Seminary Is Not the Problem — the Church Is

By Brian McLaren,
Patheos

When I’m asked about the future of seminaries, my first response is to say that almost 100% of the current seminarians I meet are raving fans of their education.

Seminary is providing for them what they wish churches would provide:
A robust intellectual environment where they can openly and energetically explore God, the Bible, doctrine, faith, liturgy, mission, church history, and the spiritual life.
A diverse ecumenical environment where they can read and learn from (and with) a broad range of Christians from a variety of cultures, denominations, and perspectives.
A reverent soul-friendly environment where spiritual direction, practices, and formation are taken seriously.
An engaged missional environment at the intersection of faith, contemporary global crises, and local social needs—where students are guided into experiences of practical involvement.
An accepting communal environment where they can experience what Bonhoeffer called “life together.”
Under ideal circumstances, seminarians feel empowered by this peak experience of intense spiritual formation in an intellectually-rich, ecumenical, soul-friendly, missional, communal environment. Their seminary experience guides and inspires them when they arrive in a local church context—helping them replicate their positive seminary experience for others, so that their local congregation can become a mini-seminary. For some, I think this transition works well.

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