[I'm not sure what happened to this post....but here it is again :) ]
In this blog post, writer Donald Miller lays out a thoughtful rant about the role of academics in leading the church. Misunderstood by some to be a tirade against Christian higher education, Miller essentially claims that the academic realm, the “scholars,” have missed the point. Comparing some of the splits in the Protestant church to a child “stomping off the playground with the ball,” he writes that nearly all church divisions are actually academic divisions.
Miller argues from what we know of the first disciples—they were uneducated laborers whom Jesus sent out into the world with just enough training. The early apostles and first church in Acts learned primarily by doing, rather than studying or lecturing. Miller also challenges the modern conception of spiritual formation which is also hinged on “doing.”
The author doesn’t give a clear, viable solution to the problem and readers haven’t offered one either (to my knowledge). On one hand, a ministry leader needs some sort of Bible education because, as much as some might try, this is NOT first-century Palestine. But is seminary education truly necessary? That’s a question being raised by others too. Perhaps the question is, should education for ministry leaders be more hands-on with more hours spent in the field? With a bachelor’s degree in ministry and two years of seminary under my belt, I know that I encounter things in ministry that no class has ever prepared me for. What type of training and education is truly necessary for a leader in ministry? In this blog post, writer Donald Miller lays out a thoughtful rant about the role of academics in leading the church. Misunderstood by some to be a tirade against Christian higher education, Miller essentially claims that the academic realm, the “scholars,” have missed the point. Comparing some of the splits in the Protestant church to a child “stomping off the playground with the ball,” he writes that nearly all church divisions are actually academic divisions.
Miller argues from what we know of the first disciples—they were uneducated laborers whom Jesus sent out into the world with just enough training. The early apostles and first church in Acts learned primarily by doing, rather than studying or lecturing. Miller also challenges the modern conception of spiritual formation which is also hinged on “doing.”
The author doesn’t give a clear, viable solution to the problem and readers haven’t offered one either (to my knowledge). On one hand, a ministry leader needs some sort of Bible education because, as much as some might try, this is NOT first-century Palestine. But is seminary education truly necessary? That’s a question being raised by others too. Perhaps the question is, should education for ministry leaders be more hands-on with more hours spent in the field? With a bachelor’s degree in ministry and two years of seminary under my belt, I know that I encounter things in ministry that no class has ever prepared me for. What type of training and education is truly necessary for a leader in ministry?
I call this one. Also, it seems that some of the post was re-pasted under itself.
ReplyDeleteI would agree that Miller does not provide a clear answer as to how we should move forward. That is because, as he states in his first “footnote” at the bottom, “There are a million right ways to be the church.” I would disagree with his assessment, however, that there were no scholars leading the early church. Paul, the most prominent leader, would rightly be considered a scholarly leader in his time. By his own admission, he “was educated by the feet of Gamaliel (Acts 22:3).” At the risk of anachronism, it would not be inappropriate to state that Paul had received a high level education from this famous rabbi. Paul also, however, defies the stereotype of a scholarly leader that Miller presents. Certainly Paul did more than “make speeches.” This seems to imply that scholars can indeed function as effective leaders within the church. As this pertains to us today, I think the church sells itself short when it decreases the work that is expected of leaders in training. As you note in your post, there are situations that no class can prepare you for. Perhaps what is needed is an increase in both academic training and educational field work.
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