I have no career goal for my seminary studies. I know there are relatively few paid ministry jobs for women. So I understand why some might question my decision to go to seminary. It can be difficult to justify spending hours in classes and thousands of dollars on an education that may not pay for itself financially.
But I don’t regret one hour or one penny I’ve spent pursuing my almost complete master’s degree. I want to know God better. I want to add knowledge to my faith. I want to be challenged intellectually. I want to understand the theological conversations of the day. And worlds have been opened to me at seminary.
Of course, not every woman will have the time, interest, or financial resources to attend seminary—and that’s OK. But if you’re a woman who desires to go and you can make it work, I want to encourage you that seminary is well worth the investment. Here are several of the reasons I’m glad I went.
1. Learning to Value Church History
In seminary, I not only learned about church creeds and councils but came to understand their necessity—how precise language is vital in describing the Trinity and the incarnation, for example. I learned about the recent history of the church, like how Carl F. H. Henry helped define evangelicalism. I learned the foundations of Greek grammar, helping me grasp more of what’s written in exegetical commentaries that work from the Bible’s original languages.
Worlds have been opened to me at seminary.
I realized I couldn’t have written any of those works. I became thankful that people who went before me had the expertise to write creeds and doctrinal statements. I grew in gratitude for those present and past who’ve used their specialized knowledge of various biblical and theological areas of study to organize and equip the church. My time in seminary has answered questions I didn’t know to ask, and those answers have profoundly influenced me.
2. Growing in the Knowledge of God
Of course, I expected to learn about God in seminary. But I didn’t anticipate the great joy I’d find in studying the doctrine of God formally or how learning more about who God is would shape my relationship with him.
For example, my paradigm for understanding the ministry of the Holy Spirit changed through Greg Allison’s lectures on the power and importance of the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost. His teaching made me more aware of the activity of the Spirit in my life and church—increasing my dependence on the Spirit and giving me joy in experiencing his work.
3. Maturing in Spiritual Disciplines
Throughout my seminary studies, I’ve regularly interacted with mature believers—whether professors who taught my classes or authors I was assigned to read. Their practical examples of how to seek the Lord through spiritual disciplines have been a great blessing to me.
I remember one particularly influential reading I was assigned in a church history class: How We May Read Scriptures with Most Spiritual Profit by Thomas Watson. His instruction brought me to greater depths of savoring the goodness of Scripture in ways I’d never thought of. My disposition toward Scripture changed as my view of it was raised much higher.
4. Becoming a Resource for Others
As a seminarian, I’ve been able to serve as a resource for my family and my church. I can engage in doctrinal conversations. I can recommend books I’ve read. I can encourage others in opportunities for learning. I can write and speak about the things of God with greater depth. People are interested in what I’m learning in seminary, and I love relaying it.
When my daughter asks the big questions about God, I know how to answer—or how to find an answer. I feel equipped to engage her questions and share what I’ve learned with her. My daughter isn’t quite 8 years old and yet we’ve discussed missions, hermeneutics, the nature of the Trinity, and more. I’m a better mom for having attended seminary.
5. Having the Opportunity for Further Studies
An entry-level seminary education is a broad degree. It surveys the Old and New Testaments, systematic theology, apologetics, and more. Through interaction with a wide variety of materials and disciplines, you can learn what especially appeals to you and gain new ideas for personal study or perhaps plan to go on to further education.
My disposition toward Scripture changed as my view of it was raised much higher.
I’m leaving seminary wanting to learn more about the doctrine of the Trinity and 20th-century evangelicalism. I also plan to read much more by Puritan authors. Seminary is an introduction to a lifetime of further reading and resources.
Ladies, seminary is absolutely for us too. You don’t need to have a formal occupation in mind to benefit from or enjoy seminary. And you don’t need to go at a quick pace. This process has taken me many years and through many seasons. I’ve had full-time work, part-time work, and no paid employment at various points during my studies. I paid for seminary when our family had the funds, and I’ve taken time off and waited when we didn’t. My path might not work for you—I simply commend to you the richness, blessing, and usefulness of a seminary education.
The Gospel Coalition