From Bishop Pressey, Anglican Episcopal Church:
The Emperor's New Clothes and Professional Clergy
American society has come to venerate titles,
degrees, and credentials. Specialization garners much respect and adoration.
But for many titles and degrees, the reality is the "Emperor's New
Clothes." I have earned degrees and titles; yet because of experience in
the "School of Hard knocks", I look with reservation on anyone who is
so enamored with degrees and credentials that they hold their achievements as a
badge of elitism and status. I have seen stateside officers and noncoms who
failed the test of battle. I have seen school administrators who are consummate
politicians; yet, totally lacking in courage to administer with wisdom. Within
the church, there are pastors, priests, bishops, and even rabbis who are money
and status driven.
Dedication and Service vs Pride and Ambition
Part of the reason for inadequate behavior from
so-called educated people is that ambition overrides dedication to service.
There is a flaw in character. All too often schools of higher learning often
benefit the staff rather than the students. For example, when professors earn
sums in the hundred thousand dollar range and teach less than 12 hours per week
while extorting unconscionable fees from the student, there is a problem. It is
even more egregious when the courses are based on opinions and untested theories
and the earned degree has produced no saleable skills in the job market. How
many students waste their time earning a degree in general studies or the
softer and nebulous disciplines?
Some Seminaries are No Different
Religious seminaries are even more
suspect when they develop curriculums that perpetuate theologies that are
inconsistent with Bible teachings. They are suspect when theological students
get the idea that they are all knowing and all wise. Nothing is so ridiculous
as when a seminary student graduates at 22 years of age and is an expert in
counseling, guidance, family affairs, finance, and human understanding.
