Simon Cox Blog: Why Prepare for Ministry at a Liberal Arts College?

Friday 17 August 2018

Why Prepare for Ministry at a Liberal Arts College?

A liberal arts education does not simply encounter creation; it encounters the Creator.

College is not for everyone. Nor is seminary. I’ve written plenty on that.

But, what about those who are planning to follow what has become the standard route—from college to seminary, and then to ministry?

I’m increasingly convinced that if you are going to pastor a congregation in many places, particularly in a well-educated context, you would do well to consider a liberal arts education before you go to seminary.

Here’s why.

All Truth

When I open the Bible at Moody Church in downtown Chicago, I’m preaching to a disproportionately well-educated congregation. The same goes for when I am at Highpoint Church in Wheaton, Illinois.

I think my preaching is better because I know that they may have read some of the sources I’ve quoted. And, since I believe that my congregation(s) are filled with people who are serving Christ in various spheres of society, it serves me well to have a background that shows that I understand their world a bit as well.

Kuyper

I’m influenced by Abraham Kuyper, and I hold a Kuyperian view of society, including education. In particular, I resonate with his famous line that is quoted often: “There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, Mine!”

Kuyper’s ideas were shaped by the idea of Corum Deo, pointing to the ultimate reality that all of existence is shaped by being before the presence of God. He saw existence in spheres, including education, but also politics, arts, church, and more. All of these spheres matter, and education is the pathway into spheres where Christians should exert influence.

I hold an undergraduate degree in the natural sciences, so I am particularly ...