CT has been asking if the MDiv has a future in seminary education. Based on Fuller Seminary's changes to its own curriculum and other denominations' move toward relaxing their own requirements, the MDiv will become one among other options for future ministers.
First, it's about asking the right questions concerning this debate. If we are asking the question whether a person can enter the ministry and succeeds without a MDiv degree, the answer is, and has been clearly so for a long time, yes. But, if we are asking the question whether the MDiv still provides the best pathway to essential theological skills for future ministers, the answer remains unequivocally yes. First, based on the qualifications for eldership (spiritual leadership) in 1 Tim 2 and Titus 2, a leader must be able to handle complex theological issues, counter false teachings and lead others with perspicuity, compassion and patience. Without a deep awareness of the history of Christian doctrine and the development of theological systems, leaders will have quite shallow responses to the challenges of the Church today. Answers to problems will not be resolved with tweets and blogs, but will require deliberate, thorough and informed responses. We stand on the shoulder of giants and we need to know what they had to say in the challenges of their days. Otherwise, Heine's dictum, "we learn from history that we don't learn from history" will be true in our time as well.
The other significant piece is of course the Word of God itself. It is amazing that discussions (see my blog "the myth of the calculator" April this year) are going on about discarding the requirements of Hebrew and Greek for the MDiv, when, at the same time, people are lamenting the lack of biblical literacy in the Church (Biola Magazine). I would venture to say these two trends are related to each other. To be sure, you and I know many people who love God's Word and know God's Word without the benefit of knowing the languages. However, the commitment it takes to spend these endless hours memorizing Hebrew words and Greek words and syntax (the way God chose to communicate to us) results in a deeper love and devotion to the Word. I stand as a witness (as many others alongside and before me) that the study of the languages inspires me to dig deeper! In the course of a a lifelong pursuit to study the Word, to probe the Hebrew and the Greek text of a passage for preaching and teaching challenges me in terms of how much I have yet to learn about the depths of God's Word (in a way that merely looking at the ESV or NIV won't). For men and women called to proclaim the Word, to limit ourselves to the texts in translation is entirely too restrictive! The best analogy to me is a diet of prepared meals in the frozen food section versus a Tuscan menu in situ (how about Montepulciano?) or a déjeuner at a brasserie in Lyon, France. The people of God is starving (already in the days of Amos in the 8th century BC, Amos 8:11), it's time to give them solid training in the best culinary institutes available: the MDiv with the full load of language requirements.
