Quality MTheol or PhD in the Bible

I told my Christmas audience in Keningau that I had packed away my doctoral regalia when asked to bring it along during a recent convocation address I gave in Sarawak. In Malaysia as a whole with much regret and grief I can say most MTheol or doctoral programmes are not up to international standards by any measure one would want to evaluate it.

My most recent teaching in West Malaysia was most disappointing. A few students wanted me to do the work for them in terms of bibliography. When I told them to visit a nearby theological library they looked stunned as if a MTheol essay could be accomplished by just lecture notes and the references I gave in the course description. I told them that they had to do research and spent time in libraries. 

Second, one student remarked perhaps wanting to represent others: “we are busy pastors”. In my heart if you are busy pastors you should not be pursuing post graduate theology but some of these candidates clearly expected to do minimal work but the paper qualification is what they are after for human glory and honour. 

Yet the saddest part is the administration of the School awarding such degrees is truly blameworthy. It is as if these candidates are given a silver spoon and almost guaranteed a pass in their subjects. Anyone with any self respect and integrity will have nothing to do with it. 

Even in a local Seminary there were simply too many compromises for higher degrees in theology that I quit in less than half a year and gave the requisite notice of 6 months. How can I supervise or examine my own colleagues without some sort of conflict of interest when some candidates do not read a couple of English books a year, let alone 200 or 300 needed for a DTheol or PhD? Hence, my return to pastor a church. It is not by any means easier than serving in a Seminary as pastoring a church is almost a 24/7 job and preaching can be an exhausting work if one wants to do it well and expect impact from it.