Stuff To Do With A Theology Degree...

[Thy Geekdom Come]

[quote name='Maggie' post='1823662' date='Apr 3 2009, 04:22 PM']What I really want to know is, are people getting into doctoral programs out of Franciscan? Or is like jksoren says with hardly anybody getting in. That to me is the bottom line on whether a program is worthwhile or not. Is it true there is no Greek requirement? Did you ever encounter any of the stuff he talks about with the friars being a little wishy-washy? He (she?) does sound pretty bitter but if I dropped that much $$$ with those results I might be peeved too! I really want to find out because I have talked to people with such different experiences... some people really had a great time, a lot of debt but they learned a lot and grew in their faith, others also had a good time but didn't find it as intellectually engaging/enriching, and then they wound up as janitors. Not that there is anything wrong with being a janitor but it is not what they paid $50,000 in student loans for.[/quote]

Well, I haven't applied for an MA program yet, but what I know is that whether Greek is required or not is irrelevant. The language you take should depend on what you want to study. If I want to study the Western Fathers, then Greek wouldn't be a primary concern. If I want to study more contemporary theology, then French and German would be fantastic. If, on the other hand, I want to study Scripture, then Hebrew and Greek would be best. As it stands, I have 8 years of Latin and 10 credits of Greek. I like Scripture, but prefer the Fathers. It's a good fit. My wife, StColette, has French and Hebrew. I expect with these backgrounds that we could get into some decent programs.

Also, to be fair, the staff highly encourages ancient languages. Dr. Bergsma makes it quite clear that you should take at least one in order to go on to a good MA or Ph.D. program.

I can't recall taking a class with any of the friars, so I can't say if they're wishy-washy. What I do know is that Dr. Hildebrand, Dr. Bergsma, and Dr. Martin are all serious Catholics with hefty credentials, while I know a few of the other professors (whom I won't name) who have even better credentials, but really shouldn't be teaching theology. So credentials aren't all that.

As for requirements for teaching, I'd just like to point out that Dr. Hildebrand has taught Latin at FUS before and from what I recall, he only had about 10 credits of formal education in the language.

[Winchester]

[quote name='Theoketos' post='1823613' date='Apr 3 2009, 03:24 PM']FWI

Only ordained ministers can be Chaplins.[/quote]
Ordained ministers who can [i]spell [/i]"Chaplain," that is.

[Sojourner]

[quote name='Apotheoun' post='1823608' date='Apr 3 2009, 02:14 PM']I did my MA in Theology because I wanted to study theology in a more formal setting. That said, anyone who thinks that it is a good "career move" to study theology, is – to be blunt – an idiot, because we do not live in a society that honors God or the Church.[/quote]
I totally agree with this. I am getting a Catholic Studies master in conjunction with my law degree. While that opens up a couple of career doors, it's really mainly for my personal edification. If I hadn't already been getting the law degree, and had the option to tack this on, I probably wouldn't have done it. I have to be more practical with my schooling.

Not everyone has to be practical. Some people can pursue academics solely for personal enrichment. I'm sure some people are called to do this area of study -- where would we be without people like Thomas Aquinas? I just think the vast majority of people have to be practical with their choices, or at least weigh practical concerns heavily in the mix.

The thing is, we aren't called to enrich ourselves and to gain more knowledge just so we can be more awesome individuals. We are given gifts to enrich the entire Church. Rarely is someone called to study for the sake of studying. We're called to study for the sake of growing in holiness and using our gifts to encourage others to grow in holiness as well. When you take on a bunch of debt to study theology, and you're not called to the academic life, that debt can prevent you from being as effective as you might otherwise be. It's not to say God can't provide a way out of it, but debt is a hindrance. I know people, even people on this board, who are putting off entering religious vocations because of the immense debt they are carrying. Many of them have degrees like theology, that are personally enriching but practically useless.

I don't know if financing is even a consideration for Hilde, but I think anyone considering a liberal arts degree has to take this into consideration. Someday we all have to pay Sallie Mae.

[Hilde]

Ok, so the deadline for applying to anything else is the 15th, and I think I'll continue with by Bachelor. High School was really hard for me to get trough, so I don't feel like studying something I'm only semi-interested in right now, even though I might later. And did I tell you I am discerning?

Going to this school and being with the people there is making me really happy, but my parents are being really unsupportive which is making me sad and I'm feeling like they're pressuring me too much. I have to be rude to them and say I don't care what they think.

Very few of the people I go with come straight out of HS like me, and have done other things and studied other places before, so I don't feel it's OK that they're expecting me to have like a crystal clear picture of what I'm going to do the rest of my life.

Bah.

[tinytherese]

[quote name='Hilde' post='1833846' date='Apr 13 2009, 02:34 PM']Ok, so the deadline for applying to anything else is the 15th, and I think I'll continue with by Bachelor. High School was really hard for me to get trough, so I don't feel like studying something I'm only semi-interested in right now, even though I might later. And did I tell you I am discerning?

Going to this school and being with the people there is making me really happy, but my parents are being really unsupportive which is making me sad and I'm feeling like they're pressuring me too much. I have to be rude to them and say I don't care what they think.

Very few of the people I go with come straight out of HS like me, and have done other things and studied other places before, so I don't feel it's OK that they're expecting me to have like a crystal clear picture of what I'm going to do the rest of my life.

Bah.[/quote]

You're not alone. Sometimes parents have the best intentions but they go about them the wrong way. They love you and don't want you to go into anything that you hate yet they want to make sure that you'll be okay doing it. Though I know what its like to have a parent not believe in you. I still haven't totally forgiven my dad for that.