Bruce Church has left a new comment on your post "Essay Backs Bruce Church's Arguments about Seminar...":
Seminary professor Frederick Schmidt says that many M. Div. programs are "bloated," no doubt so seminaries could rake in more federal student loan dollars per degree. He says that the accrediting agency only requires 72 credit hours for a M. Div., but is aghast that some seminaries require as much as 106 credit hours. He'd probably have seizures if he heard how many credit hours the LCMS seminaries get away with requiring, namely 137 and 139 (see links below). You'd have to look at the US defense department to find "cost overruns" as big as the cost overrun for getting a LCMS M. Div. For that many credit hours, you'd think a guy could walk away with a M. Div and a D. Min, or at least be well on his way toward receiving a Doctor of Theology.
So if 106 credit hours is "bloated and expensive," and the most expensive Methodist seminary out of their dozen or so seminaries is the 29th most expensive seminary in N America, then what adjectives are left to describe the LCMS's M. Div. programs, which are 9th and 11th most expensive programs in N America, and require nearly twice as many credit hours to graduate than is required by ATS!:
Seminary costs compared:
http://www.scribd.com/bruce_church
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Concordia St. Louis M. Div.
http://www.csl.edu/admissions/academics/mdiv/curriculum/
Credit Hours/Area
27 Exegetical Theology
26 Systematic Theology
18 Historical Theology
30 Practical Theology
18 Free Electives
18 Vicarage
137 Total
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Concordia Ft. Wayne M. Div.
http://www.ctsfw.edu/Page.aspx?pid=392
Credit Hours/Area
40 Exegetical Theology
18 Historical Theology
43 Pastoral Ministry and Missions
29 Systematic Theology
3 Field Education and Vicarage
6 Electives
139 Total
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http://www.patheos.com/Resources/Additional-Resources/Is-It-Time-to-Write-the-Eulogy-Frederick-Schmidt-03-21-2011?offset=1&max=1
In spite of the fact that there is room for so many extras, the degree itself is bloated and expensive. The Association of Theological Schools require at least 72 hours of course work, but some seminaries require as much as 106 hours; and the inside joke among most seminarians is that they will be fortunate to crowd three years into four . . . or five.
Flow of Funds to Seminaries
http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2011/02/flow-of-funds-to-seminaries.html
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GJ - Add to that, an MDiv is a useless degree. Try to market it for a job, even in teaching. In higher education, a lawyer gets doctoral level pay. An MDiv will not get hired to teach anything.
One seminary veteran used his skills in ancient languages to learn computer languages, taking courses at a top computer science school. He gets wahoo pay and benefits now, plus bonus awards and incentives. He also uses his training to help at his local church.
The Lutheran seminaries deceive men into thinking there is a shortage, even though congregations are folding and merging (a polite way to fold). The seminaries are used as a convenient place to put a Flounder into a job because he has the same last name as an earlier professor, his father or uncle or in-law.
Meanwhile, the same synods are filling the gaps with non-traditional training, which erases even more slots.
If the synods got rid of abusive teachers and pastors, not to mention the alcoholics, there would be a critical shortage and higher standards. The only one now is a blood test.
"Oh? Fifth generation and related to four professors, three DPs, and one Daddy Warbucks? You can do no wrong, buddy. We need more just like you. Ignore the legalists. They do not appreciate the awesomeness of you."
