Hell Exists

Word on the street is that Brian has gone soft on hell in his latest book. Well, while I may agree with him on the otherworldly hell, I have just been told, “Welcome to hell,” by Andy Root, who’s a year ahead of me in the PhD program at PTS.

You see, on Wednesday, the practical theology faculty approved my research topic proposal for my dissertation, which clears the way for me to take my comprehensive exams in May and September.

“What are comps?” you ask. Well, on the appointed day, I need to show up with an empty hard drive on my laptop (and paper and a pen if my computer breaks down). I’m given an envelope and an empty room. Then I open the envelope, which reveals three questions. I have six hours to answer the three questions. No books. No notes. Most people write 30-40 pages in the six hours.

I then turn in the answers. Overnight, I can edit the essays for grammar, spelling, and punctuation, but not for content. Then I turn in the final version the next morning.

This entire process happens five times.

The five exams are on 1) the history and theory of practical theology, 2) the history and theory of Christian education, 3) practical theology in dialogue with systematic theology, 4) practical theology in dialogue with social theory, and 5) practical theology in dialogue with psychology.

A week after the fifth exam (sometime in September), I have a two-hour oral defense of my answers in front of a committee of the faculty.

If I pass, then I have a couple months to get a 20-30 page dissertation prospectus to the PhD studies committee for approval.

So maybe you can see why Andy said, “Welcome to hell.”

And maybe you can understand why I get a little ornery when people with D.Min. degrees insist on being referred to as “Dr.” OK, I get a lot ornery. So does my brother, the surgeon, when he meets a chiropractor.

(Before all you D.Min. holders rip me, I think it’s a fine degree. In fact, I imagine that I’ll be teaching some D.Min. classes in the near future. I just think the degrees are substantially different and should have a different appellation.)