![]() ![]() Q: For many, this anniversary will surely bring up strong feelings of loss and grief. As members of a human family we have to find ways of learning to understand each other and somehow reconnect with the love in our hearts, which is not easy to do. Q: How does one find hope in remembering the horrific events of 9/11?Ī: Very often the most difficult time in our lives are a catalyst for very deep and fundamental change in how we live and how we understand the world, and even out of a tragedy like 9/11, if that can be a wakeup call for the majority of human beings to find a way to come together rather than to continue these cycles of escalating hatred and violence, then hope has been achieved. Corrections, additions, welcome.Reverend Diane Berke is the Co-Founder & Spiritual Director of One-Spirit Learning Alliance & One-Spirit Interfaith Seminary in NYC. ![]() and as important is the design of the program and how it will feed and nurture you spiritually. Discernment is important in deciding whether to get an academic or theological degree.Academic degrees have the most clout in professional circles. Neither is better, but they are different and have different levels of acceptance in the scholarly and traditional religious community. There are 2 general types of seminary accreditation - academic and theological/religious.Reputation counts significantly in their success. They are completely legitimate and recognized by the state they are chartered in. The ordination is separate, and sponsored by the ordaining body. They are considered "professional" certificate programs. Some seminaries, like The New Seminary and One Spirit, do not award accredited degrees.It is a tall order to sift through these accrediting bodies, seminary programs, schools and degrees and decide which one will hold up scrutiny in the event you apply for some job which requires academic equivalency in study and training. There are MANY interfaith seminaries, masters and doctorate programs which are accredited by non-academic associations.NOTE: If applying to a theologically accredited seminary, it is important to check out the accrediting body they are attached to.There are several accrediting bodies for theological/ religious accreditation of both traditional and interfaith seminaries, but there seems to be no clear standard among them. The difference is in the accrediting bodies.Faculty members often have and may even be required to have academically accredited seminary degrees, but for various reasons the seminary may not choose to go the full academic route. Theological degrees may have but do not require testing and a GPA score. Please let us know what you think.Īccreditation (from seminaries) is still a mystery to many interfaith ministers, yet we have found it important to understand in order to be able to explain and defend the worth of your seminary education when seeking a job or when interviewing about advanced education degrees. We took several months to try to understand as a group, a few key concepts that we hope help answer these questions, and have posted our findings below. We've discovered, over the last few yeas, that many new ministers do not possess a basic understanding of seminary higher education systems. Where's the best place to go for an advanced interfaith degree?Īnswering these questions can be overwhelming.What degree programs are for interfaith ministers?.Where do I go to get more knowledge and education in interfaith studies after the sem inary?.Is it enough education on its own to get a job?. ![]() Is it recognized by other institutions where we may work or seek further education?.What is an interfaith seminary education worth?.
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