Overview

Contrary to what this may sound like, you’re not making any vows of poverty or chastity. You won’t get to hear confessions, and the closest you’ll come to wearing a long white robe in front of a crowd is if you get locked out of your dorm room on your way to the shower.


While you may not quite be ready for the pulpit, a major in Pre-seminary affords you the opportunity to engage in all of the intense theological and moral debates of your dreams, and better yet, by the time you graduate, you will have received such a thorough education in philosophical reasoning and Biblical thought that you’ll be able to make a much stronger argument than “because you’re just wrong.” Pre-seminary majors are theological and philosophical heavyweights. They study everything from Aristotle to contemporary Christian thought.


If a religious vocation is your calling, consider this excellent preparation for a life of the cloth. But even if you’re not already planning your first sermon, a Pre-seminary major is an excellent way to bridge theology and philosophy, to learn how to think and write critically.

SAMPLE CURRICULUM

  • Church Vocations Practicum

  • Contemporary Philosophical Issues

  • Introduction to Philosophy

  • Introduction to the Bible

  • Modern Christian Thought

  • New Testament Theology

  • Old Testament Theology

  • Religion in America

  • Sociology

  • The Christian Faith

  • World Religions


HIGH SCHOOl PREPARATION

You will need some strong critical reading and writing skills developed through a genuine interest in the humanities. Beef up your intake of history, English, and philosophy (if possible). If you go to a school that offers them, take some religion classes, always playing the role of the healthy skeptic. And remember, it’s never too early to begin working your way through Aristotle’s Ethics.