RE: Seminaries

[Louie Crew <lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu>]

My next colonoscopy will not be done by someone who became a surgeon by a
correspondence course, and I don't want the cure of my soul to be held by
someone who matriculated in a diocesan trade school.  If the millions who
teach English and math and history in high school can scrape together the
money for residence while they earn their graduate degrees, surely the
Episcopal Church, which prides itself on educated clergy, can require
residential education  of those in holy orders.

Look closely at the ways many Anglicans in Africa cut costs in theological
education.  Instead of building or supporting their own seminaries, many
farmed their candidates for priesthood out to theological schools run on the
cheap by Seventh Day Adventists and protestant fundamentalists.  The whole
Communion is now reaping what they sowed.   Barbara Harris has asked, "Where
did you send your 1928 Prayer Books?"

I am not under any illusion that degrees earned in residence can bestow
extraordinary honor on those who pursue them.  Anyone is in a sad state who
cannot bring more honor to a degree than the degree can bring to her.

Nor am I persuaded to abandon residential requirements by proofs that my
surgeon is as nice a human being as you can find and made top scores in
medical school by correspondence.

Louie

Louie Crew, 377 S. Harrison St., 12d, East Orange, NJ 07018.  973-395-1068
http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~lcrew