STTCS a Non-Sectarian School
Although St. Timothy’s Theological College and Seminary was founded as an Anglican Seminary, it is not canonically affiliated with any Anglican organization. The Board of Trustees and the Faculty maintain close ties with Anglicanism, but not in a sectarian way. One of the virtues of Anglicanism is that it broadly represents what C.S. Lewis called “Mere Christianity.” And it attempts to hold tightly to the essential doctrines of historic Christianity, maintaining tolerance and courtesy to those who hold different views in non-essential matters. And so do we.
And there is a very practical reason for doing this. There is no room in our curriculum for teaching theology. The central emphasis of this school is the study of what the Apostles themselves have said and what ministers need to know to be effective ministers of the Gospel. In many schools, “theology” is sometimes referred to as “Biblical theology.” Our goal is to try understand the theology of the men who wrote the New Testament through ordinary literary analysis. One look at our MDiv degree plan reveals this priority. There is no attempt made to teach anything like “catholic theology.” The sectarianism of Christendom proves that this is a mirage. Thus there is no study of Systematic Theology except as a historical fact – there have been many systematic theologies that have been produced – from Augustine to Karl Barth. Every ministerial student should be familiar with them.
Thus our “Systematic Theology” course considers some of the most influential, prolific and sometimes controversial systematic theologians since the time of Augustine. Some stand squarely in the stream of Apostolic Orthodoxy. Some near the very edge. Regrettably, some stand outside the stream, yet not always, and in everything. This course helps to develop the critical thinking skills which define the difference between systematic theology and Biblical theology and to suggest ways in which the study of systematic theologians and their theologies can be helpful in the ministries of the parish priest, the Christian educator, and the lay leader. Our goal is to provide an excellent, non sectarian religious education to the parish priest, the Christian educator, and the lay leader. No more, no less.
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