Dr. Morrison is my father’s name. Even when I teach, the title rings somewhat peculiar in my ears. Those in my church do not call me Dr. Morrison, most opting simply for Paul, or Pastor Paul. In fact, there is a good chance the majority of those who sit under my preaching may not know I have a PhD, but I am still grateful for it. I believe that it has made me sharper and better equipped to pastor.
As an MDiv student, I began to feel out what a PhD would entail. I had already been blessed beyond measure by a full scholarship for my undergraduate and masters through the association of the local church in which I was raised, and I had been assured that it would also be available to me if I chose to continue my studies as a doctoral student. Further, I already knew I would be moving to Cleveland to plant a church. My desire for a PhD was not to become a professor, or to hold a prestigious title, but to serve the church—a point which my wife so graciously reminded me with the inscription “pro ecclesia” (for the church) inside a class ring on graduation day. Ultimately, it was those two words that sold me on my seminary PhD.
To be sure, there are pros and cons to pursuing a PhD at a seminary rather than a university, to studying in the US rather than the UK, or elsewhere. Perhaps this is a matter you are considering yourself. Here are four reasons my seminary PhD has served me well:
1. Seminaries serve the church. Whether they are denominational entities or more ecumenical in nature, seminaries are meant to be attuned to the unique world and calling of ministry. There is an expectation, and often a signed requirement of both faculty and student, that this training be convictional. It was the norm at my seminary that a professor would also serve in their church as a pastor, deacon, or teacher. As such, questions and implications from our studies naturally found their home in wooden pews rather than ivory towers. Ecclesial theology serves the church well because it knows the church well. And while there still exists a perception that higher theology is centered exclusively in the academy, there is a growing reclamation of the need for the pastor theologian through seminaries.
2. PhDs are hard. Earning a PhD stretches you in ways you can’t expect. My eyeglass prescription doubled after my first year of reading seminars as I made my way through my comprehensive bibliographies and language competencies. Serving the church is no simple task, and those who do it well are those that endure. A PhD forces greater time management and sacrifice. My PhD made me a better administrator and a more disciplined worker. More than that my PhD taught me that difficult work can be good, and what is hard can refine you.
3. PhDs sharpen communication. In seminary, my Hebrew professor introduced me to what is now one of my favorite words—cogency. Simply put, “the ability to speak does not make you intelligent.”[1] Cogency, on the other hand, requires clarity and concision in order to communicate an idea or argument well. A PhD is not required in order to be an effective preacher or teacher, but it can refine your ability to communicate. An expansive vocabulary doesn’t mean a thing if it doesn’t bring cogency with it. The task of writing a dissertation equipped me to communicate with cogency in my writing and speaking, and defending it kept me humble.
4. PhDs refine contribution. Seminaries are often assumed to indoctrinate their students to promote their dogmas without criticism. While they were, in my experience, in the minority, I had several professors attempt to do just that—self-declared arbiters of orthodoxy, you might call them. But there was also a shift when I entered the PhD program. I was not asked to regurgitate, but to assess and contribute at a higher level than before. Reading seminars ensured I was well acquainted the incredible breadth and flow of the river of the history of my discipline. Research seminars guaranteed that I could sit beside that river and sketch the uniquenesses that I saw rather than what I was told the river held by another. Comprehensive exams were meant for me to demonstrate my familiarity with that river as if I were still standing before it. The dissertation invited me to wade into a small part of it to explore and expound on a portion no one else had seen. Such is the task of ministry. In the church, as in life, there is no study guide for what situations, crises, or questions will arise in the lives of individuals, the church, or society at large. There are areas of the river of ministry that can feel like no one else has seen. But Christ has seen them, and he has equipped his church to respond to them and contribute to the kingdom. Honed critical thinking and discernment are needed to first understand and then to give answer, and for this, my PhD has served me well.
A PhD is not for everyone.[2] Wisdom and intellect existed long before we started putting letters after our names, and God has shown time and time again that he uses both pharisees and fishermen. If God has gifted you to work with your hands, do so to glory of God. If he has gifted your mind, do the same. And if that pursuit brings you to a seminary PhD, consider investing in vision insurance.
Notes:
[1]Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn in George Lucas, Star Wars: Episode I: The Phantom Menace, (Lucasfilm Ltd, 1999). Yeah, I did that.
[2]See part one of this series, Gavin Ortlund, “Should Pastors Get PhDs? Questions to Ask First,” The Center for Pastor Theologians, January 26, 2021. https://www.pastortheologians.com/articles/2021/1/26/should-pastors-get-phds-questions-to-ask-first
Paul Morrison serves as a Pastor at The Church at West Creek in suburban Cleveland, OH. He is also the director and co-founder of the Ohio Theological Institute. Paul holds a PhD in Christian Ethics from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and is a member of the St. Peter Fellowship of the Center for Pastor Theologians.
