I'm planning to go to seminary next year, and I've been applying to Westminster Seminary California and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. WSC is cheap, reformed, teaches theology thoroughly, and close to home for me (the LA area), but it is a small campus with a rather inflexible curriculum, and the academic area I'm most excited about possibly studying later, NT, is relatively weak there. TEDS is expensive, not reformed, doesn't teach theology that thoroughly, and far from home, but it's a huge campus with vast resources, an amazing reputation, and NT there is very strong. The two schools are opposites in many ways, but what they have in common is academic excellence, solid coverage of languages, and a heart for the gospel.
Then there's Denver Seminary. Ordinarily, this school would be not at all worth considering; the curriculum cuts too many corners. But, since I will go in being able to test out of basic Greek and Hebrew, that gives me room to take advanced electives that would otherwise require me to spend way too much on tuition. Another area where I might stretch the curriculum is theology. The ordinary MDiv theology curriculum is a 2-semester survey plus a 2-credit elective: a squirt gun when compared to the fire hose at WSC. But I e-mailed them about attempting to test out of the 2-semester survey, and that is an option. If I did that, I'd be able to replace the quick survey with more in-depth classes designed for their MA Theology majors, and take entire semesters focused on one doctrine, just like they would at WSC.
So with the curriculum stretched, Denver Seminary is medium on expenses, decent with theology, reformed-friendly (they at least offer a class on reformed theology), close to family and friends I have in the area, and a decently-sized campus with a highly-flexible curriculum, and Craig Blomberg is a well-renowned NT scholar.
Here's what I'm still wondering: does anybody know people who have gone through Denver Seminary and would be able to comment on the experience? Any weird things I should know about? If I do a bunch of the advanced Greek, Hebrew, and theology they offer, do you think it could be a worthwhile compromise between WSC and TEDS?
Then there's Denver Seminary. Ordinarily, this school would be not at all worth considering; the curriculum cuts too many corners. But, since I will go in being able to test out of basic Greek and Hebrew, that gives me room to take advanced electives that would otherwise require me to spend way too much on tuition. Another area where I might stretch the curriculum is theology. The ordinary MDiv theology curriculum is a 2-semester survey plus a 2-credit elective: a squirt gun when compared to the fire hose at WSC. But I e-mailed them about attempting to test out of the 2-semester survey, and that is an option. If I did that, I'd be able to replace the quick survey with more in-depth classes designed for their MA Theology majors, and take entire semesters focused on one doctrine, just like they would at WSC.
So with the curriculum stretched, Denver Seminary is medium on expenses, decent with theology, reformed-friendly (they at least offer a class on reformed theology), close to family and friends I have in the area, and a decently-sized campus with a highly-flexible curriculum, and Craig Blomberg is a well-renowned NT scholar.
Here's what I'm still wondering: does anybody know people who have gone through Denver Seminary and would be able to comment on the experience? Any weird things I should know about? If I do a bunch of the advanced Greek, Hebrew, and theology they offer, do you think it could be a worthwhile compromise between WSC and TEDS?