Liminality

According to stereotypes I’ve heard, seminary culture used to be something like this: Future ministers pack up their lives, move cities, rent a small apartment on campus and find a corner in the library in order to learn how to parse Greek participles. They emerge after three hard-fought years of exegetical papers, book reviews and theological discussions in order to take a full-time church position offered through denominational affiliations. Students even tried out their calling by doing a “seminary pastorate.” They’d drive 100 miles either direction and pastor a small, quaint church in the country. Seminaries didn’t have classes on Mondays so the students could enjoy Sunday evening worship with their church community. Sadly, this culture is dead. Students now come to seminary in one of three ways: Young professionals with ministry experience and nonprofit interest . These students grew up in church but don’t want to pastor or work in a congregational setting. They studied