Seminaries for Evangelicals

Hi Andy,

Thanks for this useful list.

Here’s another for your students to consider:

Westminster Seminary California
http://www.wscal.edu/clark

Among our faculty are Mike Horton (ST), host of the White Horse Inn and editor of Modern Reformation magazine; Bob Godfrey (History), and Steve Baugh (NT), David VanDrunen (ST/Ethics).

Cheers,

rsc

R. Scott Clark, D.Phil
Associate Professor of Historical and Systematic Theology
Westminster Seminary California
rsclark@wscal.edu
http://www.wscal.edu/clark
“For Christ, His Gospel, and His Church.”

Thanks for this list of seminaries that will be helpful to “younger” scholars who want to remain faithful. To your list of PTS professors should be added Robert Gagnon, Scott Sunquist and Andrew Purves, all “salty” professors with a love for the Lord.

Best,
Edith M. Humphrey

A very helpful list! Along with attending a denominational seminary, I graduated with a M.Div. from the more liberal Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School. As a moderate Evangelical and Anabaptist, I enjoyed being in an atmosphere where there could be some exchange.

Thanks for posting this useful list! I was wondering where Portland’s Western Seminary would fall on you ranking from liberal to conservative?

Thanks again.

Hey Andy- Just an update here. I am Taylor grad (08) and am presently attending George Fox Evangelical Seminary in Portland, OR.

Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary are both very conservative.

I don’t know my Southern Baptist Convention seminaries that well and I don’t know that they draw students from outside Southern Baptist circles besides perhaps Southern.

See my post about the size of seminaries. Certainly the SBC seminaries are big:

http://www.andyrowell.net/andy_rowell/2010/09/the-22-largest-seminaries-in-north-america.html

@Marty, You are right that definitions of liberal and conservative are confusing. Are we talking politics, theology, liturgy, social issues, or economic issues? For example, Duke Divinity’s Roman Catholic faculty exert a “conservative” influence with regard to social issues by lining up with the Vatican. But I am using “conservative” in the way evangelicals tend to use it–with regard to the strictness and narrowness of their statement of faith, especially with regard to biblical authority. These in turn give a strong indication about where the faculty and students come down on the fundamentalist to modernist spectrum which is the historical roots of the conservative to liberal range evangelicals think of.

I would still say strongly that Fuller is more conservative than Duke. Consider for example its statement of faith http://www.fuller.edu/about-fuller/mission-and-history/statement-of-faith.aspx
vs.
Duke Divinity’s “mission.” http://divinity.duke.edu/about/mission

It is also important to remember my list concerns schools that evangelicals tend to attend. You are right that Duke Divinity is conservative on the mainline theological schools spectrum. I didn’t mention Union or Harvard! There are certainly more “liberal” schools than Duke Divinity among the 13 United Methodist seminaries http://www.gbhem.org/site/c.lsKSL3POLvF/b.3474255/k.64EB/United_Methodist_Theological_Schools.htm

Furthermore, “evangelical” is a confusing polyvalent term. For example, someone might think that all United Methodists are evangelicals but I am referring to evangelicals as those who see their primary identity as evangelicals rather than a denominational affiliation. There are lots of definitions of evangelicals but the most famous is by David Bebbington who describes the movement as those who emphasize: the need for conversion, high biblical authority, focus on the cross, and emphasis on evangelism. Not all United Methodists would emphasize those things. All of the schools I list have a significant number of evangelicals by Bebbington’s description.

I also think your theory on the Calvinist/Reformed as being related to “conservative” in my list misses the mark. Duke Divinity has Pittsburgh and Princeton on either side–both Reformed / Presbyterian schools. Dallas Theological Seminary is not reformed nor are Southern Baptists typically “reformed” though the ascendancy of Southern Seminary might make one forget that.

Ok. Not many people probably will find this post to give another perspective on Fuller but maybe someone will. All the best, Andy

You wrote you weren’t sure about Multnomah Seminary and they are right around in your list where they should be. You didn’t mention Western Seminary in Portland which is a significant seminary and larger than Multnomah Seminary in Portland and they also have a branch in San Jose and the most well known seminary in evangelical circles in the Silicon Valley. They would be right with Multnomah in terms of theology.

I have heard similar reports from other students at Fuller as the one commenter made and I would place George Fox Seminary which you listed a little more liberal than Fuller. It would be great if one day we had some sort of basic grid for seminaries to direct people to that lays out things like you are doing. So helpful and something to send people to. Thank you!

you forgot ashland theological seminary with David Desilva. Ashland is one of the largest seminaries in the Midwest
Marc

@Jesse, Sure, I remember you and will email you.

@Josué Done.

H is pretty close to my own experience as well. I work in the PCUSA and most of the liberal pastors on the West Coast came out of Fuller. I’ve sat and listened to hundreds of students trying to become pastors in the PCUSA and the vast majority are from Fuller. Most of their beliefs, and I mean MOST, are so liberal I can’t understand why they even want to be Pastors. One even said to the interview group, “Jesus was not fully God, that’s just what Fundamentalist believe.” Fuller grad. If one wonders why the Church is falling, it’s because of school’s like Fuller. Liberalism is the biggest threat to the Church today.

You would be challenged but not attacked at Duke Divinity School. The faculty are passionate about sitting under the Scriptures and having them speak as authoritative for Christians.

Dear David, I don’t know of a course in church administration per se. I did just today see this though:

http://www.christianitytoday.org/inside-story/2013/april/first-things-first.html

“The new ChurchLawandTax.com http://www.churchlawandtax.com/ that launches later this month. Nowhere else can churches—and specifically church administrators, treasurers, managers—get the expanse of accurate, timely, and user friendly resources for navigating the always challenging world of the practical “business of ministry.”

Off the top of my head, I would look at the Master of Arts in Global Leadership (MAGL) program at Fuller Theological Seminary http://www.fuller.edu/campuses-online/fuller-online/magl.aspx and the M.A. in Transformational Leadership at Bethel Seminary http://seminary.bethel.edu/academics/st-paul-programs/transformational-leadership/ for help with church administration.

Andy,

What do you know about Bethlehem College and Seminary in Minneapolis, MN (John Piper is the chancellor)?

I know they only accept 15 graduate students per year because each one is mentored by a staff member/elder of the church, but I really am drawn to the idea of a seminary so closely associated with the church and run by the church.

Any thoughts?

Matt, My general sense is that the Duke Divinity faculty are divided about 1/2 and 1/2 about whether they are affirming of gay marriage. Duke Divinity is more liberal than Asbury Theological Seminary–in terms of United Methodist Church seminaries but it is probably more conservative than the other 12 UMC seminaries. Many of the Duke Divinity faculty grew up in liberalism where they were not taught the Bible or urged to obey Jesus and they have repudiated that approach–insisting on the authority of Scripture and the importance of “not being conformed to the pattern of this world” (Rom 12:2). In terms of John Wesley fellows on faculty, I know some of these folks are or are very similar if they are not: Richard Hays, Laceye Warner, Jeff Conklin-Miller, Randy Maddox, Stephen Gunter. I am not great on navigating the United Methodist Church world but Andrew Thompason http://www.andrewthompson.com/ was a year ahead of me in the Th.D. program and is a master guide toward that world. Besides these Methodists, there are many other “conservative” or at least “not liberal” (postliberal) faculty at Duke Divinity School–virtually every faculty member at Duke Div would deny the label “liberal.” It is a very bad word at Duke Divinity because it connotes brainless American relativism. (Many lean Democratic not Republican in politics but that is a separate issue than theological posture).

as a Fuller’s graduate in 1999, I like to comment on the discussion regrading FTS as posted between H, Joel, and Nick (Jan to April 2012).

I came from a conservative, evangelical, Presbyterian style church which strongly hold to Reformed/Calvinist doctrinal confession. When I first came to FTS, I was very disappointed since the first Professor that taught me came from Biblical Criticism’s point of view on OT. She was a graduate from an UMC Seminary, I guess this seminary is part of those seminaries that was referred as the ‘liberal’ wing. As I contemplated the idea of moving to Talbot, I pray and ask God about why he send me to FTS. He indeed showed me why ! You see, I don’t learn much about systematic theology in FTS (that’s probably due to my upbringing in a church that preach much about the Great Doctrines of Christian faith) but FTS has equipped me much with the tools, attitude, and mindset necessary to exegete the Bible deeply. I knew this fact from the pastors that listened to my preaching and other scholars that read my writings. It was FTS that made me realize the role of a minister not only to preach but more importantly to teach and be mentor. The great mandate of God to care for the weak that prompts Christian to step out from their comfort zone into public spheres (even to politics).

There’s truth in what ‘H’ said regarding those (unique) Professors, but I also knew why FTS hired them. They are ‘giants’ in academic sense based on their academic credentials and publications. But I also met with Professors (mostly senior ones) that are very mature in their faith and they often acted as our fathers and mothers in nurturing our restless quest for theological excellence. One thing that struck me the most about these Professors, is their humility. I personally witness how Prof Mouw used to take time to talk (and spend quite amount of time) with the gardener, garbage collector, cleaner, etc. And that was the time when he is the President of the Seminary! I was humbled when a senior Professor that was part of worldwide leadership of AOG accepted me in his private office and asked me to sit down in his leather reading chair while he took a secretary chair and then sat down to listen to me. The point is when you go to FTS, you must be ready to learn in the ‘tension’ ( a lingo that I learned in FTS). Many time Christian truth is found within the point of equilibrium where the tension is, between liberal and conservative, right and left, Biblical authority and Biblical criticism. One advice, find a worthy Professors and learn as much from him or her. Trust me when I say, if one except to find a manicured lawn of theology in FTS, you will be disappointed. FTS seems to make it a goal to have faculties from as many traditions and denominational backgrounds. I guess it is FTS’s goal or spirit to reach as many as possible with the Gospel of Christ that made it viewed in many occasions as “compromising” fundamental Christian truth and doctrine. I confessed that it is very dangerous to walk on the edge, may God preserved FTS on this matter. But when you are led by a philosopher, you will find that he will go straight to the ‘core’ of things and what is the heart of Christianity but John 3:16 – God, love, Christ saves, faith, restored relationship. naked from form, traditions, denominational confession, contemporary worldviews, in or out group, identities, etc.

To Nick, I met a lot of PCUSA’s students in FTS. My impression of them, they tend to form exclusive group(s) apart from the rest of FTS students. Some of them are very arrogant (speaking from my personal experience). I doubted that they learn much from the culture and atmosphere of FTS since most of them are so concern with academic excellence so they can score well in PCUSA’s test for pastoral position. I doubt that the individual(s) who professed his or her view to you regarding Christ got it from FTS. Because in my time at least, any student who openly said that view in the class will have to be ready to defend it before a classroom of highly intellectual students that will grind him/her to the teeth ( I know I will ), not to mention the lecturer. I witness a dean from a reputable university in UK (a visiting lecturer for summer class) must bear the scrutiny of FTS’s student when he taught that someday the Church will learn to accept homosexuality as Biblically OK. He failed to defend his position !

Hey Andy, thanks for the post! I was wondering what your take on Wake Forest Divinity school is? Does it have strong reputation academically? I am theologically conservative, reformed, and charismatic. The school strikes me as liberal. Any thoughts on how well I’d be received there? I’ve been accepted at Wake and a couple other places for a M.Div/J.D. dual degree.

WORLD Magazine (4/18/15)
Resigned
Leaders at Redeemer Seminary in Dallas, Texas, said five faculty members have resigned since Feb. 17 over disagreements with the leadership of the school’s president and board of trustees. They said five trustees have also resigned since November.

Where would Claremont School of Theology be in this list?

Andy, where would you place Talbot Theological Seminary (Biola).

Sorry, I just saw it. I have got to keep these glasses clean.

I recently finished my MDiv at Fuller and I never met a professor that was a Wiccan or didn’t believe in God. There are a lot of very conservative professors at Fuller. There are a good deal that are more liberal. There is certainly a bent to talk about women, inclusiveness, race, and they do try to acknowledge the oppression that has come from a white male dominated society. That said, many people still think Fuller is very white male oriented.

I think the biblical studies professors are more liberal than the theology professors. They are also much more left politically. But there are also professors that believe in inerrancy. There was a NT prof that I had that consistently used the ESV even though it was not a gender neutral version. Another of my NT profs that I thought was too liberal got denied tenure because he was too liberal. I’ve had 2 professors come out and just say, “Paul clearly wrote Ephesians” and that was the end of it. That’s pretty conservative.

Fuller tries to escape the conservative – liberal spectrum. They’re more postmodern if anything. There are very few “debates” in class about typical liberal-conservative issues. Profs tend to avoid them because they don’t think these types of debates are productive.

As a whole Fuller is very eclectic. If you want a conservative education equivalent to DTS and you know which professors are more conservative, you can probably select your professors so as to get a very conservative education. At the same time, you could probably select your professors in a way to get a much more liberal education like PTS.

Dear H,

What is wrong with redistributing wealth? Rich people keep oppressing their fellow man in order to get it. Do you think that’s right and just? Of course not, right? Besides its not nice to talk about other fellow Christians like that. Its not nice to speak about Professor Erin Dufault-Hunter in those terms.

James