Semester 3
OT 600 Hebrew (3)
OT 603 Pentateuch (3)
NT 610 Gospels (3)
ST 620 Doctrine of God and Man (4)
PT 630 Homiletics IIA (1)
PT 632 Church Polity (1)
CH 640 Medieval Church History (2)

Semester 4
OT 602 Hebrew (3)
OT 604 Historical Books (3)
NT 611 Acts and Paul (3)
ST 621 Doctrine of Christ and Salvation (4)
PT 631 Homiletics IIB (1)
PT 633 Missions (1)
CH 641 Reformation Church History (2)

Semester 5
OT 701 Psalms and Wisdom Literature (3)
NT 710 Greek Reading (1)
NT 711 General Epistles and Revelation (3)
ST 720 Doctrine of the Holy Spirit (4)
PT 730 Homiletics III/Worship/Church Admin. (2)
CH 740 Modern Church History (2)
Elective (2)

Semester 6
OT 700 Hebrew Reading (1)
OT 702 The Prophets (3)
ST 721 Doctrine of the Church (4)
PT 731 Pastoral Life (1)
PT 732 Counseling (1)
CH 741 American Presbyterianism (2)
Elective (2)

Their website is www.nwts.edu.

There is also a seminary at Trinity Western University in Langley, BC.

Lon

 

[Ranger]

My wife and I have been looking at Regent because I will finish my MDiv at Southwestern in the spring and we have been asked to plant some churches in downtown Vancouver. For my wife to be able to teach elementary school in Canada, I have to be on a student visa. So, we were looking at me working on a ThM during the two years we plan on being there. It seems like it is a well respected school, but you have to realize that it is extremely diverse which in many cases lends to liberalism. I know it isn't reformed, but some very good reformed professors have and do teach there. Are there any more reformed seminaries in Vancouver?

 

[panicbird]

Kyle,

You might look at Trinity Western University's seminary in Langley, BC (not very far from Vancouver). It is actually a coalition of 5 or 6 seminaries. While it is not reformed, it is a pretty solid school as I understand it. They have a pretty rigorous M.A. program in Biblical Studies; from the looks of it, it is as demanding (or more so) than most Th.M. programs.

Lon