So You're Thinking about Going to Seminary: An Insider's Guide - Softcover

Cooper, Derek

3.74

23 ratings by Goodreads

9781587432149: So You're Thinking about Going to Seminary: An Insider's Guide

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1587432145 ISBN 13: 9781587432149

Publisher: Brazos Press, 2008

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I think I want to go to seminary, but is seminary right for me? What is seminary like? How do I figure out where to go? If you or someone you know or counsel is asking these questions, this book is for you. A true insider, Derek Cooper answers the questions of anyone considering or just starting seminary. He explains what seminary is, how to research and choose the right school, what the different degrees entail, how to pay for it, the meaning of different theological terms, and what to expect once you arrive. The only book of its kind, this engaging, insightful, and user-friendly guide will help prospective students make wise choices and beginning students overcome uncertainty as they begin this life-changing experience. EXCERPT Theological education has actually changed considerably over the past few decades from the traditional classroom full of men wearing ties and slacks to the contemporary classroom full of women and men dressed in shorts and sandals. Although there still are many traditional schools available to you--if that is your persuasion--it is not necessarily your parents' seminary any more. This is because seminary education has evolved like everything else with the changing culture in North America. Seminaries in the twenty-first century differ in many ways from seminaries of the twentieth-century--which is one reason why a guide to seminary is now necessary.

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From the Back Cover:

I think I want to go to seminary, but is it right for me?

If you or someone you know is asking that kind of question, this book is for you. A true insider, Derek Cooper writes for anyone considering or starting seminary. He explains what seminary is, how seminary can provide the right training for different kinds of ministry, the practical aspects of going to seminary (money, location, theological affiliation, etc.), how much time seminary takes, what classes are like, and what the different degrees entail. The only book of its kind, this engaging and user-friendly guide helps both prospective and beginning students make wise choices and know what to expect as they begin this life-changing experience.

"Derek Cooper has given us an excellent guidebook for those who are thinking about attending seminary. Like the best of travel guides, he knows the territory well. He has a clear sense of what questions people are asking--and also the ones they ought to ask--when they are thinking about taking this journey."--Richard J. Mouw, Fuller Theological Seminary

"Derek Cooper's conversational style and personal reflections make this book accessible and easy to navigate. He takes what is often a complex set of personal, spiritual, practical, and ecclesial decisions and offers history, perspective, and very practical counsel. It's an excellent resource for anyone contemplating theological study or who is already engaged in it."--Philip D. Krey, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia

"Why has no one published a book like this before? Derek Cooper draws from his experience, research, and wisdom and mixes it all together in an eminently informative--not to mention fun--read. For anyone contemplating the Amazon-like jungle of seminary options, here is your travel guide."--Nicholas Perrin, Wheaton College

"A seminary education requires an enormous investment of time, energy, and finances while simultaneously having an enormous impact--for good or bad!--on the intellectual, emotional, and spiritual formation of the student. Choosing a particular school is therefore a serious matter that needs to be evaluated from multiple perspectives. Derek Cooper anticipates nearly every thoughtful question that might be raised by prospective seminarians and provides a wealth of information to help them make an informed decision."--David G. Dunbar, Biblical Seminary

About the Author:

Derek Cooper (PhD, Lutheran Theological Seminary) is visiting professor of New Testament at Biblical Seminary. Due to work, family, and program requirements, Derek has attended classes at six different seminaries. He lives in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, with his wife.

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