I have decided to go ahead and pursue the PhD in theology (Reformed Dogmatics) with Martin Luther School of Bible and Theology. It has taken me time to process, research, pray, and reflect how I should go about this. In the end this PhD is what the Lord has set before me. Martin Luther School of Bible and Theology is the Divinity School (we could say) of the General Lutheran Church (denomination) based in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The denomination itself has existed since 2014, and claims to be the offshoot of the descendants from the former Evangelical Lutheran General Synod of the United States of America. Its current dean is Dr. Enrique Ramos, he also serves as both the director of Martin Luther School of Bible and Theology, and the Concordia Academic Theology Consortium (which consists of a total of four seminaries internationally, MLSBT being the flagship). It is a newer denomination, and even newer school. That said it is recognized by the Department of Education of Puerto Rico as an institute eligible to grant ecclesiastical degrees up to the doctorate. The Concordia Consortium consists of schools (or at least one) that already grants PhDs in theology, and has done so. I will be the first, the trailblazer PhD in theology that MLSBT graduates, once and if (Lord willing) that happens. The Consortium, and MLSBT, doesn’t claim to be anything it isn’t. It is an ecclesial work of the Lord that intentionally ministers in the southern hemisphere (the ‘global south’) of the world. Its mission is to provide sound theological and biblical education to people who don’t have all the privileges and resources those of us in the West, generally, have. This is its sitz im leben, and where the Lord is using them. I am happy to be associated with the heart of this mission to proclaim the Good News to the world.
One thing I have wrestled with is if I should pursue a PhD that doesnât have the âprestigeâ of the guild behind it. After all, isnât a PhD intended to get a person a seat at the table of the theological guild in the broader world of academia? But as I have wrestled with this, contemplated it, discussed it with the Lord ad nauseum, what has become clear to me is that is not the only use for a PhD. For me, the PhD has always been something Iâve wanted to do. In the past there may have been some vanity associated with that, but that has been tamped out. What the PhD does for me is give me something to aim at. It requires a level of focus and discipline that mere theoblogging doesnât provide for. It also brings some level of recognition for writing a âbookâ or study that indeed will require sacrifice, time, and energy. I could just write a book, but writing a dissertation requires a level of rigor that a book might not; it also allows me to be as freely âacademicâ as Iâd like to be without apology.
As far as recognition from the people, in the guild and elsewhere, I am not doing this, per se, for that. I am writing this as unto the LORD, and Lord willing it will come to have the capacity to bear witness to Jesus Christ. I have asked Him to give me the capacity to think, research, reflect, compose, write as unto Him. My desire in this is to seek Him first, and His righteousness. The âprofessionalâ outcome or potential of this degree is of no consequence to me. I am not doing this to gain the right to become a professor of theology (even though that is on offer by the institution I will be doing this at), to be a pastor of some renown, or teacher in any sort of capacity. I am simply doing this, as in all things, as a movement of faith as unto and from the living God. What He brings from this is up to Him, but that is my intention.
As far as the dissertationâs topic: it will be something of a development on what Myk Habets and I have called Evangelical Calvinism. I am writing on this topic for multiple reasons, primary of which is that it is already representative of an original theological offering to the broader theological world that has made an impact therein (you can google search the various published responses to what we offered, in particular, in our first book). But, beyond that even, it makes no sense to me, whatsoever, to re-invent the wheel. I have already spent two decades (starting in seminary with Dr. Ron Frost) studying the themes and foci that have gone into the unique (and yet historically) present mood we came to identify as Evangelical Calvinism. It was, in fact, the work we, I, have already done on Evangelical Calvinism that MLSBT and the General Lutheran Church awarded me with the ThD honoris causa for back in January of this year. I am going to make the writing of this dissertation as easy on me (and my family) as possible. I have many of the pieces, potentially all of them, deposited right here at the blog. I will be bringing those together with a critical introduction and conclusion as the dissertation in total.
As far as MLSBTâs requirements for the dissertation itself, it will be an 80K word manuscript, and at the end be examined by an external examiner[s] in the Australian/South African mode of examination. My goal will be to have the dissertation published by some (academic) publishing house; but letâs not get ahead of ourselves. My intention, in this process, will also be to write at least one essay pertinent to the topic of my dissertation, that I can have published with a peer reviewed theological journal. These are the requirements, and my goals.
There you have it. Pray with me that I will have the stamina to finish this strong all the way through. Soli Deo Gloria