(Antiochian.org) - A Master of Divinity (MDiv) degree from an Orthodox Theological School is the required educational qualification for ordination to the holy priesthood in our archdiocese. Now that the Antiochian House of Studies (AHOS) offers an accredited MDiv, we have received several questions about how this new degree program fits into our archdiocesan educational program. Therefore, we are providing the following guidance.
As has been the longstanding policy of our archdiocese, all men who wish to study for an MDiv in preparation for ordination to the holy priesthood must apply for the blessing of the Metropolitan before applying to a theological school. If they are approved, the Metropolitan will bless them to apply to a school of his choice. Candidates do not normally indicate a preference of which school they wish to attend; rather, they obediently attend the program chosen by the Metropolitan.
However, the distinctive features of the AHOS MDiv program argue for a slight modification of this procedure. The program utilizes a hybrid-learning model, which is different from traditional, on-campus seminary; these two different models each have different advantages and benefits and thus may be suited to students in different life situations or with different future goals. Therefore, when applying to the Metropolitan for a blessing to begin MDiv studies, applicants may include a statement explaining why studying through AHOS might make more sense in their particular case (no such statement is necessary if they are willing and able to attend a traditional, on-campus seminary). Of course, providing such an explanatory statement must be done with the understanding that the Metropolitan will have the ultimate decision.
All men who wish to study in preparation for priestly ministry should begin by discussing this vocation with their pastor. The pastor may then request an application packet from the archdiocese and pass it on to the applicant. The application deadline each year is January 31, in advance of a fall commencement of studies.
Friday, October 7, 2022
How the AHOS will change seminary for Antiochians
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Why is the metropolitan's blessing necessary to persue the degree? I could see it being necessary if one desired to be part of the clergy. But if it was being persued for academic purposes, I do not see it's purpose other than eliminating possibly good students who the metropolitan might just dislike. Perhaps there needs to be transparent quantifiable criteria that one needs to meet, otherwise if the metropolitan does not like Russians but likes syrians, then how is this managed in a fair manner?
ReplyDeleteIt's required for admission to our seminaries at a minimum. Regardless of if it is an MDiv or MTh or anything else.
DeleteBecause it's the Church, not a democracy. The bishop is in charge and that's how it is.
DeleteMight this program be opened to the seminarians of other jurisdictions?
ReplyDeleteSure is.
DeleteWhich Metropolitan?
ReplyDeleteWhoever your bishop is. If you look at the seminary applications, they make it clear who needs to send in his recommendation.
DeleteSt. Vlad's, Holy Trinity, St. Sophia, St. Tikhon's, Holy Cross, Christ the Savior, St. Herman's, St Sava's, to name just a few. So why do we need another? Would the Antiochians be more prudent if they focused their resources on funding a wing at St. Jude's? That would perhaps assist in cementing their intent in becoming part of the fabric of America ? This just seems to be redundant, dilutes the efforts of the others and continues the lack of unity amongst our fellow Eastern Orthodox Christians Perhaps instead of lauding we should be bemoaning their refusal to follow the teachings of the Gospel and become one.
ReplyDeleteThis program is meant to address situations where attending seminary would be very difficult for the person involved. Hence why justification is required to request this mode. The preference, including by the Antiochians, is seminary in-person. However, there are many excellent candidates that may have trouble attending seminary for a variety of reasons. This is meant to address that.
DeleteSo why can't the others do that? There are many secular institutions that have adopted the remote model,,,,,I taught in one for twenty years. It just does not pass the sanity test, does it?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteA reason to question remote learning: Seminary is for spiritual formation, not just for learning a, b, & c. I can only speak personally for St Tikhon's -- daily worship in the Monastery church and the Seminary chapel is an irreplaceable part of the seminary experience.
DeleteThe establishment of a non-residential seminary option is a terrible idea, if the experience of other church bodies is any guide. Thirty or so years ago, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod had an "alternate route" program that dropped the residential seminary requirement from a 3 year academic + 1 year internship called vicarage (2 years residential, vicarage, then 1 year residential, then placement) to a 2 year program (2 years residential, vicarage, then placement). The AR guys were quickly recognized as being deficient academically relative to their full-program peers, and they were quick to adopt fashionable approaches from other Protestants.
ReplyDeleteThen they introduced DELTO (Distance Education Leading to Ordination), which cut the residential portion and academic rigor still further and, as I recall, mostly removed the vicarage requirement. As expected, these guys quickly got on the 'happy clappy worship' bus and had minimal formation from being in daily theological discussion, reflection, and prayer.
A few years ago, they introduced the SMP (special ministry program or some such) intended to help with 'unusual situations'. SMP students get like a year of courses, never visit a seminary campus, and ultimately get ordained among the non-Lutheran wing of the LCMS. None of their parishes look Lutheran. The LCMS is in deep trouble, and cutting their own throat is not helping matters.
Residential seminary is indeed tough, and the Church needs to do a great deal to keep it as affordable and do-able as possible. However, as much as I love distance education, seminary is not the place for it. Clergy need to be in the kind of theological and service environment -- classes and papers constantly, multiple services each day, oversight and guidance from faculty -- that seminaries provide. (I say that knowing full well of the spiritual hazards in all of the American Orthodox seminaries.) It cannot be replicated with 2-week or 4-week intensives at Antiochian Village.
If this gets traction, American Orthodoxy will suffer.
Your thoughts here are important B B. I do wonder out loud, and it is genuine wonder, about a couple of the assumptions behind it.
DeleteDo we believe the culture, the culture-of-Christ, the real "spirit" of each local parish, jurisdiction, and civilization wide Church can be led by well trained/formed clergy? Sure, it can be influenced, but can it truly be led by it? Another way to put this question: Do we overweigh the "spiritual fatherhood" of our clerics, such that we think they (i.e. their spiritual formation) are indicative of the health of the Body of Christ as a whole? After 25+ years of being an Orthodox Christian in several of our jurisdictions, being part of a seminary education (that was mostly distant) myself, active in lay leadership (currently chair of my local parish board),etc. my answer is thus:
We focus too much on deacons/priests/bishops, and not enough on what is actually forming, evangelizing, and influencing the organic culture of our local parishes. In other words, even if every deacon/priest/bishop were ideally formed at St. Tikon's seminary, the spirit of Orthodoxy in western civilization would be about the same as it is today - still in decline, still being secularized and "liberalized" year after year, still not passing the Faith on to the next generation, still failing by all the usual objective measures.
In other words, what happened in LCMS and what will likely happen in Orthodox seminary's is not *causal* but symptomatic.