How to Become a Seminary Teacher

Many theological seminaries produce some of the most well-rounded people because they challenge students to learn Greek, Hebrew and theological history from every time period in their chosen religions.
If you are getting a Ph.D. in theology, you will have to learn French, German or both to read top scholars like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, John Calvin or Walter Bruegemann in their native dialects.
Teaching in a seminary challenges the teacher to help students wrestle with Biblical text, ancient Near Eastern sources and current issues to prepare them for church work or beyond.
It also requires teachers to have an open mind because they will have to deal with people of various denominational backgrounds.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Get a Bachelor's degree. It does not necessarily matter what the undergraduate degree is in, since many seminaries or Master's programs will take you if you were a business major. Then, you may want to step right into seminary or a master's program after you complete your undergraduate career.
   Others may want to gain experience first. It depends on what you feel called to teach in. If you are looking at doing church work, you can gain experience in a ministry while studying.

2. Make sure to retain as much information as possible, especially Hebrew and Greek for Protestants. You will want to retain Latin if you are Catholic. You may want to consider learning other languages like Aramaic, Arabic or Coptic if you want to do textual criticism.
   You will also want to learn how to write effective exegetical text. An exegesis paper draws main concepts out of the Biblical text and expounds upon them. In short, you will need to be able to read and understand several scholars' findings of the text and weave it into your own research. You will come into contact with several different arguments from all sides and you may have to pick one side of an argument and give solid support through research.
   There are classes based around biblical exegesis of a certain book of the Bible. Many times they will just say "The Book of Amos" or something like that. Most intro courses will help you develop this skill because it is essential in religious academia.

3. Many community colleges will allow you to teach religion classes with a Master's Degree.
   However, there are two paths you can take to teach in a seminary.
   You could stop with a Master's Degree and gain several years of experience working in church settings, or you could get a Ph.D. in a related field and go straight into teaching.

4. Research seminaries you would like to teach. See if your views coincide with the institution's.
   Some seminaries are more rigid about who they hire than others.
   For example, you will have to be a Southern Baptist to work in a Southern Baptist seminary.

5. The application process to a seminary is similar to any other employment process. It is likely for you to be required to write a statement of faith before you are considered. Be clear and concise throughout the process.

References

• Fuller Theological Seminary
• Gardner-Webb University's Divinity School

Resources

• Christian University Jobs
• Harvard Divinity's Career Services Page
• Liberty University's Employment Page
• Catholic University of America