What is the Objective of Seminary School?
Attending the seminary is a unique educational experience often shrouded in mystery. Nearly all seminaries offer advanced academic degrees but, if you were to ask the millions of college students about these institutions, the portrait painted is often akin to an 18th century monastery. The seminary is intended primarily to prepare men and women for professional ministry but modern schools offer wide ranging programs beyond this objective.
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Preparation for Ministry
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The primary mission of the seminary is to prepare men and women for professional ministry. Coursework in the practical and spiritual aspects of pastoral ministry is the main offering of these schools. While these classes can be taught at any institution, the seminary differs from a secular college in the spiritual component that is found in classes and activities.
Preparation for Ordination
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In addition to the academic degrees that are awarded by seminary schools, many also focus on meeting the denominational requirements for ordination. This usually involves preparing for the testing that is a part of the ordination process and providing a certain number of educational hours in specified ministry fields. Some seminary programs conclude with ordination rather than ceding the process to the church.
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Theological Education
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The seminary is the premier institution for exploring theology in all of its various forms. Many schools are associated with specific denominations or religious groups and tend to have a narrow focus on the theological tenets of that body. Others are more ecumenical and encourage the exploration of comparative theology.
Preparation for Counseling
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Counseling parishioners is a large part of many ministry fields, and the seminary has included programs to increase the skill and effectiveness of the minister as a counselor. This coursework often differs from other training in counseling due to the inclusion of the spiritual component that pervades all of the seminary offerings. Training for the chaplaincy is often centered around these offerings.
Spiritual Discipline
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Seminary education is designed to prepare students for a life of increasing spiritual depth. Most seminaries require regular participation in chapel services and involvement in smaller groups that emphasize the spiritual disciplines that will help a person to grow throughout her life. The student is often exposed to new disciplines that she was unaware of before becoming a part of the larger community of the seminary.
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References
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