A PLACE WHERE THOSE WHO LIVE IN THE ANGLICAN CONTINUUM, OR WHO ARE THINKING OF MOVING THERE, MIGHT SHARE IN ROBUST, IF POLITE, DISCUSSION OF MATTERS THEOLOGICAL AND ECCLESIOLOGICAL. QUOD UBIQUE, QUOD SEMPER, QUOD AB OMNIBUS CREDITUM EST
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Friday, January 23, 2015
News from The Trinitarian
Bishops from four jurisdictions met in Athens to discuss clergy education. Pictured (L to R) are Bishop Chad Jones (APA), Archbishop Mark Haverland (ACC), Archbishop Brian Marsh (ACA), Bishop James Hiles (ACA) and Bishop Craig Botterill (TAC-C).
There definitely should be a House of Studies with a parish and near a huge state university. (The state university because there are always jobs and reasonably low tuition, not to mention nearly every course under the sun.) One could easily get an MA in Religious Studies and focus one's thesis on some aspect of Anglicanism. For those needing a BA, the coursework in religious studies would be much too secular, but the man could try to aim for work as orthodox as the school allows and have his studies supplemented by the kind of reading for orders that already goes on in the Diocese of the South. For the BA, another option would be to put up a residence either at Christendom College in Front Royal, VA. It is likely one of the most orthodox Catholic schools around and the tuition is affordable. With an Anglican House of Studies there, complete with corporate Morning and Evening Prayer, plus supplementary studies at the home in the evening, these priests would be very well-prepared.
I think that ACC should start a two-year school as a "finishing school". That is, students must come in with the equivalent of an Associates degree, certain general education requirements would be expected (i.e. two semesters of English composition, two semesters of math preferably Calculus, two semesters of economics, two semesters of accounting, two semester of lab science, preferably physics). Then for the last two years, the ACC priests with PhDs in their respective subjects could teach the upper level courses. Have a four semester sequence in Literature and History that spans Ancient, Medieval, Early Modern, and contemporary. A basic curriculum in Philosophy (same four-semester history of philosophy courses as Lit and Hist, plus the basic topics: Epistemology, Metaphysics, Logic, Ethics). Throw in on top of all that the basic theology courses necessary for a priest to get started off right. Priests in need of an MA in theology should also consider the catholic distance schools. Holy Apostles in CT has two good MA programs in Philosophy and Theology. Christendom has a nice MA in Theology. Catholic Distance University. I think Notre Dame gives full scholarships to MA students (most competitive) and a 60% scholarship to MDiv students. I point out these Catholic schools mainly because they are reasonably priced and they have decent reputations. ACC/APA/ACA will have a difficult time getting accreditation for a while. +Haverland has about the best education I've seen in the Continuing Anglican world, but he can't do a college alone. He will need priests who have legit MAs and PhDs from accredited universities, and Catholic universities are probably going to be the most Anglican-friendly places other than the Methodist schools like Emory and Duke, that have proven Anglo-friendly. The bishops have recognized that their priests need degrees. I've been doing courses through Notre Dame's STEM (Satellite Theology blah blah). It's non-credit (except for continuing education units) but at the end of a series of courses one can get a certificate in Scripture, Liturgy, history, and Doctrine. I already have a PhD in Engineering, so I don't care for another degree. I'd get one if someone paid for it, but I'm happy to spend just $100 per course at Notre Dame. If any parishioner complains that I am under-educated, I can show them my degree in Religious Studies and English from a once-faithful Anglican school, plus a Masters and PhD in engineering, along with these theology certificates. I won't take guff from parishioners who think that priests who read for orders are beneath them.
There definitely should be a House of Studies with a parish and near a huge state university. (The state university because there are always jobs and reasonably low tuition, not to mention nearly every course under the sun.) One could easily get an MA in Religious Studies and focus one's thesis on some aspect of Anglicanism.
ReplyDeleteFor those needing a BA, the coursework in religious studies would be much too secular, but the man could try to aim for work as orthodox as the school allows and have his studies supplemented by the kind of reading for orders that already goes on in the Diocese of the South.
For the BA, another option would be to put up a residence either at Christendom College in Front Royal, VA. It is likely one of the most orthodox Catholic schools around and the tuition is affordable. With an Anglican House of Studies there, complete with corporate Morning and Evening Prayer, plus supplementary studies at the home in the evening, these priests would be very well-prepared.
I think that ACC should start a two-year school as a "finishing school". That is, students must come in with the equivalent of an Associates degree, certain general education requirements would be expected (i.e. two semesters of English composition, two semesters of math preferably Calculus, two semesters of economics, two semesters of accounting, two semester of lab science, preferably physics). Then for the last two years, the ACC priests with PhDs in their respective subjects could teach the upper level courses. Have a four semester sequence in Literature and History that spans Ancient, Medieval, Early Modern, and contemporary. A basic curriculum in Philosophy (same four-semester history of philosophy courses as Lit and Hist, plus the basic topics: Epistemology, Metaphysics, Logic, Ethics). Throw in on top of all that the basic theology courses necessary for a priest to get started off right.
Priests in need of an MA in theology should also consider the catholic distance schools. Holy Apostles in CT has two good MA programs in Philosophy and Theology. Christendom has a nice MA in Theology. Catholic Distance University. I think Notre Dame gives full scholarships to MA students (most competitive) and a 60% scholarship to MDiv students.
I point out these Catholic schools mainly because they are reasonably priced and they have decent reputations. ACC/APA/ACA will have a difficult time getting accreditation for a while. +Haverland has about the best education I've seen in the Continuing Anglican world, but he can't do a college alone. He will need priests who have legit MAs and PhDs from accredited universities, and Catholic universities are probably going to be the most Anglican-friendly places other than the Methodist schools like Emory and Duke, that have proven Anglo-friendly.
The bishops have recognized that their priests need degrees. I've been doing courses through Notre Dame's STEM (Satellite Theology blah blah). It's non-credit (except for continuing education units) but at the end of a series of courses one can get a certificate in Scripture, Liturgy, history, and Doctrine. I already have a PhD in Engineering, so I don't care for another degree. I'd get one if someone paid for it, but I'm happy to spend just $100 per course at Notre Dame. If any parishioner complains that I am under-educated, I can show them my degree in Religious Studies and English from a once-faithful Anglican school, plus a Masters and PhD in engineering, along with these theology certificates. I won't take guff from parishioners who think that priests who read for orders are beneath them.