{"id":18428,"date":"2017-08-14T15:27:56","date_gmt":"2017-08-14T20:27:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/?page_id=18428"},"modified":"2024-07-29T11:39:05","modified_gmt":"2024-07-29T16:39:05","slug":"seminary-divinity-and-theological-studies","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/seminary-divinity-and-theological-studies\/","title":{"rendered":"Seminary, Divinity, and Theological Studies"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-modular-content-collection><div class=\"entry-content\">\n<h2>Which program is right for you?<\/h2>\n<p>If you are interested in the study of religion, or considering a call to ministry, it\u2019s important to consider which type of advanced degree and school will be the best fit for your goals. If you are interested in ministry and may like to become a pastor or leader within your faith community, it is important to research what that process looks like, specific to your denomination or\u00a0faith\u00a0tradition. Students with a wide variety of majors and concentrations may decide to pursue further education at divinity schools or seminaries, but it\u2019s also important to learn about the specific pre-requisites for individual schools and degrees, which can vary. As you explore further education, you will want to\u00a0ensure that your goals are in alignment with the school and degree program you select.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Seminaries\u00a0<\/strong>are typically affiliated with a particular religious denomination, and prepare students for leadership roles in Christian ministry. There is a strong emphasis on the study of the Bible and theology, and students often gain practical training and experience in pastoral care and counseling.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Divinity Schools\u00a0<\/strong>are generally professional schools\u00a0within a larger university and may or may not be associated with a particular religious denomination. Degrees offered at divinity schools vary, but often include the Master of Divinity, the Master of Theology, Master of Arts degrees, and\/or doctoral programs. Divinity schools\u00a0often attract students who are interested in ministry, although the degrees offered are also applicable in a variety of other fields.\u00a0Although divinity schools have traditionally been affiliated with Christian traditions, there are also divinity schools which welcome individuals of all faiths.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Reflect and Explore<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/what-is-vocation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">What is Vocation?<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0<\/strong>take time to reflect on your vocation<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/domestic-faith-based-programs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Faith-based Service Programs (domestic)<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 opportunities for post-graduate service which often include communal, simplistic living and reflection about faith with others<\/li>\n<li><strong>Experiential Learning Opportunities\u00a0<\/strong>in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/experiential-learning-opportunities-in-philosophy-and-religion\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Philosophy and Religion<\/a>, including a list of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/experiential-learning-opportunities-in-philosophy-and-religion\/#Organizations\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">church-related\u00a0organizations<\/a>where Oles have interned in the past<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.elca.org\/Our-Work\/Leadership\/Vocation-Become-a-Leader\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Vocation: Become a Leader<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013 resources for individuals exploring a vocation with the\u00a0Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), including information about becoming a candidate for ministry<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Seminary and Divinity School Resources<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/stctw.faith3.org\/\">The Center for Faith and Service: Seminaries that Change the World\u00a0<\/a>\u2013<\/strong>\u00a0this resource links to many seminaries and can be sorted by region<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/church-relations\/how-can-we-help-you\/\">Scholarships for St. Olaf graduates attending an ELCA seminary<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ats.edu\/resources\/students\">Tips for Students<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>from the Association for Theological Schools<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ats.edu\/member-schools\/denominational-search\">Association for Theological Schools: Member Schools<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 an extensive list of seminary and divinity schools, sorted by denomination (including\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ats.edu\/member-schools\/member-school-advanced-search?title=&amp;field_ms_primary_denomination_value=Inter\/Multidenominational&amp;field_ms_degrees_offered_value=&amp;field_ms_has_comprehensive_value=&amp;circle_op=%3C&amp;circle[value]=&amp;circle[unit]=miles&amp;circle[location]=\">multi-denominational<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ats.edu\/member-schools\/member-school-advanced-search?title=&amp;field_ms_primary_denomination_value=Nondenominational&amp;field_ms_degrees_offered_value=&amp;field_ms_has_comprehensive_value=&amp;circle_op=%3C&amp;circle[value]=&amp;circle[unit]=miles&amp;circle[location]=\">non-denominational<\/a>\u00a0schools)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>Students who are exploring their interest in religious ministry and studies are encouraged to visit with\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/ministry\/staff\/\">College Ministry<\/a>\u00a0or meet with\u00a0Kristi Kehrwald in the Piper Center to discuss their interests further.\u00a0To meet with Kristi or another career coach,\u00a0schedule an appointment on\u00a0<a title=\"Ole Career Central\" href=\"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/handshake\/\">Ole Career Central<\/a>\u00a0or by stopping into the Piper Center (Tomson 270).<\/h4>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Which program is right for you? If you are interested in the study of religion, or considering a call to ministry, it\u2019s important to consider which type of advanced degree [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2555,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-18428","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/18428","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2555"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18428"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/18428\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18533,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/18428\/revisions\/18533"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/pipercenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18428"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}