Questions about Seminary Schools?

[Andreas]

I would advise against doing a Seminary BA. ST Herman's has a lot of problems, and while Holy Trinity is good, I just don't think it's a good idea to do a BA at a seminary. Why? becuase it's important to be exposed to many different kinds of people from all walks of life first.

I forgot to mention you could major in religion but that I think would be a waste of time unless you did it at a conservative Catholic institution. Those are usually very $$$ though! The reason they are a waste is that secular univerities are very liberal usually.

If you do a BA before going on to Seminary, it would give you a good background to many things that you will learn about in Seminary, thus making seminary more profitable for you.

anastasios

I see what you mean. I guess it couldn't do any harm to get a BA in history. I certainly wouldn't want to take religion in a secular school. That's not to say I'm closed minded about other faiths, but I don't see myself being too interesed in hearing about the falseness of Christianity, and the purity of Buddhism.

[bogoliubtsy]

I would advise against doing a Seminary BA. ST Herman's has a lot of problems, and while Holy Trinity is good, I just don't think it's a good idea to do a BA at a seminary. Why? becuase it's important to be exposed to many different kinds of people from all walks of life first.

I forgot to mention you could major in religion but that I think would be a waste of time unless you did it at a conservative Catholic institution. Those are usually very $$$ though! The reason they are a waste is that secular univerities are very liberal usually.

If you do a BA before going on to Seminary, it would give you a good background to many things that you will learn about in Seminary, thus making seminary more profitable for you.

anastasios

I agree completely with everything Anastasios said. Just so you know.

Studying theology/religion at a typical university for your BA is a bad idea for the most part. I started out as a comp. religion major and am still recovering. I recently read an old paper that I wrote as an early undergraduate on the role of the Sandhedrin in the crucifixion of Christ. I think I should still be repenting of that one.

[Andreas]

Because I love OrthodoxyOrDeath, a moderator here, I will add the disclaimer that going to seminary does not make you a holy person, or even give you knowledge, as true holiness and knowledge comes from Jesus Christ. Seminaries are good for giving you book knowledge and the community prayer life can really help you build up a good relationship with the Lord, but just make sure you are realistic about your goals.

If you just want to be a teacher of religion it's an even better idea to get a BA first and then go to Seminary.

anastasios

Very true. If you don't mind me asking. Are you going to St. Vladimir's just for the sake of gaining knowledge, or are you going into a career with what you learn at St. Vladimir's?

[TomS]

So I need a BA to enter any of the seminaries, even if I want to go through to become a teacher of theology? Or do I only need a BA if I want to enter to become a Priest?

Check out Hellenic College. They have a BA program and then you can transfer to Holy Cross Seminary that is located on the same campus.

http://www.hellenic.hchc.edu/pages/about/mission.asp

[bogoliubtsy]

So I need a BA to enter any of the seminaries, even if I want to go through to become a teacher of theology? Or do I only need a BA if I want to enter to become a Priest?

Check out Hellenic College. They have a BA program and then you can transfer to Holy Cross Seminary that is located on the same campus.

http://www.hellenic.hchc.edu/pages/about/mission.asp

Yeah, I mentioned that in an earlier post. Seems like a decent option. It also gives you the possibility of doing "community service" work with nearby parishes. A few students from Hellenic were very active with the local Bulgarian(only 2 bulgarians there though ) parish's food pantry. I think their BA program may be pretty limited though. Business for the men and Education for the women?

[TomS]

I think their BA program may be pretty limited though. Business for the men and Education for the women?

Not at all. They offer an Orthodox Religious Studies program BA. One track is for those plannig to go onto Seminary and the other for people who want to work in the Church in a non-clergy position.

Here is the track for Clergy:

http://www.hellenic.hchc.edu/pages/prog ... giousa.asp

Program Description
The Religious Studies Major is a comprehensive program in religion and theology, as well as the liberal arts. It is organized around the belief that education is meant to enrich the whole person and thus embraces the disciplines of history, language, literature, music, art, and the sciences.

The program aims to provide students with a strong, integrated foundation in the areas of language (New Testament Greek, Modern Greek, English), philosophy (Ancient, Late-Antique, Medieval, and Modern), history (Ancient, Byzantine, and Modern), and religion.

The courses in the area of religion and theology range from Biblical Studies (Old and New Testaments), Christian Literature (patristic and contemporary), Comparative Studies (inter-religious and inter-confessional), and courses in Orthodox Practice and Culture (spirituality, iconography, sacred chant).

Religious Studies A is intended for undergraduate seminarians of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese who wish to continue their studies at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology.

Requirements
Students are ordinarily required to complete the following courses in addition to the General Education Requirements:

Religious Studies (All course are 3 credits except where noted)

History and Literature of Christian Origins
World Religions
Spiritual Classics
Old Testament Introduction
New Testament Introduction
Religious Studies Electives (6 credits)
Greek Language, History, and Culture

Intermediate Modern Greek I–II (6 credits)
Advanced Modern Greek I–II (6 credits)
New Testament Greek I–II (6 credits)
Modern Hellenism
Greek Culture or Greek-American Experience
Other Requirements

Byzantine Music I through VI (9 credits)
Counseling Psychology

and the other:

http://www.hellenic.hchc.edu/pages/prog ... giousb.asp

[bogoliubtsy]

20 lashings for me. Oops.