Education Reformers Needed

[Praxeas]

You don't necessarily HAVE to go to a University or get a degree. It may be preferable in some cases. Certainly if teaching in one of the UPC schools you want to get that degree. My pastor is taking classes offered by another church who has staff that went to Seminary (not Oneness affiliated) and the classes he is taking and the method they are using to teach is pretty much on par with going to a university.

He isn't interested in a title. He is interested in furthering his education so he can teach the church better. He is the kind of guy that reads and expands his knowledge

[Jeffrey]

I appreciate all the various forms of learning.

That said, there is something irreplaceable and unique with teachers who give their life to scholastic study and teaching as is the case in major universities. I could take a class and teach some of what I got from the class, and learning would definitely happen. But a life spent wresting through topics and ideas from every possible angle, familiarity, etc all contribute to the depth of the learning.

Also, seminars cannot replace seminaries. Seminaries are places for thinking, forming one's own conclusions, etc. Seminars are usually a speaker giving their own responses and ideas, where the listener learns what they believe about certain things. The place of academia is quite unique.

[Jeffrey]

Originally Posted by Praxeas

They studied at the feet of Jesus. Paul studied at the feet of Gamaliel.

Right. And their study doesn't include understanding 1st Century letter writing, culture & time, etc. That was all taken for granted. Their learning, in a Rabbinic setting, about the Messiah and Kingdom of God, was not a Western lecture, but an Eastern disciple-style ebb and flow interaction. So Jesus' model is best when it comes to discipling others about the Kingdom. It should be clear that formal learning is not discipleship.

Anytime someone exclaims that Jesus didn't have a degree, that is even funnier considering he's the Son of God, and also that if we are measuring tit for tat with the 1st Century, we'd better go find a non-post modern world to go live that out in. The fact is, we are a 21st Century Church, ever-learning from our 1st Century brothers who were near the heart of the first Gospel, yet we will flesh this out in a unique 21st Century way.

Paul's rabbinic learning is definitely one example, as you stated. Even then, our formal schools have to teach much more, and make up for more ground, due to the gap of 2,000 years that separates the ancient writings from our day.