Preparation for Seminary (Masters and PhD Level) Suggestions?

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O'GodHowGreatThouArt

Puritan Board Sophomore
Hello guys.

The Lord has called for me to attend Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. The Master of Divinity will be a Biblical And Theological Studies and the PhD will more than likely be in Biblical Studies. He has given this to me early because He wants me to thoroughly prepare for it in so many sectors, so I will attempt to outline the major ones below. There are more, but I figured that ones such as the "Get A Job" sector requires no explanation or questioning.

I. School

I am currently pursuing a Associates of Mathematics (Gainesville State College) as well as a Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics (will be completed at Georgia Gwinnett College). What courses can I take to prepare for Seminary as thoroughly as possible, especially concerning languages? To make it simple and avoid confusion, assume that I have not taken any classes that can prepare me for seminary in college. I will say though that I do not have access to Hebrew or Greek at these colleges.

I'm sticking to Mathematics as my major because I need a strong GPA and it is my strongest subject from a secular standpoint.

II. Personal Reading

I'm preparing for the in-depth reading required by reading through the top 100 novels of all time. However, in regards to Bible preparation, what should I read to do this, and how should I handle the reading of the Bible itself? I'm going through the Bible the second time this year, and I have to admit that going down the same road time and time again is beginning to wear on me.

III. Spiritual Preparation

The objective is self explanatory, but my question is to how to go about it.

If you guys need me to clarify anything, please let me know.
 
Let me preface my post with saying that I have no idea what I'm talking about. I only mean to regurgitate what seems to be sound wisdom from godly men when I have approached them with several of the same questions you are asking.


KNOW THE WORD OF GOD and OBEY IT.
 
Learn to read and write. I kid you not. By this I mean learn to read English-language texts carefully and to understand clearly what they are arguing. Then you need to learn to write well. These are the most basic liberal arts. After that, learn another language (e.g., Latin, German, or French). If you start Latin now you will be very well prepared to learn Greek since it is Latin with funny letters.
 
Bryan:

If you can pick up Greek while in college, that would serve you well. If you had time for a second language, go with German or Latin.

I don't understand your emphasis on reading of novels. Whose list? It would be one thing if you were reading the Great Books collection. Quite another thing to read some contemporary list of the greatest novels.

Please explain this statement:

I'm going through the Bible the second time this year, and I have to admit that going down the same road time and time again is beginning to wear on me.
Click to expand...

I'd like to reply, but want to be sure I understand you first.

For spiritual preparation, can you describe your current private prayer life and your level of involvement with your local church?
 
Wayne said:
Bryan:

If you can pick up Greek while in college, that would serve you well. If you had time for a second language, go with German or Latin.
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Greek will probably not happen (though I wish it could). Neither college offers it at this time.

I don't understand your emphasis on reading of novels. Whose list? It would be one thing if you were reading the Great Books collection. Quite another thing to read some contemporary list of the greatest novels.
Click to expand...

I wasn't aware there was a Great Books Collection. I'm open to it if it would serve me better.

As far as the top 100 list. It was pulled off of the following website.

Best 100 Novels

Please explain this statement:

I'm going through the Bible the second time this year, and I have to admit that going down the same road time and time again is beginning to wear on me.
Click to expand...

I'd like to reply, but want to be sure I understand you first.
Click to expand...

Normally this is not an issue with your standard book, but no one will deny that the first parts of the Old Testament (last half of Genesis and the Laws especially) are a bit dry. It would be far better to shift around the order in which books/chapters are read than read it cover to cover. My quandary is that I am not sure how to do this. Some may disagree with me on this point, but this is how I personally feel about it.

For spiritual preparation, can you describe your current private prayer life and your level of involvement with your local church?
Click to expand...

I pray on a regular basis in the evening, when I feel it is necessary, or when I feel the Lord pressing on me to pray for some circumstance or person. In regards to church involvement, I am currently in between churches after having issues with the way my previous two churches handled things both theologically as well as what is done within the church (how youth group is done, etc.). I hope to change this as soon as possible, but I cannot promise anything at this point in time.\

Hopefully this clears up your questions. If it doesn't, please let me know.
 
Bryan:

Here is a list of the Great Books: http://books.mirror.org/gb.titles.html

Some of those sections of the Old Testament can seem dry. One thing that might help would be to read through Matthew Henry's Exposition on the Bible. You can find it for free online, it's readily available in most libraries for loan, and sets both used and new are easy to find in bookstores. You might even want to join the current reading challenge:
Virginia is for Huguenots: Matthew Henry Commentary Challenge
Think of Matthew Henry as a good teacher to go along with you as you read, explaining those dry sections, unpacking them and showing how they fit in the larger scheme of things.

I pray your church situation will resolve quickly.
 
You may want to at least see about auditing Greek (or Latin, as Dr.Clark suggested) at another school nearby. Also, if you are going into Ph.D. studies, make sure you have at least one (preferably two) modern foreign languages under your belt. If you do not, this will greatly hamstring you in future studies.

Normally I would suggest that you read Calvin's Institutes before entering seminary, but I believe SBTS uses that in ST classes. Someone who has attended SBTS could speak more that issue. Even so, it wouldn't kill you to read it twice. ;)

I was once a mathematics major (and teacher), from Georgia also, and am now living in Louisville. Perhaps if/when you arrive, we can meet, etc.
 
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Both modern languages (at least the introductory aspects of the languages) can be taken while I am at my current college. Georgia Gwinnett is a new 4-year college in the area, and doesn't offer much in the way of languages yet.

I actually started reading Calvin's Institutes in Logos yesterday. I'm only through the "Preface To The Electronic Edition" so I can't speak on the whole just yet. As a side note, let me just say that the reading plans in Logos 4 are really awesome to have. Makes reading so much easier to deal with when balancing out worship/bible study, classes and family with it.

Just out of curiosity, is there any way I can learn Greek online (whether through Logos, or a third-party source)?

Tim: I'm actually planning on moving up to Louisville as soon as possible after completing my Bachelor's degree down here (all dependent on the application of course. Which, if it be in God's will, I'll be accepted), so when that time comes, I'll be more than happy to meet up with you. It might even be sooner than that, seeing that I'm planning on visiting the the summer prior to my last year.
 
If I could just give my thoughts on the subject. Take a speed reading course. I know opinions are gonna vary on the value of this but it helped me point out bad habits I had formed in the way I read. Another suggestion would be, while mathematics will be your undergraduate major (as was mine), pick up a minor (if possible) in one of the following: philosophy, history, political science, english, literature, etc. These subjects require the same or similar skill set required in seminary. Another book to pick up and read is Edmund Clowney's "Called to the Ministry." Of all the books I read in my first semester of seminary this was by far the most helpful as far as discerning my call.
 
Bryan,
Pick up the Greek Tutor and Hebrew Tutor from Parsons Tech. They will get you up to speed for Seminary Greek and Hebrew, they are wonderful and simple but effective tools. I used them before coming to seminary and got an A in both Hebrew and Greek here.
 
I will definitely look into that Alan. Thank you for the recommendation.

Stepping aside from the languages for a minute, what other specific classes would be of use to prepare for seminary?
 
Bryan,
Dr. Clark is exactly right. A degree in Mathematics is not going to prepare you at all for seminary, you need to be able to read and write well. Someone suggested minoring in something and that is great advice. Something that will require you to read and assimilate material and then prepare well thought out research papers. Nothing is going to prepare you for the amount of reading you will have to do. I only took 11 credits last semester and had over 4,000 pages of reading and 3 research papers over 10 pages. Just make sure you are ready to do that work and you will do fine.

Specific classes? English, Literature, Philosophy esp. Logic or Critical Thinking.
 
Marrow Man said:
Normally I would suggest that you read Calvin's Institutes before entering seminary, but I believe SBTS uses that in ST classes.
Click to expand...

Really?! I'd like to hear from someone attending Southern if that is true. That would be amazing (as in good).
 
Ivan said:
Marrow Man said:
Normally I would suggest that you read Calvin's Institutes before entering seminary, but I believe SBTS uses that in ST classes.
Click to expand...

Really?! I'd like to hear from someone attending Southern if that is true. That would be amazing (as in good).
Click to expand...

I'm basically that upon purely anecdotal evidence (and a memory that is less than perfect). I ran into someone at the local extension campus of Campbellsville University (which is decided non-Reformed and generally anti-SBTS -- which explains why he is no longer at SBTS) who briefly attending SBTS and told me that they read Calvin's Institutes in class. Perhaps he simply meant they read passages from the Institutes. I was giving the benefit of the doubt. I would be interested in hearing this confirmed, though, from someone else as well.
 
One last question for now, though I may have more later on.

In regard to biblical and theological studies, are there any topics that I should study prior to seminary as well as any books that could be considered essential reading (besides the aforementioned Institutes Of A Chrisitan Religion as well as the bible itself)?
 
Does not SBTS have a reading list for incoming students (perhaps to be done the summer prior to entrance)?
 
O'GodHowGreatThouArt said:
One last question for now, though I may have more later on.

In regard to biblical and theological studies, are there any topics that I should study prior to seminary as well as any books that could be considered essential reading (besides the aforementioned Institutes Of A Chrisitan Religion as well as the bible itself)?
Click to expand...
Well, you might as well start with some systematic theology texts with a decided reformed perspective, such as Berkhof's and/or Reymond's. That said, I would be surprised if SBTS is using these primers on the topic. ;)

AMR
 
I wasn't aware RTS had any form of a list, which I really like. It's a lot more widespread on the books (within Reformed Theology) than Westminster. I will consult both, but I'll probably end up using the RTS one as a guideline more times than not. Thanks for the assistance Andrew and Joel. I greatly appreciate it.
 
My major has been successfully changed to history. I just wanted to run another question by you guys.

I need to know two modern languages for the PhD studies. What would be the advantages/disadvantages of pursuing a Master of Arts in History to further concentrate on Europe/Middle East as well as accomplishing that second language?

One of my friends brought it up as an alternative to taking out two modern languages in the B.A. degree (which can get hassling), and so I'm digging around into that possibility.
 
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