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Four issues of Catalyst are mailed each academic year to some 5,000 UM theological students in more than 100 seminaries in the U.S.A.

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Catalyst is a project of A Foundation for Theological Education (AFTE).

What is the John Wesley Fellowship Program?
Each year AFTE awards up to five John Wesley Fellowships to assist gifted United Methodists in their doctoral studies at the finest universities.

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PREPARING FOR GRADUATE STUDY IN THEOLOGY BEYOND SEMINARY

A seminary student knocked on my office door and asked if he could speak with me. I gestured for him to come in and take a seat. I was not at all surprised when he said “I’m beginning to think about pursuing a Ph.D. in religion or theology after I graduate from seminary. Can you give me some advice? How do I go about making this decision and where might I go to study toward a Ph.D. if that is what I decide to do?” I hear this question or one like it often, and yet I never feel fully prepared to respond because each student’s case is different. This student, unlike many who come seeking such advice, was exceptionally bright, hard working, and oozed professorial potential from every pore. I was glad to encourage him to keep thinking in the direction of post-seminary graduate studies. In some cases, however, I am not as supportive. Doctoral studies are not for everyone–not even for everyone who feels drawn toward them.

 The first question I ask students who seek my advice about pursuing a Ph.D. after seminary is, “Do you feel called by God to do that?” If a person is in seminary and graduation is in sight, I assume he or she is called by God to gospel ministry. I probe the seminarian’s reasons for considering Ph.D. studies. Why not go into the pastorate or missions? Why not church planting, youth ministry, or a career in church music ministry? In other words, I ask, “What is your vocation? Have you prayed about this and do you distinctly feel that God is calling you to teaching ministry in college, university, or seminary?” Only if the answer is at least a tentative “Yes” can I comfortably proceed to counsel the student toward pursuing a Ph.D. I happen to believe that the pastoral ministry and other ministries that do not require a doctoral degree are just as valid and important for the work of the Kingdom of God as teaching. The Ph.D. is not a degree a person called to ministry should pursue just to continue his or her education. It should only be pursued by those who sense God’s call to teach theology, biblical studies, or some other discipline crucial to the education and edification of Christian young people for Kingdom service.

There are a number of other considerations that I introduce before guiding a student into post-seminary graduate studies toward a Ph.D. Is his or her academic record outstanding? Due to grade inflation, a student’s grade point average is not a sure guide. What do his or her professors say? What do they write on the student’s papers? Has the student taken an academic, graduate-level course outside seminary to find out what that is like and whether he or she is prepared for that level of academic rigor? I urge the student to take the Graduate Record Exam before making a final decision whether to apply to a Ph.D. program. Any program worth its salt will require it anyway. Why not take it and consider the results before applying? I urge the student to visit the seminary’s career counseling and placement office and receive guidance about usual expectations for acceptance into Ph.D. programs. Have other students been accepted? Where? When?  I encourage the student considering pursuit of a Ph.D. to contact other students who have gone before him or her and are still in graduate study beyond seminary and receive first hand information and guidance. I also encourage such students to speak with a number of professors and find out if all or most of them support their pursuit of doctoral studies.

 When a student is quite firm in his or her decision to apply to enter a Ph.D. program in theology or religious studies, I set before him or her another set of questions. A basic question is whether he or she wishes to earn a Ph.D. from a university or a seminary. There are distinct advantages and disadvantages to both. If a university degree is what the student prefers, then should it be from a secular or church-related university? Again, both have advantages and disadvantages. Another important question has to do with geography. Are there any parts of the county (or world) that are off limits–where the student is not willing to move? I encourage potential Ph.D. students to be open to going anywhere, but some have constraints that limit their options to certain geographical areas. Finally, what are the student’s financial needs? Will he or she need a great deal of financial aid or be able to pay some or most of the cost of graduate studies? These are all important preliminary considerations and should be kept in mind before and during the application process.
 
Next I urge the potential Ph.D. student to obtain a copy of an indispensable resource for deciding where to apply: The Directory of Departments and Programs of Religious Studies in North America, published each year by the Council of Societies for the Study of Religion (CSSR Executive Office, Valpraiso University, Valpraiso, IN 46383-6493). The cost of the 2001 edition is sixty dollars ($60.00), but it may be available for perusal at a local college or university library. The Directory lists and describes all the programs in religious studies (including theology) in North America, including those that offer doctoral degrees. Careful study of the Directory can help a student narrow the field of institutions to which he or she may apply to a manageable five or six. I urge students then to look up at least that many programs on the internet and correspond with them about application procedures and requirements, acceptance standards, costs, and financial aid (including teaching fellowships), as well as other matters pertinent to the decision whether to apply. The internet is an invaluable tool and resource in this decision process. Many institutions that offer a Ph.D. in religious studies or theology have full descriptions (including faculty and courses) on their web sites. After thoroughly researching as many institutions as possible, I urge the student to apply to as many as he or she can afford (most programs have an application fee which may range anywhere from forty to sixty dollars) and no less than three. In many cases programs can only admit a few students to their Ph.D. program each year and acceptance or rejection from a particular program and institution may not be any indication of a student’s real suitability for Ph.D. studies.

Full moral support from close family and friends is crucial in this entire process. I urge any student seriously considering Ph.D. work to make sure that his or her spouse, parents, and others in his or her support network are behind the endeavor. I would never encourage anyone to enter a Ph.D. program without family, and especially spouse’s encouragement and support. Of course, I urge the student to pray and recruit others to pray that God’s will be done. If it is God’s will that he or she earn a Ph.D. earnest prayer will help open doors. If all doors close and prayer has been continual and fervent, then it is safe to assume that doctoral studies are not God’s will. A little pushing on partly open doors, however, is almost always required for successful entry into and completion of a Ph.D. program.

By Roger E. Olson, Professor of Theology, George W. Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University.