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Thursday, May 14, 2009

For the Conceptual Age, is it MFA or MBA? or MDiv?

I'm reading Daniel Pink's A Whole New Mind, and just read about how the MFA is the new MB. Graduates in business administration are seeing their jobs outsourced overseas, while graduates in design and writing are getting recruited by corporations more and more, since products must stand out above all the others amidst the abundance of good and services available today. It makes good sense, and sounds promising. I don't know what the case is today, in this economy, four years after Pink's book came out. But I would say an overall trend since even as far back as the 1970s is hard to beat in a several months or more of recession.

This reminds me of the increase in seminary enrollment in the past five years, and the more holistic approach many are taking, seeing seminary like law school--a place to get training that can apply to nearly any field, and not necessarily aiming for congregational ministry after graduation. It is interesting to notice seminary enrollment rise but preachers diminish. The definition of ministry has broadened (I would say "is broadening" but that's simply not the case; it already has broadened, regardless of whether the institutions realize and support this shift or not). I haven't seen any figures, but I would guess that employers, religious or not, are coming to value seminary education, with its focus on empathy, creating meaning, and nurturing communities.

Some schools are combining the Master of Divinity with a Juris Doctor (JD), Master of Social Work, and Master of Business Administration.

We have yet to see how this trend affects us long-term, and how quickly seminaries jump on board, if at all. In any event, this signifies a significant change for the way we approach vocation and life in general.
Posted at 4:37 PM
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1 comments:

  1. Personally, I would advocate for an MFA. I should have gotten one myself and still may. An MFA provides not only provide the academic/theory but also the praxis and can be as broad or narrow as one would desire. There may be some need to redefine what 'seminary' means in the here and now from the 1950's and earlier definitions. When there is a seminary who mouths ministry to be broad but the praxis is narrow this may not serve as useful.I liked what you wrote about this topic in your post, "The definition of ministry has broadened (I would say "is broadening" but that's simply not the case; it already has broadened, regardless of whether the institutions realize and support this shift or not)." Depending on the adopted ethos of an institution MDiv may be arguable as well. How important than would an BFA in an undergraduate setting be? I would say, pretty important.

    I do think that a reading of THE GREAT EMERGENCE may be helpful. Speaking of 'seminaries' clearly speaks to that of the church and most of my reading lately has lead me to believe that change is occurring. I wonder if MDiv is too connected to the Church for some? Most people I come in contact with are extremely turned off by the thoughts of going to a seminary because they see it's function solely for the Church and they see the Church as corrupt. This speaks of what must be redefined. These people seek a holistic way of being outside of the church, maybe even, with Jesus in mind. This social paradigm shift Pink speaks of is attractive, possibly, because the church is not in the fore-front flashing doctrine do's and don'ts in the faces of everyone who reads this book.

    I would certainly not say that seminary enrollments are rising, at all. In fact, in the past two to three years, many seminaries are feeling the pinch of falling numbers in regards to financial means and enrollment. Another question that is rising is what degrees are these students receiving and are they full-time students or just taking a class here and there? I would dare to say that MDiv is not the only degree worthy of integration with other disciplines.

    I do agree that people are seeking a more holistic approach to how one carries out meaning-making in all spheres of being. I wonder if there is a larger trend of enrollment in areas such as alternative medicine, healing, and arts (writing, music, theatre, painting, etc.), as well? If so, this would be full affirmation of Daniel Pink and his conclusions about the paradigm from the IA to CA.
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