5 Myths about Christian Education

A few common misconceptions about Bible school and seminary.

Christian schools, bible colleges and seminaries seem to get a bad rap from Christians
and non-Christians alike.
To some, theyre closed-minded institutions where youre dogmatically transformed by
the removal of your mind. For others, its unnecessaryknowledge puffs up; boycott
Christian learning in Jesus name.
This means that those who attended a Christian school can look forward to a degree in
being misunderstood with a major in feeling undervalued.
Ive asked my colleagues to tell me how people react when they tell them theyre
seminary students and distilled their responses into five common myths that I think we
should ditch if we want to see Christian education for what it could be, and often is: a
transformative intellectual and spiritual journey.
1. If You Go to Bible College, Youre Not Getting a Real Education.
Privileged kids who go off to university can be notoriously elite about the whole thing.
Its like we think were smart by association. Were still slightly embarrassed at the
thought of attending community collegewhich is so, you know, practical. But then we
complain when our bachelor of arts degree doesnt lead into our dream job.
Seminary studies are often like that too: they may not land you the job within six weeks
by themselves, but theyll enrich you undeniably. For me, this has meant rich dialogue
with people from different denominational backgrounds (which, for some, sounds like
the lion lying down with the lamb), a completely renewed perspective on faith and
purpose, and character formation (something we often complain is missing from the
public education system).
2. Everyone Who Goes to Bible College Wants to Go Into Ministry .
False. Aside from those who want to be missionaries, counselors, professors,
organizational leaders, spiritual directors, and entrepreneurs (to name a few), many of
us havent the foggiest clue what were here forbesides the love of learning.
One such guy, opting for Bible college to help him sort out his theological baggage,
ended up pastoring the largest church in Canada. Another guy discovered his passion
for food and went on to start a popular restaurant chain called The Burgers Priest. So
dont assume were idiots for not planning to be pastors, because you never know.
3. Theology Doesnt Speak to Real-World Issues.
You want to be a theology professor? Get a life, bellowed my theology professor to our
stunned class one afternoon. In a 40-year pastoral career, our theology prof. has buried
more corpses than the number of years hes ministered. Childrens funerals are his least
favorite.
Clearly, our professor has spent his career dealing with all kinds of people at their rock-
bottom lowestwhen theyve had a breakdown, got divorced, lost their job or a baby or
their mental health. And this man is crazy enough to tell us that his theology kept him
going through the impossible times, enabling him to love even the most difficult people.
Now Im convinced that if our thinking about God and other seminary stuff doesnt
directly influence how we live, either we never truly learned it to begin with, or it
probably should be scrapped.
4. Bible College is for Priests and Nuns (and Other Super-Christians).

This is perhaps the most flattering myth of all. People assume that were going to
Christian school because were spiritual giants who want to marry Jesus. I can only
assume they subconsciously hated Sunday school, since they freely associate a love of
theological reflection with asceticism.
Aside from the fact that most of my favorite professors are married, everybody
eventually clues into the reality of human brokennesseven in seminary. Were taught
by individuals who suffered serious career setbacks, got divorced, survived cancer,
church hop, live with ADHD or wrestle constantly with God questions. And my
classmates wrestle too, trying to juggle their studies with tough life stuff. Maybe the only
difference between us and average church people is that we talk about it together.
5. Christian Schools are Just Happy, Sterile Christian Bubbles.
I cant easily dispel this myth, since I cant argue with the experiences of some of my
friends. I recall a prominent Christian leader in the business world confess, I dont like
church people. I love Christians, but have you ever noticed how weird we get when we
come together in a church?
Many people worry that seminary is just another church ghetto, isolated from the rest of
the world. While that might be the case for some people for a season of time, I dont
think its the norm. While seminary classes have attracted non-Christian students, it can
also be a great resource for missional opportunities. And, of course, you will carry the
learning and personal formation with you wherever you go for the rest of your life.