I enjoyed studying theology,and depending on the college you attend, it can be helpful in choosing a career. I am a teacher now, and having a background in theology is a great help to me. I would still choose this major. The only problem is that your career options are somewhat limited to ministry, teaching, and maybe counseling.
It's a no brainer that if you have a vocation in ministry you need solid academic prep and not just "feelings." The problem is that if the vocation isn't so solid, you aren't prepared for many other careers. I would do it again because it was the right choice for me, but it's not a bad idea to have a teaching credential or some other safety net.
A love for kids is a must, but understanding how to balance your time is how you're going to keep from becoming burned out. Don't think you can do everything on your own. I'd choose this major because it helped prepare me to handle the problems that have been brought to me, and set me apart from the other applicants. Another pro is simply having a four year degree enables me to substitute teach so I can have some supplimental income, while connecting with kids that may not otherwise ever come and visit my program.
I chose Divinity because I wanted to do History and didn't get the grades. I was really lucky that my Personal Tutor encouraged me (against my better judgment)to study Greek, Latin and Hebrew on this course. This means that I have been able to use these languages to good effect in my current employment (as a librarian). The skills needed to analyse ancient texts effectively, and to do independent research and write an academic standard essay are vital to this course and can be applied throughout life. Therefore, although I am not really religious, the course was very stimulating and enjoyable.
I would definitely recommend becoming a theology major in college. Through studying theology you encounter many other disciplines like history, philosophy, and foreign languages. I concentrated in historical theology, which allowed me to study how theological beliefs have influenced world history. Religion is becoming more prominent in public life now and this degree can only help in interpreting contemporary events. One of the few drawbacks from becoming a theology major is that it limits your career choices after graduation. Having gone to a few job interviews myself that were not related to religion, it has drawn many inquiries and I have felt the need to justify why I studied theology to prospective bosses. Nonetheless, this major is interesting both academically and in terms of one's own convictions. Not only do you get to study incredibly interesting and relevant subject matter, but you enhance your own faith in the process.
I loved my major! First one usually has to have some level of desire in order to study the Bible. The three years that I studies Biblical Education were an extremely positive experience. The pros of this type of major is that you usually have professors who are very passionate about their area of expertise and truly desire to impart to his/her students that same passion. The cons are that this isn’t a high paying field or it might be a non paying field. I don’t make a dime off this major but that wasn’t my intent during my studies. This is a great building block to receiving a Masters or Doctorate and teaching in a University setting, but for the most part those who study Biblical Education are doing so for their own personal enrichment and growth.
I would recommend studying this if you have a passion for ministry and a desire to understand scripture at a deeper level. As odd as it may seem, if you are bad at history or literature then stay away from this major. The "pros" of this field of study is an increased understanding of your faith and a chance to help people. The "cons" are that churches can be slow to hire and people sometimes can be really immature and petty.
Founded in 1851, Cooper Union was the first college to prohibit discrimination on the basis of race or religion in its charter.
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