Why a pastor or local church staff member might consider earning a Ph.D.
"What good is a PhD in the pastorate?" is a question I received multiple times while working on my PhD in Theology.
The question came from well-intentioned church members and also fellow staff members. To be fair, this is a legitimate question, at least as far as I see it, and one I was happy to answer. From many of my colleagues' experiences, they also received this question, though not directly about the ministry, as they worked their respective PhDs. Being curious about a PhD's practicality is certainly understandable; the degree requires tremendous study and rigorous examinations in fields that are not often covered by most higher education institutions.
Most churches, particularly within the free church traditions in North America, are content for their pastor to hold a Master's of Divinity. For some churches, the Doctor of Ministry provides a practical doctorate which is more applicable for their context. When it comes to the PhD, there is a little more consternation. PhDs are considered a research-focused degree with little application in real-world contexts. It is thought that PhDs provide little practical outcomes in real life and too often those with them have their heads in the clouds and little concern for real life outside an ivory tower.
However, if we consider the PhD for its possibilities, we might see it as a degree with wide application for the local church setting. To do so, we can begin by seeing the pastoral application of a PhD beyond the traditional Old Testament, New Testament, Theology, and a few other specified tracks of study. This isn't to say that PhDs in these fields aren't useful for local churches; they most certainly can be wonderful pastors. Yet, if we expand our ...
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