BTS or Whitefield?

[natewood3]

I am currently a student at SBTS through the extension center in Jackson, TN. However, I have found that I the extension centers are mainly for pastors, and I plan to possibly pastor, but I (as of right now) am for sure going to teach at the graduate level. My wife is about a year and half away from finishing her degree, so I cannot move to Louisville until then.

I was considering completing a Master of Arts in Christian Studies with an emphasis on apologetics (as that is possibly what I want to teach after school). However, I plan to get my M.Div. in Biblical and Theological studies because of the emphasis of the Biblical Languages and on Theology (I must take over 30 hrs of Languages and Theology at Southern with this emphasis). I also like the idea of completing the degree at home. My question is which seminary would you recommend, especially in regard to apologetics? Are both of these schools accredited, since I will be pursuing other degrees (M.Div., probably M.Th. and Ph.D)? Would you suggest another course of action rather than taking distance education through one of these schools?

Any comments would be great.

 

[RamistThomist]

email Paul manata
u2u me if you don't hve his address

 

[Me Died Blue]

I just saw this thread. Indeed, Paul Manata has attended BTS, and said it was great for the apologetics, but also said that, as many others are noting, it (along with Covenant Media Foundation and any of the ministries with which David Bahnsen is affiliated) is indeed starting to (and may be even more fully so by now) teach Federal Vision/Auburn Avenue theology. Thus, for that reason, I would certainly not recommend the seminary to anyone who happened to ask me about it - especially in light of the fact that presuppositional apologetics can be learned quite well through the many, many audio lectures Greg Bahnsen (and Michael Butler) has at http://www.cmfnow.com

With regard to Whitefield, a few members here on the board have attended there, such as Matthew McMahon ("C. Matthew McMahon"), Bobby Gawthrop ("Preach"), Jerrold Lewis ("JOwen") and Joshua Parker ("youthevang"). It has always been spoken of very highly by them and everyone I have heard from who attended there. The major potential disadvantage is that (along with BTS) they are not accredited. With regard to whether or not to obtain a Master's degree there, that would particularly be a factor to consider if you wanted to pursue an accredited Ph.D sometime later.

Also, for your consideration, another seminary that offers distance education that is spoken of very highly by folks in the Reformed community, but which is likewise unaccredited, is Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. While it is Presbyterian and you are Baptist, the same can essentially be said of Whitefield. So if you want to do distance education at this point, I would definitely recommend comparing those two.

 

[WrittenFromUtopia]

RTS has a distance program for the MA degree.

 

[natewood3]

I think I have decided to just take a couple online classes for the next two semesters from Southern, classes like Personal Evangelism, Ministry of Leadership, etc. That will at least give me 12 more hrs before I move to SBTS campus. Having 21 hours is better than having no hours I suppose...

My decision now is to figure out if I want to teach Theology or Apologetics once I get my degrees, because I will probably at least need to get an MA in Philosophy if I am going to teach Apologetics at the seminary level. Of course, then I will have to decide to get either a Ph.D. from a seminary or a university. I would love to get a Ph.D. in Apologetics from WTS, but not sure if that will happen. I would not mind just the Th.M from WTS, but I cannot see myself moving for just a year or so to do that, then moving again to get my Ph.D...