kata ta biblia

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"How do you like Fuller Seminary?"

Over the three years that I have been in my Master of Divinity program, I have been asked variations on this question a number of times. For many, the underlying question is: would I recommend Fuller to others? The short answer is yes, I would. If you are interested in an academic career, you would obviously have an advantage snagging a degree from YDS, PTS, or Duke. But Fuller folks do end up at world class doctoral programs and are well trained if they use their time well.

But what about the actual logistics of my time here? How has that been? The best part has been my opportunity to take doctoral seminar courses with New Testament PhD students, which were all about 5-7 people. In all of them, I was either the only or one of two non-PhD students in the seminars. That was when I felt really engaged in my studies.

Another positive for me, though it has been somewhat laborious, is Fuller’s great resources for cutting edge ministry conversations. I am glad I didn’t just go for the academic M.A. for two reasons: (1) I want to be better trained to serve the church even as an academic and (2) I imagine myself someday teaching students who are training for ministry and I want to be able to relate to them.

The worst part of Fuller, for me, was not it’s reputation as a “conservative” place in academia (it is actually an interesting middle ground). No, the aspect of my education here that frustrates me the most is its quarter system and class requirements. In order to finish the M.Div. in three years, a student must go full time, all four quarters (summer included), for three years. After three years of jockeying into the proper position for doctoral studies, with no real break to speak of, I am exhausted! How about a sabbath, Fuller? I don’t know of any other M.Div. programs that require so much time.

A close second to that frustration is the huge class sizes for the basic survey courses. But I think you’d find that with comparable institutions.

So, yes, Fuller is a good place and I would recommend it. I have felt envigorated academically and have made great friends. And had I not gone to Fuller, I would not have had the opportunity to meet Scott Bartchy and other folks at UCLA. Without that, I may not be going to UCLA next year, which is a great fit for my interests.

In the end, Fuller worked for me and I liked it quite a bit.

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6 Comments by Patrick George McCullough  /  August 14, 2008  /  Posted in: Uncategorized
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  • http://nijaygupta.wordpress.com/ Nijay Gupta

    In terms or heavy Mdiv requirements, I was also surprised to know that Trinity (TEDS) requires 120 hours (semester system) with the presupposition that the student has already had Greek before seminary! Thus, to the uninitiated, they actually more than 3 full-time years!

    Also, I went to Gordon-Conwell and most students study year ’round so you are not alone!

  • http://patmccullough.com/ Patrick George McCullough

    Nijay,

    That’s unfortunate about Gordon-Conwell. As an aside, I just have to make this connection. My alma mater’s (Messiah College) former college pastor is now Gordon-Conwell’s president. Maybe he can turn that around :)

    I actually had Greek coming into Fuller, so I was happy to be able to test out of it and have three extra electives for doctoral seminars, advanced language courses, and lots of New Testament. Seems like that’s a better option than TEDS (of course there are theological reasons I wouldn’t have been able to go to TEDS anyway).

    I didn’t mention this in the original post, but the quarter system is also annoying with its short bursts of classes. Can you really get into a topic within 10 weeks (let alone while you’re taking 2-3 other classes)? Unfortunately, the quarter system is something that I will carry on with at UCLA, but at least I will have more flexible summers.

  • Michael Westmoreland-White

    Um, Patrick, when I was at SBTS (before the fundamentalist takeover), it had a quarter schedule similar to Fuller’s. Very few people finished an M.Div. in 3 years. Took me 4.

    Glad you enjoyed Fuller. I enjoyed teaching there as a Visiting Prof. and regret that, now that I have come to believe in full church inclusion for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered Christians, I won’t be invited back. Fuller is the best of the capital-E Evangelical seminaries in the U.S. and the most open to interaction with other theologies, but it has its blindspots. I could not believe how limited its library was, especially on African-American and Latino theologies. I had to keep sending my students to Claremont libraries to do papers on Cone, Deotis Roberts, etc.

  • http://patmccullough.com/ Patrick George McCullough

    Hmm. I guess I have misconceptions about other MDiv programs! I suppose a lot of the people I’ve been talking with are in divinity schools in the university setting. Perhaps those scenarios are more likely to be on a semester system?

    You might be surprised at how things are developing in the areas of African American and Latino theologies, not just in library holdings, but also in dedicated offices on campus for Hispanic Ministries and the African American Church Studies program.

    They are also in the process of building a fancy new library, to be completed in January 2009. They aim to be the largest theological library on the Pacific coast.

  • Michael Westmoreland-White

    I had heard of both the new library and the new programs–both great developments. I wouldn’t mind being Visiting Prof. again (one summer I shared that honor with the late Colin Gunton), but, as I said, I can no longer sign the appropriate documents.

  • http://conversationaltheology.wordpress.com Ros

    I don’t know anyone who managed an MDiv at WTS(Philly) in 3 years. I think their requirement is 92 semester hours plus Greek and Hebrew.